Homemade Belgian Waffles are light and crispy, with plenty of deep, large squares for toppings!
There’s nothing better than a piping hot waffle fresh from the waffle iron. Add toppings and it’s a breakfast made in heaven! Both our Buttermilk Pancakes and these Belgian waffles are true favorites in our house, especially on Sunday mornings
The best part is how easy these buttermilk waffles are to make at home, with a few simple ingredients, and a quality waffle iron. By the way, this recipe will work in both a Belgian waffle iron and a regular waffle iron.
OK, who’s starving? Let’s get cookin’
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Ingredients for Homemade Belgian Waffle Mix:
This recipe works best when all of the ingredients are closer to room temperature, so be sure to pull everything out of the refrigerator first, when you are prepping your recipe, to take the chill off.
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking Powder – make sure it’s fresh so you’ll have tall fluffy waffles
- Baking Soda and Salt
- Milk – we prefer whole or 2% for this recipe but any type will do
- Buttermilk – if you don’t have buttermilk on hand see our handy tip below to make your own or just use regular milk. Buttermilk gives these waffles a tang and tenderness we love
- Butter – melted and cooled to room temperature
- Vanilla Extract – have you tried making your own? Here’s how – it’s easy with just 2 ingredients!
- Eggs – we’ll separate them and use both the whites and yolks. Did you know, it’s easier to separate eggs when they are cold?
How to make fresh Belgian Waffles from scratch:
- Gather all of your refrigerated ingredients first and give them a chance to warm up
- Melt the butter and let it cool to room temperature (we don’t want to scramble the eggs!)
- Heat your waffle maker to medium, or according to the manufacturer’s suggestion
- Separate the eggs. Reserve the whites in a medium mixing bowl. Blend yolks in a small bowl and set aside
- Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl – flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
- Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk, buttermilk, cooled melted butter, vanilla extract, and blended egg yolks
- Whisk together to combine. The batter will be thick at this point
- Vigorously whisk the egg whites until they reach the soft peak stage. Alternately, blend with a mixer but be careful not to over whisk
- Now gently fold the whites into the batter. Be gentle so you don’t deflate the whites. It’s ok if the batter looks a little streaky
- Let batter rest and heat the waffle iron (anywhere between 5 – 30 minutes)
- Pour about 1/2 – 3/4 cup of batter into the center of the Belgian waffle maker. Make sure the batter spreads to the edges. If it doesn’t then give it a quick nudge with a heat-proof spatula. This helps fill in the nooks and crannies all the way to the edge and ensures beautiful full waffles. * Each waffle iron will require a different amount of batter depending on the model
- Close the lid and cook for about 5-6 minutes, or until the waffle iron beeps that your waffles are ready (most models). The waffles should be lightly crisp and golden
- Remove the cooked waffle from the hot waffle iron and place it on a wire rack, on top of a baking sheet. This keeps the waffles from getting soggy on the bottom.
- Continue cooking the rest of the batter
- To keep cooked waffles warm and crispy while finishing the rest of the batch, place the baking sheet in a warm oven (175˚F)
Looking for a good quality waffle iron?
We’ve tested a few and we keep coming back to this silver Cuisinart 4-slice Belgian waffle maker. It heats consistently across all of the surface areas, has a great non-stick texture, and is easy to clean afterward. There are a lot of choices out there but we think this is a reliable waffle maker at an affordable price.
Topping ideas for Homemade Belgian Waffles:
The best thing about waffles is the little pockets that are created because they just beg for toppings! Here are some of our favorites, but it’s easy to get really creative here.
- Whipped butter and Pure Maple Syrup
- All types of fresh fruit or fruit compotes
- A nice dusting of powdered sugar
- Super rich whipped cream
- Nutella, small chocolate chips, or our Easy Salted Caramel Sauce
- Try these with a dollop of our warm Homemade Applesauce, which is loaded with cinnamon!
- Sauteed bananas or strawberries
- How about a classic Waffles and Fried Chicken combo?
Should you let the waffle batter rest?
This simple answer is yes! The minimum resting time is 5 minutes but 30 minutes is ideal to allow the gluten to relax.
If you let the batter rest, you’ll actually get a little more volume than if you cook them right away (up to 1 extra waffle). Additionally, the rested batter will give your waffles a crusty and airy, tender texture. The resting time is a great time to prepare delicious toppings for the warm waffles.
What is the difference between a Belgian waffle and a regular waffle:
Basically, Belgian waffles have deeper pockets than American waffles, which, of course, makes them great for holding little pools of syrup and butter. The texture is also lighter and crispier.
