Posts may contain affiliate links that help enable me to continue to provide you with free recipes. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my Privacy Policy for further details.
“Best Ever Belgian Waffles in the World” Yeah I know that’s a big statement there for a simple waffle. But you don’t understand, coming from me – that woman who doesn’t care for waffles, pancakes, french toast, or crepes, THESE THINGS ROCK!
It’s not that I don’t care for them as I love the taste of the first or second bite but after that, I’m done. They just ‘get to me’ and well it’s not bacon or a dippy egg. Sure I’ve added bacon to waffles or topped it with a dippy egg but it’s just too much for me.
Traditional Belgian waffles are yeasted (See my Liege Waffle Recipe!) and the batter rests in the fridge overnight. So I went with those initially. The next morning I got out my brand-new waffle iron and got to cooking them. I gave Mr. Fantabulous one and after one bite he looked at me and said “Um, can I have eggs instead as these are terrible.” I took a bite and yep, he was right. The batter was a loose dough consistency which I found odd but figured that’s how yeast batter would be. I couldn’t stand the taste so needless to say I pitched the entire batter.
So I went back to the drawing board and looked at some of my other waffle recipes. Then it dawned on me my Mom used to make these waffles when I was really little. After digging through my old recipe book I found hers. After studying the ingredients I knew I had to tweak it to get it to a Belgian waffle taste, appearance, and thickness.
These waffles are more like Brussels waffles so they have baking powder instead of yeast for the leavening agent. That being the case, just like any pancake batter or waffle batter once you whisk it together (but not over-whisk it) you allow it to set out for a good 30 minutes to allow the leavening agents to work their magic. Now me being me I am a batter girl. 99% of the time I can tell you how a dish is going to turn out just by how the batter tastes.
Which Waffle Maker?
I’ve made this recipe using a round waffle maker and a square one.
Since this was a new machine for me, I had to figure out the settings. See this one went from 0-8 on the temperature gauge however, I had no clue what the baking temp was. Needless to say, the first one was waaaaaaaaaaaay too dark and raw in the middle and the 2nd one was too light (and I didn’t put enough batter on the maker). I WISH this machine would have come with instructions of “Pour X amount on the hot iron so ensure an even bake AND to not have it overflow out the sides, onto your counter and everywhere in between!”.
Yeah… she overflowed.
… A LOT but live and learn.
By the third waffle, I had it down to a science – almost a cup of batter with the machine on #7. But when you make these you’ll have to go with what your manufacturer’s instructions say. As you can tell by these pics, these came out to about 1″ thick with deep crevices to house all that maple syrup or toppings.
What do you top yours with? Mr. Fantabulous loves pure maple syrup (must be warmed). Yes, he’s spoiled, but I blame his mother for that. I just continue it. LOL
Initially, I only made a half batch I only had enough batter to make 4. Since the first 2 didn’t turn out right and Mr. Fantabulous was nomming on #3 I had only one left. So I got to make the last one when I heard “Wow baby, these are amazing! Are there any more???” Now folks these things are pretty big. As I said an inch thick by 10″ round. I honestly was surprised he wanted a second one (okay not really but it still amazes me just how much he can eat!) so I gave up my waffle.
But this recipe, I nailed it the first time out of the gate with my tweaks off of my Mom’s original recipe. It was light and airy, the texture was perfect. It wasn’t heavy but it was filling.
Always test, test, and re-test recipes!
Now like any food blogger, or cook, you test, test, and re-test a recipe for consistency. You want the same results every single time with minimal variance in outcome. So later that afternoon I set out and made 2 more batches. Perfect every single time. Now I will tell you that I have enough Belgian Waffles in my freezer for quite a while but I have plans for those babies in future recipes. You know me, I can’t just stick to the norm. I have to venture outside of the box and push the limits. I already have another adaption of this recipe coming up (just waiting on me to edit the photos) and 3 more uses of these. Oh yeah, I got plans baby!
Chef’s Secrets To Perfect Waffles!
Needless to say, I went through many iterations of this recipe and finally figured out the secret (or secrets to the perfect Belgian waffle).
- Separate your eggs. You want your egg whites whipped to a stiff peak. By folding the egg whites in, you’re ensuring you have a light and airy waffle instead of one that weighs as much as a brick.
