Belgian Waffle Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making good waffles? ›

Not waiting until the iron heats up properly means your waffles will cook, but never achieve that satisfyingly crisp exterior. Overworking the batter will leave your waffles dense and chewy instead of light and airy. And stacking even the most perfect waffles will cause them to become soggy and limp in minutes.

Prefer crisper, darker Belgian waffles? Just increase the browning control setting. The batter: Be sure to pour the batter into the center of the lower grid for evenly shaped waffles and spread it with a heatproof spatula. To ensure the best results, use 3⁄4 cup batter or enough to fill the entire lower grid.

Of course, you can substitute whole grain flours like whole wheat or spelt flour, but expect them to be a little denser. Cornstarch is our secret ingredient for making the crispiest waffles. Cornstarch guarantees that the waffles will be perfectly crisp and tender.

The secret ingredient in Belgian waffles is the pearl sugar, which gives the waffles a unique texture and slight, satisfying crunch. Belgian waffles are also fantastically light, which adds to their perfection. Fun bonus fact: traditional Belgian waffles are usually eaten with your hands, not a fork and knife.

On the flip side, waffles aren't as flaky-delicate as baked goods, making pastry flour too fine for the job. Good old AP, or all-purpose, flour is where it's at. If you want to sprinkle in a tablespoon or two of buckwheat or rye flour for added nutty heft, go for it.

Recommended overnight or 2 hr resting – for the tastiest waffles, rest the batter overnight in the fridge or for at least 2 hours. This makes the flour grains absorb the liquid so it makes the inside of the waffles softer.

The Difference Between Belgian Waffles and Regular Waffles

These Belgian beauties are made with a recipe that includes yeasted batter and crunchy pearl sugar. Belgian waffles have extra-deep pockets—the better for filling with butter, jam, maple syrup, or whipped cream.

Waffle makers for the Belgian variety tend to have a larger, circular shape with deep, grid-like grooves. Once you add syrup or whipped cream on top, it's more likely to stay within the waffle's pockets, rather than slide off the surface.

To use your pancake mix to make waffles, you'll need to add a little extra oil to use it as a waffle recipe. Here's the formula: For every cup of dry pancake mix, just add 2 extra tablespoons of oil.

Should waffle batter be thicker than pancake batter? ›

Consistency: Waffle batter is thicker than pancake batter. This thick consistency lets you pour the waffle batter into a waffle maker without running out the sides. Pancake batter is looser, which means it is easily pourable into a round shape.

“Belgian waffles,” as the phrase now has become popularized, are at least twice the thickness (7/8" — 2.2 cm) of traditional waffles, and some are as much as FOUR times (1½" — 3.8 cm) as thick.

Making pancake and waffle batter ahead of time is a huge no-no and will lead to flat, dense results every time. Even letting your batter hang out for just a few minutes after you've mixed it before you start ladling it onto the griddle will lead to less fluffy results.

Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes.

The resting time allows the batter to thicken and the gluten to relax so you get that really tender and fluffy waffle interior rather than chewy waffles. (Here's a good article on what's happening while batter is resting, if you're curious).