To make a true Belgian waffle, you need a waffle iron with a deep, large grid pattern. Many of the original Belgian waffle recipes use yeast instead of baking powder. The beaten egg whites also help the waffles rise more when they are cooking.
If you have a regular waffle iron you can use this recipe but will need to adjust the amount of batter you use (you will likely use less).
How to freeze Homemade Belgian Waffles
Waffles freeze beautifully! Let them cool completely, wrap them individually, and store them in a resealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. When ready to eat we recommend heating in a low temperature oven. Microwaving isn’t recommended.
How to ensure crispy waffles:
- Make sure the waffle iron is hot enough
- Let the batter rest
- Don’t overwork the batter
- Don’t stack the cooked waffles – this will make them soggy and limp
Need a buttermilk substitute?
In case you don’t have buttermilk on hand it’s easy to make with this substitution formula:
- The ratio: 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice for every 1 cup of regular milk
- Mix together and let stand for a few minutes then mix again
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Homemade Belgian Waffles
Equipment
- waffle iron
Ingredients
Waffle Mix
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup butter, melted and cooled
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, separated
Garnish Ideas (optional)
- 4 Tablespoons whipped butter
- 4 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup mixed berries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries
- 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
Making Belgian Waffles:
- Melt the butter and let cool to room temperature.
- Heat a Belgian waffle iron to medium, or heat according to your specific waffle iron's directions for Belgian waffles.
- Separate the eggs. Reserve the whites in a medium mixing bowl. Blend yolks in small bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Create a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in milk, buttermilk, cooled melted butter, vanilla extract, and blended egg yolks. Whisk together to combine. The batter will be thick, but don't over blend.
- Whisk egg whites vigorously until you have soft peaks, either by hand or with a mixer.
- Gently fold egg whites into the batter until combined, but again don't over blend.
- Let batter rest for 5-30 minutes while the waffle iron is heating.
- Pour about 1/2 – 3/4 cup of batter into the center of the Belgian waffle maker. make sure the batter spread to the edges.Close the lid and cook until lightly brown. (FYI: Most waffle makers will beep when ready). *Note: My waffle iron (a round Cuisinart) takes about 1/2 cup of mixture and cooks for 5-minutes but each waffle iron cooks slightly differently so follow your manufacturer instructions
- Remove cooked waffle from the hot waffle iron and place on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. This keeps the waffles from getting soggy on the bottom. Continue cooking the rest of the batter.
- To keep the cooked waffles warm and crisp, while cooking remaining batches, put the baking sheet in a warm oven (175˚F)
Serving waffles:
- Serve waffles warm with butter and syrup. Garnish with berries and a dusting of powdered sugar, if desired.
Notes
- This recipe works in a traditional waffle iron or Belgian waffle iron
- These waffles freeze beautifully. Cool them completely, wrap in foil, and store in an airtight container or freezer bag
- Topping ideas:
- warm syrup
- powdered sugar
- fruit compote
- fresh fruit
- whipped cream
- Nutella
Roxana Jean
These waffles are by far the BEST I’ve ever eaten! Thanks for the recipe!
Gordon & Roxana
Cyndy
So happy to hear it! Thanks for your nice comment.
Kushigalu
love this Belgian waffles made with buttermilk. So delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
I’ve never made waffles but this recipe looks so easy to follow and the waffles look gorgeous. Trying these out at the weekend.
Tavo
I recently had the pleasure of enjoying some homemade Belgian waffles and I must say, they were absolutely incredible! These waffles were crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, and had just the right amount of sweetness.
The homemade touch really made a difference, as they tasted so fresh and delicious. I loved how the waffles were perfectly cooked and the texture was just perfect.
dina and bruce miller
Bruce and I are big waffle fans! These looks so crispy! Can’t wait to try!
Cyndy
I think you guys will love them!
Anjali
I love Belgian waffles and these turned out perfectly! Thanks for the tip on the waffle iron — I do think that made a difference compared to waffles I’ve tried to make in the past!
Cyndy
I hope that helps – I’ve tried a few and this one is a winner!
Angela
These waffles turned out amazing! The buttermilk gives them such a great flavor and texture. My go-to waffle recipe from now on!
Claudia Lamascolo
we love waffles these were so light and delicious will make them often thanks
Dannii
My family are from Belgium, so I grew up eating these. SO delicious.
Cyndy
Oh how fun, and I hope they are somewhat like the originals you ate growing up!
veenaazmanov
Nothing like making such amazing stuff at home. It gets Budget friendly too. Looks tempting and mouth melting. Yummy toppings.
Andrea
I’m totally onboard for these homemade belgian waffles. They look amazing!