The BEST BELGIAN WAFFLE RECIPE has a crispy exterior and light, fluffy interior! These waffles rival any that you’d find at your favorite breakfast restaurant!
People don’t say breakfast is the most important meal of the day for no reason, you guys.
It’s because waffles exist and waffles are important. 😉
Those frozen waffles are fine in a pinch, but oh goodness, nothing beats a homemade Belgian waffle with a crisp exterior and deep pockets full of maple syrup and melted butter.
The best Belgian waffles just melt in your mouth and if you’re not stopping what you’re doing to head to the kitchen RIGHT. NOW. you are missing out!
But enough about my love for the best Belgian waffle recipe…let’s just get to the good stuff so you know how to make them too! You and your family are going to love this one and I won’t make you wait a minute longer.
Table of Contents
Ingredients & Tools Needed:
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Flour – We use all purpose flour, but a combo of white and whole wheat would likely work, if you don’t mind a heavier texture.
Cornstarch – This helps keep the waffles crisp on the outside and light and airy inside.
Spices – We add cinnamon, nutmeg, and a bit of salt to the batter for flavor.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda – Both work to make the waffles light and airy.
Buttermilk & Milk – We use a combo of both here. No buttermilk? Just add a teaspoon of vinegar to milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. Instant buttermilk!
Oil
Egg – You’ll need to separate the white from the yolk for this one, but we’ll use the whole egg.
Sugar – Just a touch of sweetness.
Vanilla – Like the spices, this just adds a bit of flavor to the waffle.
Waffle Iron – We use and recommend this waffle iron. Easy to use and fairly budget friendly. We’ve had ours over 10 years now.
How to make the best Belgian waffle recipe:
Whip: To start, we’re going to whip an egg white. I KNOW. I hate whipping egg whites. I promise you, this is 100% worth it and is the key to this recipe.
If you have a hand mixer, drag it out and start whipping. This rotating hand whisk works really well, too!
Combine: Once your egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks, you’ll stir together the rest of the Belgian waffle batter and, once combined, fold in those whipped egg whites.
One of the secret ingredients here is cornstarch. It helps to make the waffle crispy on the outside and the whipped egg white makes it light and airy inside.
Cook: Let your waffle iron preheat for a few minutes and spritz it with nonstick spray.
Every waffle iron is different and some will cook faster than others. Mine takes about 3 minutes. I generally just look for the steam to stop coming out of the iron and that’s when I know they’re done.
Serve: As you cook these waffles, pop them right onto the rack of a warm oven. They’ll stay nice and crisp and everyone can enjoy breakfast at the same time this way. Genius, right?
Leftover Hack!
Leftover waffles freezer great! Just place them on a sheet pan in a single layer and freeze for one hour. Place in a zip top freezer bag, squeeze out as much air as possible, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 325 degree oven for 10 minutes or until warmed through.
How many waffles does this make?
Great question, but the answer is…it all depends on your waffle iron. Some are larger than others and it’ll really all depend on that.
The waffle iron I linked above is large enough that this recipe makes 3 large waffles. I have another smaller iron that makes 4 waffles.
It never hurts to double the recipe, just freeze any extra waffles for later and reheat in the oven!
More Breakfast Recipes:
Cake Donut Recipe – My grandma’s famous recipe!
Amish Breakfast Casserole – The secret ingredient is key!
Homemade Biscuits – The ultimate recipe!
Sausage Gravy – We make this for dinner too!
English Muffin Bread – Spread with butter and jam!
Biscuit Donuts – You won’t believe how easy these are!
The Very Best Waffles
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup milk
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large egg separated
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°F and heat up the waffle iron.
- Mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Measure the buttermilk, milk, and vegetable oil in a measuring cup and stir in the egg yolk. Set aside.
- In another bowl, beat the egg white almost to soft peaks. Sprinkle in the sugar and continue to beat until the peaks are firm and glossy. Beat in the vanilla.
- Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until just mixed. Drop the whipped egg white onto the batter in dollops and fold in with a spatula until just incorporated.
- Pour the batter onto the hot waffle iron (My Belgian waffle maker takes 2 1/2 ice cream scoops of batter, but your mileage may vary) and cook until the waffle is crisp and brown.
- Set the waffle directly on the oven rack to keep it warm and crisp. Repeat with the remaining batter, holding the waffles in the oven (don’t stack them). When all the waffles are cooked, serve immediately.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was lightly adapted from Fine Cooking.
This post was originally published in May 2012. It was updated in March 2019 with new photos and a video. Old photo below:
kathya says
we dont have buttermilk here, is there any replacement for that? thanks
Karly says
Hi Kathya! You can replace it by using the same amount of milk and adding a tablespoon of vinegar. Let it sit 5 minutes to thicken up a bit and then proceed. 🙂
James says
Too notch. I enjoyed its auto scaling.
Rebel Hovey says
My son and husband loved this waffle recipe more than the many others I’ve tried or boxed brands. It was so simple to do the 1 egg white in my immersion blender cup, fitted with the single whisk. Sooooo simple! Fast, and perfectly done meringue. I just need a better waffle maker now.
Karly says
Glad you all enjoyed the recipe, Rebel!
Susan Aiken says
Waffle perfection! I have been searching for an appointment cellent waffle recipe for 10 years. Search is OVER!
Melissa says
These are the best waffles! So full of flavor. They are light and airy but crispy on the outside. I didn’t have nutmeg so I used clover and it still turned out great.
Karly says
Thanks, Melissa! Cloves sound like a great addition.
Leigh S says
My family has been on a waffle making odyssey – and after a dozen or so recipes, I think we can stop searching!!! Yes, the egg is a bit more work than most recipes, but it’s definitely worth it for the airy texture. These are crisp and light with a pinch of that cinnamon flavor. Two thumbs up from my whole family!
Karly says
Yay! Love to hear that!
Jessica says
I have tried many waffle recipes and this is by far my favorite one and the one I will make from now on! Yum! The outside is crispy and nice and fluffy on the inside.
Karly says
Yay! Love to hear that!
Sara says
These waffles were amazing and so light and crispy! I think I may sub some of the oil for butter next time just a personal preference but these are a winner for sure!
Karen E says
These were excellent. Love the use of nutmeg!
Karly says
So glad you gave them a try!
Shannon says
Great recipe. Added 1/4 cup more flour. Kids loved the flavour and texture.
Todd says
Mom is not a waffle eater. Now, she demands these every time we get together. The crispest, lightest, tastiest waffle recipe I’ve ever tried. And tried. And tried. Thanks!
Karly says
Love to hear that! 🙂
Samira says
The ?s are supposed to be emojis! They didn’t show up haha disregard the question marks!
Samira says
Mmm these were super tasty! I also added a bit more flour (used spoon and level method initially) to thicken the batter. It made 3 and 1/2 waffles in my maker. Next time I’ll definitely double the recipe and keep the leftovers (if any… ?) in the freezer for another day. I loved that they were truly crispy, and had a perfect flavor. Had it with berries, condensed milk, dulce de leche, powdered sugar, whipped cream, and syrup. Never going out for waffles again ?
Karly says
Yay! So glad these were a hit! I’m sure they were amazing with all of those topping options!
Maria says
Can this be doubled?
Karly says
Yep, it doubles perfectly.
Susan says
Excellent ! They were just as good popping them into the toaster from frozen! I will be making these this Christmas morning for my family. Thanks for a great recipe.