Crispy Waffles
I’m sharing my top 6 tips for how to make the best Crispy Waffles for breakfast or brunch. These homemade waffles have wonderful flavor, and the batter is simple to mix together. Serve them piping hot while crisp, topped with butter, maple syrup, or your favorite toppings.
Did you ever eat those frozen pre-packaged waffles growing up? I did. And I almost can’t believe I did. They’re quite a far cry from the crisp, thick, flavorful waffles I now make at home for brunch.
Even though my waffle standards started out with the soggy, spongy frozen variety, I’ve gotten very demanding about how a waffle should be.
The best waffles are crisp on the edges but a little fluffy in the middle, with good flavor, and doused in real maple syrup (though admittedly that last part has nothing to do with technique).
There is only one exception to this: Chef Capon’s Savory Bacon Cheddar Waffles, which are neither crisp nor should you put maple syrup on them, but are insanely delicious.
After a decade experimenting with various waffle ingredient combinations and several tiers of waffle makers, I’ve discovered there are 6 major secrets to perfect waffles.
Tip #1: Add stiff egg whites
For the most crispy waffles, we will be separating the egg yolks from the egg whites, and mixing them separately.
When you beat egg whites to stiff peaks, they hold in a TON of air (think about what’s going on with a soufflé). Incorporating stiff egg whites into your batter makes the waffles incredibly light instead of heavy and dense.
I mix the small amount of granulated sugar needed in this recipe directly into the egg whites, both to make the beaten egg whites more stable, but also to dissolve the sugar thoroughly.
It takes an extra minute, but this step is important for a more crisp exterior.
Tip #2: Add cornstarch
I first read about adding cornstarch to waffles after someone sent me Pam Anderson’s recipe, and the thought of adding cornstarch really surprised me.
I went in skeptical but after testing it out I was convinced. It makes a big difference! The addition of cornstarch protects the waffle from getting soggy from cooking steam.
What’s interesting is that over the years, I have noticed more and more people incorporating cornstarch into their baking as a secret ingredient. When added to baked goods like cakes, cookies, and so on, it helps the texture quite a bit.
Tip #3: Swap Amaretto for vanilla
Vanilla extract is classic in sweet applications, and you may certainly use it here if that’s what you have. But I love adding a little amaretto liqueur to the batter instead. It makes the waffles flavorful and aromatic, in a way that’s different from the norm.
If you don’t have amaretto, make sure you at least use some vanilla or almond extract, so you get that nice flavor and aroma that’s necessary for a great waffle.
Tip #4. Use real buttermilk
Real buttermilk is important for the same reason as #3…flavor. We all love substitutes, but be sure to use actual whole milk buttermilk from the store here, not vinegar curdled regular milk! A vinegar milk mixture might work out chemically, but it does not compare to the real thing.
If you have leftover buttermilk, you can freeze it, or use the leftovers for Lemon Buttermilk Pie, Buttermilk Pancakes, this amazing Cornbread Recipe, or this legendary Fried Chicken Recipe.
For the wet ingredients, mix the buttermilk with egg yolks, melted butter or vegetable oil, and your amaretto or vanilla.
Add it to the dry ingredients of all purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, in a separate bowl:
Once the buttermilk amaretto liquid is added to the dry ingredients, it’s time to fold in those stiff egg whites I mentioned earlier:
Fold gently in a large bowl with plenty of room to turn, so as not to deflate the whites. This ensures crispier waffles.
Tip #5: Use a flip waffle maker
As good as your crispy waffle recipe may be, if you have a crummy waffle maker, you’re going to get crummy waffles. I know this because I had one. One side would get completely burned, while the other side was underdone.
It pained me to do so, but I threw it away and bought this flip waffle maker instead. Flipping the iron after pouring in the batter allows all the liquid to spread out evenly, so the waffle cooks evenly on both sides.
Also take care not to overfill the waffle maker, as it will just spill over the sides and make a mess.
With a good quality preheated waffle iron, each waffle should come out crisp, golden brown, and ready to eat. If this doesn’t happen, the following tip will save you.
Tip #6: Crisp five minutes extra in the oven if needed
If the waffles aren’t fully crisped when they come out of the waffle iron, put them in a 250 degrees F oven for 5 minutes, directly on the metal racks of the oven (not on a baking sheet).
This will crisp the waffles even further and putting it on the wire oven rack will allow the steam to escape and prevent sogginess. This is also good for maintaining the waffles’ crispy exterior while you’re cooking the remaining batter.
How to Serve
My favorite toppings for these crispy waffles are simply some good quality butter and a drizzle of pure maple syrup. Classic waffles always please! But you could also dust with a little confectioner’s sugar, add Homemade Orange Honey Butter, Blueberry Sauce, or fresh fruit.
You may also want to balance these delicious waffles out with some healthier savory options. I love Poached Eggs with Hash Browns, Sausage Breakfast Casserole, and this Potato Frittata.
Also try Cinnamon Roll Pancakes, Bananas Foster French Toast, Carrot Cake Pancakes for some fun and indulgent brunch recipes. If you want to go a little healthier, these 100% Whole Wheat Pancakes are shockingly delicious too. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips and FAQ
Keep leftover waffles in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yes, keep in an airtight container or sealable plastic freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Reheat in a 350F oven (or toaster oven) for 5-10 minutes, until warmed through. If reheating straight from frozen, you will need to add an extra 5 minutes. It is also possible you can pop them into the toaster, depending on how thick your waffles are.
No, I do not recommend using this recipe for pancakes. Try Buttermilk Pancakes or Whole Wheat Pancakes instead.
Yes. Sprinkle up to 1/4 cup of chocolate chips per waffle immediately upon adding the batter to the hot waffle iron.