- Cornstarch – yep, cornstarch. The cornstarch binds the waffle together and helps it create that crispy exterior (once you cook it thoroughly per your machine’s instructions).
- Resting the batter – you need to let the batter set to allow the leavening agents to work their mojo.
You know, I think I already know what I’m having tomorrow for lunch. One of my Belgian Waffle makeover recipes I’m working on. I think it’s going to be all kinds of awesome! Until then you NEED to have these in your life, your freezer, and most importantly, in your belly!
♥If you want thicker than 1″ waffles, this model makes 1.25″ Thick waffles.
♥For even thicker waffles, 1.5″ thick, go with this model!
♥The KRUPS, 4-Slice Belgian Waffle Maker With Removable Plates is great for thick, square Belgian waffles. Plus it has removable plates. The negative, they aren’t as thick as the round one above. Both are awesome and work amazingly well!
Best Ever Belgian Waffles in the World!
- Yield: 4-6
- Cuisine: breakfast
Find more fantabulous recipes, tips and tricks at www.thekitchenwhisperer.net. Also, join our TKW Family on Facebook
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk (has to be buttermilk)
- 1/3 cup melted butter, unsalted
- 1 egg, room temperature and separated
- 1/4 cup – 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- In a bowl beat the egg white until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well.
- Add the milk, butter, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla and mix just until combined. Do not overmix as you do not want air in this. Some lumps are OK.
- Gently fold in the egg whites until combined. Do not deflate the egg whites. This is what will give your waffles that light texture.
- Let the batter sit for 30 minutes.
- Heat a waffle iron.
- Follow the directions on your waffle iron to cook the waffles.
- Serve immediately hold in a 200 degree oven, directly on the rack. I would not recommend stacking them as they are heavy and may get smushed or soggy on the plate.
Notes
To freeze, allow to cool completely and wrap individually in plastic wrap.
To reheat just place frozen in the toaster.
We personally like a sweeter waffle so when I make them I like almost a 1/2 cup however you can certainly add the lesser amount.
Depending on how big your waffle iron is, will depend on how many waffles you get out of this. Mine is fairly large so I get 5-6 waffles that are pretty big.
John Ford says
Thanks for the recipe. I see it requires to leave the batter out for 30 minutes. Is there a limit to how long we can leave it out?
TKWAdmin says
Hi John,
I would do my best to keep it around 30 minutes. You let the batter rest to allow the leavening agents do their thing. Going any longer than 30 I fear maybe the egg whites that you were so delicately folded in may start to deflate.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Stuart says
Excellent base recipe…Liquidfy or get to pudding consistency 1 banana in the 3 tlb. unsalted butter plus 2 tlb brown sugar and 1/2 of the vanilla ( I use Mexican vanilla so I always double the amount in recipe). Add this to the dry ingredients. I used an Oster flip waffel iron, maybe $35, set heat at #7. It was done before light went out. Leave in until light goes out it caramelized the bananas and sugar, pretty good also. Thanks Stuart.
TKWAdmin says
Oh great addition of the banana and brown sugar! I bet it almost caramelized while cooking. Mmmm now I want waffles!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Nevila says
I was searching for a perfect waffle recipe and those pictures were soooo perfect for my eyes.
Unfortunately, I have a small waffle iron, (a heart shape one, I suppose its a Norwegian waffle style) and with every recipe I’ve tried my waffles resulted to be NOT crispy (I can’t say soggy since they were not under baked)
I’m going to give a try of your recipe tonight (can’t wait till tomorrow morning)and If I will get crispy waffles I’ll be one of the happiest moms ever (since my kids love crispy waffles)
Thanks (and I will let u know about the result)
TKWAdmin says
Thank you so much Nevila! I’m sure you’ll love these as much as I do!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Nevila says
So, I tried the recipe. Unfortunately they didn’t turn crispy as expected, but they were soooo tasty. I know for sure that this result is due to the waffle iron (which I already expected to be). Nevertheless, until I buy a new one, I am going to use your recipe from now one.
thanx 🙂
Dolores Wiens says
Can you use Pearl sugar with your receipe?
Dolores says
What happens if you use Pearl sugar with your receipe?
