These homemade buttermilk waffles are perfect every time! Each is delightfully crisp on the outside and light-as-air on the inside. Follow this recipe and my 3 best tips for waffle success.
What Makes These the Best Buttermilk Waffles?
These homemade waffles are a comforting breakfast treat on the weekends or any morning when you need a special pick-me-up. Admittedly, I only make waffles a couple times per year, but maybe when my children are older, they’ll become a weekend tradition. Because each time I take that first bite, I wonder why I don’t break out the waffle maker more often! These waffles come straight from my family’s kitchen and if you’re looking for an all-star buttermilk waffle recipe, this is the one. Here’s why:
- No overpowering flavors
- Delightfully crisp edges
- Soft and tender centers
- Light and fluffy texture
- Butter and vanilla in every bite
- 100% from scratch
- Ready in minutes
These from-scratch waffles taste infinitely better than a packaged mix. If you are reading this during the fall season, you’ll also love my pumpkin spice waffles. And if the holiday season is coming up, you’ll enjoy my gingerbread waffles variation!
How to Make Buttermilk Waffles
Homemade buttermilk waffles are easier than you think. They’re an impressive and delicious homemade breakfast treat that will wow anyone lucky enough to pull up a chair and dive in. Between you and me? No one will know how quickly they come together! I’m positive these homemade waffles will be your new Sunday morning tradition.
- Preheat your waffle maker. Here’s the waffle maker I own. And if you’re looking for heart waffles, this waffle maker is outstanding.
- Combine the dry ingredients. I like to use a large mixing bowl with a pour spout. Makes pouring the batter into the waffle maker much easier. I use it every time I make my whole wheat pancakes, too.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Combine but do not over-mix!
- Whisk the egg whites. You want stiff peaks to form; I typically use a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to whisk the egg whites. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
- Pour batter into waffle maker. Close the lid and cook the waffles until golden brown and crisp, 5–6 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.
Keep waffles warm as you cook the rest: If serving all of the waffles at once, transfer the cooked waffles to a wire rack on a baking sheet and place in a preheated 200°F (93°C) oven. You’ll want to keep them warm until the whole batch is ready.
Homemade Waffles Success Tips
For the lightest, fluffiest, and most flavorful waffles, follow these 3 success tips:
- Use real buttermilk. This is a buttermilk waffles recipe and is developed for the inclusion of buttermilk. No alternatives for this particular recipe. Grab some buttermilk from the store; you won’t be sorry! (P.S. Use extra buttermilk in any of these recipes, including whole wheat waffles.)
- Separate the eggs. My secret to their fluffy centers? The same trick I use for my red velvet cake. Separate the eggs, add the yolks to the wet ingredients, whip the egg whites, and fold the whites into the batter. If a light and fluffy waffle is what you are after (of course it is!), then separating the eggs is key.
- Avoid over-mixing. Over-mixing results in tough, dense-textured baked goods from cookies to cakes to muffins to breads. And waffles are no different. The solution is gentle patience. And this is coming from a girl who has the patience of a hungry 2-year-old. Using a whisk with a gentle hand, whisk the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Then, using a rubber spatula, carefully fold in the egg whites.
Waffle Toppings
Let’s talk toppings! I’m a waffle purist—I want that fantastic buttery waffle flavor to truly shine. A pat of butter and drizzle of maple syrup are my preferred waffle toppings, but you can go wild with any (or all!) of the following:
- Whipped cream
- Honey butter
- Fresh fruit
- Chocolate ganache
- Strawberry sauce
- Raspberry sauce or blueberry sauce
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Apple butter
- Lemon curd
More Homemade Breakfast Recipes
- Homemade Monkey Bread
- Whole Wheat Waffles
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Raspberry Twist Bread
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Blueberry Muffin Bread
- Frittata Recipe
Description
Homemade buttermilk waffles are delightfully crisp on the outside and light as air inside. This is my favorite recipe for fluffy homemade waffles with hints of butter and vanilla in each bite!
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 3/4 cups (420ml) buttermilk*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- toppings: butter and maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat waffle maker on medium-high heat. Preheat oven to 200°F (93°C). Place a wire rack on a baking sheet; set aside.
- In a large bowl preferably with a pour spout, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, melted butter, and sugar together. Whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and then whisk gently until combined. Do not over-mix. Some small lumps are OK.
- With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on high speed until fluffy soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. With a spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
- Grease the preheated waffle maker (I use nonstick spray). Pour about 1/3 cup of the batter into each well of the waffle maker (or less if your waffle maker is smaller) and close the lid. Cook the waffles until crisp, about 4–5 minutes. (Follow the cooking instructions for your waffle maker.) Transfer the cooked waffles to the wire rack and keep warm in the preheated oven as you cook the rest. Repeat to cook the remaining batter.
- Serve the waffles immediately with butter and maple syrup, or your choice of toppings.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Waffles are best enjoyed freshly made. I recommend freezing any leftover cooled waffles. Waffles can be frozen for up to 3 months, then warmed in the toaster.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Mixing Bowls with Pour Spout | Whisk | Waffle Maker | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer)
- Buttermilk: Though I typically suggest a DIY buttermilk option using regular milk and vinegar/lemon, I highly recommend real buttermilk. I used low-fat buttermilk, but full-fat works too. I do not suggest any substitutions. You can use any extra buttermilk in any of these recipes.
- Waffle Maker: You can use this recipe in either a Belgian or traditional waffle maker or iron. The suggested cooking time is just a suggestion. Follow the cooking instructions for your specific waffle maker.
