When’s the last time you had a truly phenomenal I’m-going-to-cry-these-are-so-good waffle? WAFFLES ARE UNDERRATED! Why don’t we make them more often??
I have to admit, I don’t whip out the waffle maker often. I love buttermilk waffles, pumpkin waffles, and gingerbread waffles, but was looking for something a tad bit healthier using whole wheat flour.
I suppose the reason I don’t make waffles often is because they aren’t the healthiest way to begin the day. And aren’t those the rules? Always start healthy? And if I’m going to splurge before 12pm, it’s going to be a plate of overnight cinnamon rolls or doughnuts.
And face it—waffles are better than pancakes. Waffles have nooks and crannies for maximum melted butter and maple syrup storage. You don’t have to stand there and flip each individual one; the waffle maker does all the work for ya. When done right, waffles are a texture freak’s dream; they’re crisp on the edges, but soft in the centers. I don’t even want to dream about a “crispy” pancake. I think that just means burnt. A burnt pancake.
So yeah, waffles vs pancakes. There’s really no contest.
Turns out, it’s pretty difficult to produce a whole wheat waffle that’s not only crisp on the edges, but soft and airy in the centers. Not too dense, not too heavy. Light and fluffy like the white flour version. It’s a tall order, but just like whole wheat pancakes, the secret lies within the ratio of ingredients. You see, whole wheat flour is much heartier than all-purpose; it weighs down anything it touches. To keep things springy, I used enough baking powder for lift. Buttermilk prevents the waffles from drying out (as whole wheat flour does to everything!) and melted butter keeps it all so very… yum.
Seriously, don’t leave out the butter because they’ll taste bland!
So all super basic ingredients, but like I said—it’s the ratio that matters. Make sure you add a dose of cinnamon for flavor and for a little necessary sweetness, a little brown sugar. If an unrefined sugar sounds better to you, I’ve tried these with coconut sugar, honey, and maple syrup. All very good. Especially the maple syrup—you get extra extra maple flavor in your stack!
In the market for a new waffle maker? Here’s the waffle maker I own. And if you’re looking for heart waffles, this waffle maker is outstanding. I also love this mini waffle maker!
And now it’s your turn to enjoy waffles for breakfast. Go crazy and add strawberry sauce, raspberry sauce, blueberry sauce, lemon curd, or even whipped cream on top. If you need a little something savory on the side, enjoy your stack with a batch of breakfast egg muffins. Anything goes!
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Fluffy Whole Wheat Waffles
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes (includes batches)
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8-9 waffles
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Here’s how to make fluffy whole wheat waffles with easy, healthy ingredients. Best way to start your morning!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260g) whole wheat flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) packed light or dark brown sugar*
- 1 and 3/4 cup (420ml) buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, whisk the melted butter, eggs, and brown 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.
- 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 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 | Whisk | Waffle Maker or Mini Waffle Maker
- Sugar: You can also try coconut sugar, granulated sugar, or honey.
- Buttermilk: You can substitute whole milk for buttermilk if desired. Acidic buttermilk isn’t needed in order for the waffles to rise since we’re using baking powder. However if you’d like the tangy flavor, which I highly recommend, you can make your own buttermilk substitute. Add 1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 1 and 3/4 cups. Whisk together, then let sit for 5 minutes before using in the recipe. Whole milk is best for the DIY sour milk substitute because you’ll get the best, fluffiest, richest tasting waffles. However, lower fat or nondairy milks can work in a pinch.
- 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, but I think you’ll enjoy my whole wheat pancakes even more (which are formulated to be pancakes!).
Reader Comments and Reviews
This recipe is the best recipe I ever ate. I was searching for a healthy waffle recipe and I am so happy that I found this. My kids love it. This recipe is now a staple recipe for our family. Thank you so much.
This is probably my new go to waffles recipe. Made these for breakfast today with one modification – I used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup all purpose flour because my family’s still a little iffy about the whole wheat flour taste. And the milk + lemon juice substitute for buttermilk since I didn’t have actual buttermilk on hand. They turned out amazing. This recipe uses less eggs, less butter and less sugar than the recipe I’ve been using for years and they still turned out delicious, crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. Next time around, I’m going to try it with just the wheat flour. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
This is an awesome recipe. I used regular whole wheat flour and weighed it out on scale to make sure I didn’t add too much. Used almond milk /vinegar and honey for sweetener. Family loved. Will definitely make again
Such a tasty and easy recipe to whip up in the morning! These waffles were so fluffy- I would definitely make them again!
Made these this morning and was so pleased. They were nice and fluffy and I was happy that I was using a whole wheat flour, just a little sugar. I did cut the butter a bit but not much considering that that little amount of butter got me 9 nice sized waffles. We ate two and froze the rest. Thank you
I was looking for a heart healthy recipe for my family. My son is the pickiest eater of all time and he loves these waffles. Thank you Sally!
After buying a waffle iron about a year ago, I have tried countless recipes for whole wheat waffles. The search is over… this is the best recipe. I use white whole wheat flour. I can’t get over the fact that you use 100% whole wheat here and they taste so light/fluffy still! THANK YOU for this recipe! I’m pregnant and making a huge batch today to stock my freezer for after my baby comes.