TKWAdmin says
Hi Dolores,
So pearl sugar is used in liege waffles which is a yeasted dough. I believe what would happen in this batter recipe is that it would sink (think like chocolate chips or blueberries). If you were to add them I would actually add the batter to the waffle maker then carefully push the pearl sugar into it/the wells. But again be careful not to burn yourself!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
CM says
TKW:
Kudos to you. This IS an authentic Belgian Waffle recipe and thank you for NOT taking the same “pretender to the throne” recipe you find everywhere are the net and copying and pasting! This makes a great waffle! Thank you for taking time to actually make and troubleshoot this recipe. These are crisp not the “bread sponge” the popular recipe makes…. Reason? Corn Starch! Also try it with 1/8 tsp baking soda. (I am probably preaching to the choir, but, baking soda is used to improve the crumb of cakes and and other non-yeast batters and doughs. You’ve already accomplished that with the buttermilk, that’s why I suggest less baking soda… just enough to activate the “gas reaction” between baking soda and baking powder.) As flavorings try almond and vanilla together or Fiore de Sicilia (although the last one will tend to make the waffle taste like an Italian Bakery cookie.) I would also add 2-3 tbsps white sugar or 2 ozs. confectioner’s sugar, confectioner’s preferred (also has corn starch in it). This will also enhance the structure.
“CM” – Certified Executive Chef
PS – Don’t forget a deeply fried chicken leg or thigh! I’d take Chicken and Waffles over Waffles and Ice Cream any day!
TKWAdmin says
Well thank you very much, I’m flattered and yes, grinning from ear to ear 🙂 I’ll try it with less baking soda; logically it makes sense when you think of it analytically. I’ve done a bunch of flavors tweaks and emulsions. I’m not a fan of almond though as to me it tastes like cherries and if you know me I loathe anything cherry. The Fiore de Sicilia I use actually in one of my Lofthouse cookies as well as biscotti, that with some chopped pistachios – perfection!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Sarah says
Tried these this morning and they were yummy! Could I make the batter the night before so they’re ready to go in the morning?
TKWAdmin says
Thank you so much Sarah! Unfortunately because you’re folding in the egg whites you can’t make it the night before. They will deflate in the fridge 🙁
Best Kitchen Wishes!
MeLi C. says
If your waffles turned out soggy it was most definitely user error. Butter milk is a must as the vinegar reacts with the baking soda. If you don’t have butter milk add 2 tsps of vinegar to the milk. All ingredients must be room temperature other wise the melted butter will go back to being solid when the cold milk hits it then you’ll over beat it and kill all the air in the egg whites. Don’t stack these as the condensation as they cool will make them soggy…last I add a quarter cup of corn meal because I like the texture better…app doesn’t let me do 5 stars but its a 5 star recipe.
TKWAdmin says
Thank you so much MeLi! Oh I love the addition of the corn meal! I do that too when I’m making chicken and waffles – it adds such a great textural element!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Britni says
Can I use vanilla extract instead of paste?
TKWAdmin says
Yes you can; same equal amount.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
jayne says
I used vanilla extract when I made them. Turned out fine!
Jayne says
How many servings does one batch make?
TKWAdmin says
Hi Jayne!
This batch makes 5-6 large (dinner plate size) Belgian Waffles in my maker. It honestly depends on how big your maker is. In a standard sized Belgian waffle maker I would estimate you’d get about 8.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Jayne says
Thanks! Feeding 20 people waffles on Christmas morning. I’m going to give your recipe a try! Merry Christmas!
TKWAdmin says
They are going to love you for that! So just 3 things that are CRITICAL to making these (not hard but super important!!!) These are the keys to making these super light and fluffy.
1. Separate your eggs. You want your egg whites whipped to a stiff peak. By folding the egg whites in, you’re ensuring you have a light and airy waffle instead of one that weighs as much as a brick. FOLD THEM IN GENTLY!
2. Cornstarch – yep, cornstarch. The cornstarch binds the waffle together and helps it create that crispy exterior (once you cook it fully per your machine’s instructions).
3. Resting the batter – you need to let the batter to set to allow the leavening agents work their mojo.
Out of all them #1 is most important.
Merry Christmas and Best Kitchen Wishes!
SS says
I have a crappy, old Cuisinart waffle iron, and these came out great. I did everything as written, except I beat the egg white while the rest of the batter was resting, and folded it in while the iron was heating. Kept the egg white from deflating.