Light and Crispy Waffles

We absolutely adore these crispy waffles! Our recipe is super quick and easy, resulting in the most delicious waffles made completely from scratch. You will love these easy waffles, which are light and crispy on the outside, while remaining soft and fluffy on the inside.

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How To Make Our Favorite Waffles Recipe

If you are looking for light and crispy waffles, you are most certainly in the right place. This easy waffles recipe makes waffles with the most delicate exterior while being soft and fluffy on the inside.

These are the best waffles we have ever made at home. I often find waffles too dense and eggy, but not these. These are light on their feet.

Our recipe makes four thin waffles — like shown in the photos and video — or two to three thicker, Belgian-style waffles. It’s also easily doubled, so if you need to serve more people, you can.

The recipe can be made quickly and calls for ingredients we always have in our kitchen. Let me walk you through them. The full recipe is below.

Let me walk you through what you will need so you can say goodbye to flavorless, floppy waffles and hello to waffles that are light and crispy on the outside and tender in the middle.

• All-purpose flour is my go-to flour for this recipe. It keeps the waffles light on their feet. 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.
• Baking powder and baking soda help the waffles rise and brown. For the lightest waffles, I recommend using both.
• Sugar, salt, and vanilla extract help the waffles taste great. I keep the sugar amount low since I love pouring maple syrup on top, but you can increase the sugar for sweeter waffles.
• Vegetable oil is my go-to fat for these waffles. I’ve tried melted butter, and while it does add a buttery flavor, I prefer the texture with oil. You can experiment with this yourself; simply use the same amount of melted butter as the oil called for in the recipe.
• Milk or buttermilk is the liquid in the batter. When I have buttermilk in the house, I use it, but when I don’t, a combination of milk and a little lemon juice or vinegar mimics buttermilk. If you don’t have lemon juice or vinegar, use plain milk. The waffles still taste great.
• One egg adds tenderness and provides structure. For the lightest, fluffiest waffles, separate the egg. Whisk the egg yolk into the milk, and then beat the egg white until stiff peaks form and fold it into the batter.

How To Make Buttermilk Waffles

Many of our readers have asked if you can make the recipe with buttermilk. Of course, the answer is 100% yes! In fact, we prefer them with it.

Since most of us rarely have buttermilk in the fridge when waffle cravings hit, use the trick of mixing regular milk and lemon juice (or vinegar) to mimic buttermilk. I have shared the ratio below in the tips section of the recipe.

Our Best Tips for Making Waffles

Don’t overwork the batter. Like pancakes or muffins, you want to be gentle when mixing the wet and dry ingredients. Only whisk or stir until just mixed.

Set your waffle iron to the highest heat setting. In our experience, waffles cook best when cooked at the highest heat setting. But, of course, waffle irons will vary, so if you have it set to high and think the waffles are too dark, turn it down a bit. We’ve tried four different waffle irons with this recipe and haven’t needed any heat setting other than high yet.

Before making your waffles, heat the oven to 200° F. To keep cooked waffles crisp, place them directly onto the oven rack.

Fill the waffle iron with enough batter to fill the entire lower grid. The amount of batter you need will vary depending on your waffle iron. For example, we add less than 1/2 cup to the waffle iron in our video and just over 3/4 cup to our thicker, Belgian-style waffle iron.

For extra light and crispy waffles, separate the eggs. I know this is an extra step, but trust me, it’s worth it. If you don’t have the time, you can add the egg whole. Add it to the oil and milk mixture. The batter won’t be as thick and fluffy.

More Easy Breakfast Recipes

• These Easy Fluffy Pancakes are my go-to pancakes. Or try our Easy and Delicious Whole Wheat Pancakes.
• If you love banana, try these Spiced Buttermilk Banana Pancakes.
• For fall-inspired breakfast, try our Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes with Butter Pecan Syrup or these Cinnamon Pancakes with a Cinnamon Roll Glaze

Recipe updated, originally posted February 2014. Since posting this in 2014, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear and added a quick recipe video. – Adam and Joanne