- Can I make these as pancakes? Yes! No changes to the batter recipe. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat generously with nonstick cooking spray or butter. Once hot, drop about 1/4 cup of batter on the griddle. Cook until the edges look dry and bubbles begin to form on the surface. Flip and cook on the other side until cooked through, about 2 more minutes. Coat griddle/skillet again with cooking spray or butter for each pancake or batch of pancakes.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Can you add blueberries to the batter?
Hi Vickey, absolutely! Enjoy!
Can the batter be made the night before hand?
Hi Liza! We don’t recommend making the batter ahead of time.
Can we cut out the vanilla or it affect the taste?
Hi Sofie, the flavor may be a bit flat without it.
Excellent!!!! made for family and everyone raved
Delish! Totally worth the extra step of whisking the egg whites & folding in. I added a 1/4 tsp of almond extract for a little extra flavor and enjoyed.
I loved these waffles. However, my kids complain they are a bit sour. Can I substitute some of the buttermilk to make it less sour?
Hello! This is a buttermilk waffles recipe and is developed for the inclusion of buttermilk. There aren’t any alternatives for this particular recipe, but we’re sure you could find another recipe with great results with less buttermilk, if you prefer!
Hi! I replaced the buttermilk with a few spoons of Greek yogurt and normal milk and it worked out perfectly for me
how long do i have to preheat the waffle for
That will depend on the waffle maker you’re using. Most have an indicator light that it is ready and preheated.
my GO TO waffles!! I make them plain and with bananas and they are DELISH
Great meal prep! I cook them thoroughly but not to the point of being crispy. After cooling, I freeze on cookie sheets and then store in zip lock bags in freezer. Reheat from frozen in toaster for perfect crispiness. So light, fluffy, and crispy—delicious!
Best waffles I have made!
Best waffle recipe ! Crispy and soft like a waffle should be. I keep powdered buttermilk in my fridge just for these as I don’t typically buy buttermilk.
Sally!!! U never fail me! I absolutely LOVEEEE this recipe and just got a waffle maker for my birthday. And omg I’m hooked! I’m gonna make your pumpkin one for Thanksgiving. My nephew so excited. I can’t thank you enough
I just get a quart of buttermilk and then I have waffles for the whole month (4 batches). These freeze really really well. To get em real crispy I just cook till they look mahogany, freeze, reheat in toaster oven till they barely turn a shade darker. Still fluffy, still amazing!
Sally, you are my go to for baking recipes! I followed this recipe to a T and the batter looked good before cooking. It looked good after cooking in the (belgium) waffle iron, BUT….. they didn’t get crispy at all. The taste was WONDERFUL, but the texture was not what we were looking for. Any advice?
Hi Andrea, it sounds like the waffles may have been undercooked a bit. Adding some additional time should help the outsides to crisp up nicely, while keeping the insides soft. Thank you for giving these a try!
Absolutely LOVE these waffles! My 16 yo requested homemade waffles for her bday breakfast and I tried out this recipe. My kids told me to never use another waffle recipe! Perfect as is but added sprinkles for some bday fun!
There’s no mention of using a Belgian waffle maker, will this recipe work well in that type of waffle maker? Of course I understand it will make fewer waffles. Thanks!
Hi Jan, that should work just fine!
is the flour and buttermilk ratio correct? i have a runny batter
Hi Christine, the amounts as written are correct—was your flour under measured by chance? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure just the right amount of flour to help soak up those wet ingredients.
Sally has done it again! My family and I agreed these are the best waffles I have ever made!
Best waffles ever!
I messed up the first batch in the waffle iron – maybe it wasn’t hot enough. I got flat, crispy waffles, but after that every batch was just perfect! Slightly crispy on the outside, and tender and fluffy on the inside. I had them with butter and a drizzle of golden syrup. Hubs loves them, and will toast the leftovers for several breakfasts. I always have buttermilk on hand, and keep it in one-cup containers in the freezer.
Hey Sally,
I tried this recipe, but they came out soft and limp. Do you have any suggestions on how to make them come out crispy on the inside, and soft on the inside? Thanks.
Hi Noelia, it sounds like the waffles may have been undercooked a bit. Adding some additional time should help the outsides to crisp up nicely, while keeping the insides soft. Thank you for giving these a try!
She’s done it again! Another great recipe to keep in the favorites box
So fluffy and light. Made chicken and waffles for dinner and these waffles were the best I’ve had.
The waffles weren’t crispy and were overly sweet. I would cut back on the sugar and if you find they are not crispy, as I did, just throw in the toaster oven after cooking.
I used a cultured buttermilk blend and mixed it with cold water, so when I mixed in the butter, it started to harden and got a bit lumpy. I put it in the microwave for 15 second bursts and stirred it in-between. The waffles still turned out great and delicious, but I wish I had let the buttermilk warm up a bit.
My waffles always seem to come out flat and not big and fluffy. Any suggestions?
Ok thank you so much
Can I make the batter the night before..sorry if I didn’t make that clear..thank you
Hi Tracy, the baking powder is initially activated once it’s wet, so we don’t recommend prepping the waffle batter the night before. It should be fresh before pouring into the waffle maker.
Can I make it Saturday night for sunday?
Hi Tracy, Waffles are best enjoyed the same day. However if you make them the night before, they reheat nicely in the toaster.
Hi! If I wanted to use this recipe but make the waffles red velvet, how much cocoa powder should I use? And would that substitute for some of the flour in it?
Thank you!
Hi Claire! We haven’t tested a red velvet waffles recipe but let us know what you try!
Hello
I have used this recipe with my high school cooking class for 3 years – turns out beautifully every time. Has anyone tried this recipe with gluten free flour?