Did you enjoy the recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!
Crispy Waffle Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 eggs separated
- 2 cups whole buttermilk
- 1/3 cup melted butter or oil of your choice*
- 1 tbsp amaretto (can substitute 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 7.5 oz all-purpose flour, by weight (1.5 cups, if measuring)
- 2.5 oz cornstarch, by weight (1/2 cup, if measuring)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Separate the egg yolks and whites, and beat together the egg yolks, buttermilk, melted butter or oil, and amaretto to combine.
- Whisk to combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Combine the leftover egg whites with the sugar, and whip to stiff peaks (if you lift the beaters straight out of the egg whites, then invert the beaters, the egg white should stand up on its own as a stiff peak).
- Stir the buttermilk liquid into the flour mixture (make sure the batter is still a little lumpy), then fold in the egg whites, being careful not to deflate them.
- Pour the batter into a preheated waffle maker and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Enjoy!
- Note: If the waffles don’t get crispy enough in your waffle iron, place them on a rack set on a baking sheet (or it can be the rack in the oven if it’s clean) and bake in a 250F oven for another 5-10 minutes, until crisp.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
226 Comments on “Crispy Waffles”
Very Good! It turned out crispy as desired. I extracted the butter from some heavy cream, and used the remaining milk plus a few tbs of lemon juice, and I didn’t have any Amaretto, so I substituted it with 2 tsp of Whiskey (Glenmorangie 12) and 2 tsp of vanilla; I don’t think it added any significant flavor. Now I have a reason to buy a bottle of Amaretto; and use it the next time with store bought buttermilk so that I may compare.
Will try your recepie.
I always make my waffles in bigger amount then freefrewhrn cooled. When i want one I pop it into toaster and voila. Crispi warm waffle for children’s breakkie
i tried another recipe that added half a cup of melted butter flavor shortening at the end and it worked wonders for non sticking!
Found this a couple of years ago and have considered it the best waffle recipe I’ve tried so far. I make the waffles in an super cheap Moulinex sandwich maker. (It has a waffle iron attachment; the machine doesn’t flip.) Unlike some of the other commenters here I didn’t have any problems with sticking, under/over cooking, or bitterness from the baking powder. They’re so yummy.
Thank you Edie!! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe has worked so well for you. I enjoy them as well.
Waffel is very good taste while add ice cream . This kind Waffel ingerdints is very simple, and easy to made. My nbfamily like it very much.
Brilliant tips, thank you for sharing. You get those here in London at all the waffle vans. I actually don’t like them at all! Too sticky-chewy. I prefer light fluffy waffles.
This is a great recipe..Thanks for posting!
Never made waffles before, but i’ve been collecting old cast iron. Whipped up this recipe and fired up my old McClary number 9 that’s at least 80 years old on the stovetop. Wonderful waffles to say the least – minute on one side, flip then 2 mins on the other. Have since found a twin cast waffle iron, can make 2 at a time.
I followed the recipe to the letter, but the batter is too thin. Is it supposed to be like that? I went ahead and added more flour to thicken it.
What consistency should the batter be?
Thanks for your help.
Hi! I just finished making these and they taste great!! I make a whole batch and put them in the freezer for my kids and I believe I have found my go to recipe! The only problem I had was folding in the whipped egg whites. At the time the batter was a little loose and the egg whites were just huge stiff lumps so i used my whisk and gently beated it into the batter. I was thinking i might of whipped the egg whites to stiff? But in the end they came out perfect being all light and crispy, with that perfect sweet amaretto taste! Thank you!
Just finished eating these waffles–delicious! No complaints here! I didn’t have any amaretto, so I just used my home-steeped vanilla extract. Perfect flavor for us, and I love to use it any time I can–it’s been steeping for going on three years now! I followed the rest of the recipe to the letter except for two things–my eggs were on the small side, so I used three, and I didn’t read the recipes closely enough, so I put the three tablespoons of sugar in with the flour, figured out it should have put into the eggs whites, added a tablespoon in with the egg whites and then beat them, so I ended up with four tablespoons of sugar. Turned out great anyway–we like sweet! I don’t have a flip waffle maker, but I do have a very nice Cuisinart one, and they turned out beautifully. The finish on this maker is glass-smooth, so I didn’t grease the grates at all and had absolutely no sticking. Oh, I just remembered…I don’t use vegetable oil (ever…never buy the stuff!) so I substituted 1/3 cup of melted butter for the oil. I like to add flavor wherever I can, and always sub butter for oil in dessert/breakfast recipes. Hasn’t let me down yet! Thanks for a delicious recipe!
Wonderful! Glad to know about those substitutions, and I know they really help other readers too. Thanks!
I used this recipe last night and it produced everything but beautiful crispy, full waffles. It was a disaster! Not to mention, they stuck to the top of my waffle iron. I’ve NEVER had that problem with any of the recipes I’ve tried. The batter was runny, it was just a disaster.
Hi Alysha, I’ve listened to your comments and am trying to troubleshoot what might’ve went wrong. From the details provided I’m not quite sure (the batter should be runny), but if you want to provide any further details, I’d be happy to help. I know how disappointing it is for a recipe not to turn out, so I’m sorry to hear you had that experience.
Hi Joanne,
Is there a technique to folding in the egg whites without deflating them? When I added the egg whites to the batter ,there was a hissing sound like the egg whites were getting deflated.
Hi Fahd, I think that’s normal. They will deflate slightly as you fold them, just try to do it relatively quickly and with an “over and under” folding motion.
hi can this batter be stored for later use?
These were amazing waffle came out perfect. Thank you so much!!
I am making waffles as a thank you for my co-workers tomorrow…can I make them this evening and reheat tomorrow? Freeze? Thank you.