I made these with regular whole wheat flour and they were a little heavy for my liking. I think next time I’ll try them with white whole wheat flour or maybe sub some oat flour. I had to add at least an extra half cup of buttermilk because the batter was extremely thick. I’ll confess I did not use the proper technique for measuring the flour; I didn’t look at that link until after I had already made them. I’ll try that tip next time. Still, they turned out pretty tasty! My husband, who is a very picky eater and hates everything healthy, liked them so I consider that a win!
Hubby tried the K****k brand for high protein and they were awful … he’s used to homemade ones that blow your socks off but don’t deliver on nutrition. Always have great luck with Sally’s recipes so gave this one a whirl. I omitted the cinnamon and had to add approx 1/2 cup more whole buttermilk because it was too thick to spread but the results were fantastic!
Made this morning for family’s breakfast. Kept my fingers crossed as usually whole wheat baked goods are dense. Almost cried when I saw how decently fluffy they were. No more useless stuff from neighbourhood bakeries & expensive stuff from high end cafes! THANK YOU SALLY
Hi, what can I substitute buttermilk with? Thank you
Hi Sarah, you can substitute whole milk for buttermilk if desired. Or, you can make a DIY version of buttermilk at home using milk and vinegar or lemon juice. See recipe notes for more details.
This waffle recipe is wonderful!! I substituted about 2 tbsps. ground flaxseed for the flour and also used whole milk with lemon juice for the buttermilk. Still amazing! Much tastier than those expensive whole grain mixes at a fraction of the cost. This recipe actually takes care of that waffle craving without wrecking a healthy diet. Thanks for the recipe Sally! 🙂
I made the waffles this morning, I made my own buttermilk as suggested above using lemon juice and lactose free 2% milk. I followed the recipe ingredients to the T. They turned out fluffy, very fluffy. I was almost afraid they would be heavy and to my amazement they weren’t heavy at all. That taste really good. I added blueberries and whip chip on top. I use sugar free maple syrup. Maple Gove Farms. also good. I highly recommend this recipe.
I’ve forgotten how many times I’ve made these! They are just great as listed, but usually sprinkle chopped pecans, dried blueberries and a seed combination for some crunch! Changed it up again this morning by adding some oats and switched the brown sugar with coconut sugar. Such a brilliant base recipe! Thank You!!
These waffles are the best! We have made them so many times. I quit buying waffle mixes! I like to make a triple batch and freeze them for easy breakfasts. They are good plain or with blueberries. Thank you for the easy and delicious recipe!
This recipe does not disappoint! I actually cut it in half, added cocoa powder and chopped walnuts, and topped with a cherry sauce. So fluffly and delicious! Thank you Sally! ❤
Hello there! Could you freeze the waffles and for how long?
Yes! See recipe notes for make-ahead instructions.
Hi! Those look amazing!! Can I add protein powder to this? If so, how much?
Hi Kathryn, We’ve never tested this with protein powder but let us know if you do.
I replaced a 1/2 cup of the whole wheat flour with chocolate protein powder, and added more cinnamon and milk. They were so good! Perfectly light and fluffy.
How many Carbs are in a serving? Do you have the nutritional information?
Hi Leah, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients, and many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients. However, there are many great online calculators where you can plug in your exact ingredients like this one: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
can you use all purpose flour with this recipe?
Hi K! This recipe was formulated for whole wheat flour. You may enjoy these buttermilk waffles instead!
Good morning, it is Christmas morning, 2021 and I have just finished preparing your delicious waffle recipe for Christmas. I want to say, you are a genius, I have never had my husband like my waffle attempts but he loved these. Thank you so much. p.s. I substituted whole fat kefir milk, it was all I had and the waffles still turned out plump and moist.
These are wonderful! I love the flavor from the whole wheat.
Would it be possible to make a large batch of the dry ingredients and then just add the wet as needed, a kind of gourmet waffle mix?
Hi Kylie, as long as you keep the dry ingredients stored tightly, that should work just fine. So glad you enjoy these waffles!
These waffles were good.
Very nice recipe :). Made these this morning!!! First time making waffles so that was pretty cool. And we used locally milled and grown wheat flour, which made them super tasty.
What!? These were better than regular waffles, no joke. Great flavor and none of that dreaded gritty whole wheat texture. Magic! Simple recipe, great waffles.
Great recipe! I made savory waffles to use as burger buns. Omitted the vanilla and sugar and put more salt some giner, garlic and onion powder and then sprinkled cheese on top of each before closing the machine. The texture of these are amazing
This is my new go-to waffle recipe. The cinnamon is what makes it. Used white whole wheat. Light, fluffy and delicious.
These waffles are something I make almost twice a month now!! Replaced regular butter with brown butter and was blown away by how much better they were!! Could butter be replaced with margarine?
Margarine is polyunsaturated fat and is actually quite terrible for your arteries. This is why they are seeing an epidemic of pulmonary artery disease in India because they switched to “vegetable” oil in place of ghee (butter). Also when is the last time you saw a vegetable that had oil in it??That alone should send up a red flag. Stick with the butter. Your taste buds and body will thank you.
Super easy recipe, and they taste awesome! Made a triple batch today to use milk before it got too bad. Putting them in the freezer for me, hubby, and toddler. I am often not a waffle fan, I guess they just feel empty? But these fill me up, feel good, taste good, and super easy.
Thank you so much for this recipe. Simple work, Perfect fluffy delicious waffles! and didn’t even taste the whole wheat.
This recipe… Is just amazing.. the waffles were light and fluffy.. made this to eat with bacon, cheese and maple syrup.
This is definitely my go to waffle recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing.