cooking

19 Waffle Recipes We Wouldn’t Kick Out of Bed

Get into your morning groove with our favorite recipes for crispy, fluffy waffles.
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Alex Lau

A brunch centerpiece on par with crepes and cinnamon rolls, homemade waffles can turn any morning into a special occasion. But you don’t have to be a seasoned cook to take on our best waffle recipes; in most cases, mixing a batch of waffle batter is as easy as popping a few of those frozen discs in the toaster. (For the record, you can also freeze homemade waffles, for mornings when a toaster treat is all you have time for.)

The limit of wonderful waffle recipes does not exist. Still, we’ve corralled just 19 of our favorites: bouncy bibingka waffles with fresh fruit and toasted coconut, gluten-free dark chocolate waffles enriched with buttermilk, waffles crafted from frozen tater tots—yes, you can cook things that aren’t batter in a waffle maker too. So, consider this your excuse to finally buy that waffle iron you’ve had your eye on.

Explore more of our favorite breakfast recipes, including an easy homemade pancake recipe and perfect poached eggs →

  • Whole wheat oat waffles with berries
    Photo by Emma Fishman
    1/19

    Whole Wheat–Oat Waffles

    This waffle recipe starts with a dry mix of whole wheat flour and oats, plus baking powder and soda for lift. To cut down on morning prep time, mix the dry ingredients ahead of time—all you’ll have to do in the morning is add the wet ingredients and get waffling. Finish the stack of golden brown waffles with lemony blueberry syrup (also make-ahead-friendly) for a hearty, just-sweet-enough breakfast.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua
    2/19

    Crispy, Crunchy Chicken and Waffles

    The ideal companion to sweet and crispy waffles? Crunchy, salty fried chicken. Keep the waffles warm on a baking sheet in the oven while you fry the chicken; when you’re ready to serve, drench the whole plate in maple syrup and you’ve got a breakfast for the ages.

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  • Alex Lau
    3/19

    Gluten-Free Chocolate Buckwheat Waffles

    Nutty buckwheat flour teams up with deep Dutch-process cocoa powder and flaxseed meal to make these chocolaty waffles completely gluten-free. Since most of the moisture comes from acidic buttermilk, this recipe calls for equal parts baking soda and powder. Don’t have buttermilk at home? You can mimic its taste and chemical reaction by mixing 2 cups whole milk with 2 Tbsp. white vinegar or lemon juice; let it sit for at least 30 minutes to thicken before adding to the waffle batter.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling and Prop Styling by Emilie Fosnocht
    4/19

    Mochi Waffles With Maple–Brown Butter Bananas

    With a bouncy texture from sweet rice flour and a topping of caramelized bananas, these are not your classic waffles—they’re way, way better. Here you’ll whip the egg whites separately from the remaining ingredients to give the waffles a soufflé-like lift.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman
    7/19

    Bibingka Waffles

    Inspired by bibingka, a sticky, chewy category of Filipino cakes, these waffles get their bouncy texture from glutinous rice flour; coconut milk keeps them completely vegan. Unlike most waffle recipes, this waffle batter doesn’t need to hydrate before cooking—just mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and crank out a platter of waffles in about 15 minutes’ total time.

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  • Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Micah Morton
    8/19

    French Toast Waffles

    French toast, but make it waffles. This waffled brunch star starts with sliced Texas toast or white bread, steeped in a quick nutmeg-spiced custard. Press it in the waffle iron for the crispiest, craggiest French toast you’ve ever seen. For a stronger vanilla flavor and pretty speckles, swap the vanilla extract for vanilla bean paste.

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  • Alex Lau
    9/19

    Coffee-Flavored Belgian Waffles

    With ricotta for moisture and espresso powder for depth, these coffee-buttermilk waffles are our favorite breakfast to wake up to. Brush the waffle iron with butter (or grease with cooking spray) between each round to ensure the batter doesn’t stick.

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  • Peden & Munk
    10/19

    Tex-Mex Breakfast Waffle Nachos

    A waffle’s ridges may be most commonly used to catch pools of melted butter or maple syrup, but in this recipe, cornmeal-based, ancho-chile-spiced waffles soak up melty cheese, drippy eggs, and plenty of savory fixings. Consider this recipe your one-way ticket to the ultimate brunch.

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  • Ditte Isager
    19/19

    Cornmeal Waffles With Currant-Maple Sauce

    In this waffle recipe, cornmeal gives the batter a slightly coarse texture (be sure not to overmix—lumps are okay). If you have any batter left over, cook and freeze waffles between sheets of waxed paper, then reheat them in the oven or a toaster for future lazy brunches.

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Before joining the SEO team at Bon Appétit and Epicurious, Zoe spent 3 years working full-time in pastry. She churned ice cream at an artisanal creamery in Alabama, baked banana bread at an organic farm-bakery in Maui, and worked the line at a Michelin-starred restaurant in NYC. As someone who learned how to cook... Read more
Associate Editor, Cooking & SEO
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