Description
These homemade buttermilk waffles are perfectly crisp on the outside, while remaining fluffy and light on the inside. They’re our family’s favorite weekend breakfast treat. Enjoy them with fresh fruit or butter and pure maple syrup.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (or ground cinnamon)
- 1 3/4 cups (420ml) buttermilk, well shaken
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup (113g) salted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- Butter and maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions. My Cuisinart Round Classic Waffle Maker recommends setting #3 for golden-brown waffles.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg (or ground cinnamon if using). Set aside.
- Separate the eggs. In a small bowl, separate the egg whites and yolks. Crack the eggs in half and carefully transfer the egg yolk between the two shell halves, letting the egg whites fall below into the small bowl. Add the yolks to a medium bowl.
- Combine the wet ingredients. In the medium bowl with the egg yolks, add the buttermilk, vanilla extract, and melted butter. Whisk until combined. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and gently whisk until just combined. It’s okay if there are some small lumps.
- Whip the egg whites. Use a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to whip the egg whites. Start on low speed until the egg whites are foamy, then increase the speed gradually to medium-high until soft peaks form. You’ll know when soft peaks form because the egg whites will have doubled in size and have some body, but not hold their shape. The peak of the egg white will curl over like a wave or look like a soft-serve ice cream cone. Use a spatula to gently fold the egg whites into the waffle batter.
- Cook the waffles. When the waffle iron is hot, grease with cooking spray, butter, or oil. Add the batter according to the manufacturer’s instructions. For my Cuisinart Round Classic Waffle Maker, I add 1/3 to ½ cup of waffle batter to the center of the iron, then spread is slightly to cover the surface. Close the lid immediately and cook until golden brown (about 4 to 5 minutes). I like to cook my waffles until the steam coming from the waffle iron becomes faint but hasn’t completely stopped. For a crisper waffle, cook until the steam stops. Use a heat-proof plastic, silicone, or wooden utensil to carefully remove the waffle from the waffle maker.
- Serve immediately with butter and pure maple syrup or whipped cream and fresh berries. Or you can transfer the cooked waffles to a wire rack set over a baking sheet in a 200°F preheated oven to keep warm while you finish cooking the rest of the waffles.
Notes
- Leftovers? Waffles taste best when freshly made. Leftover cooled waffles can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in a toaster until warmed through.
- Buttermilk: For best results, I recommend using real buttermilk. I use 1% buttermilk. I have not tested this recipe with homemade buttermilk.
- Avoid overmixing the waffle batter! It’s okay if there are some small lumps. Overmixing the batter can result in tough, dense, or rubbery waffles instead of light and airy ones.
- Prevent waffles from sticking to the iron: I always grease the waffle iron with cooking spray or brushing with oil before cooking each batch.
- Let the waffle iron heat up again between cooking each batch. I wait 30-60 seconds between each waffle for it to heat up again.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate based on 7 servings without any toppings.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 waffle
- Calories: 314
- Sugar: 6.7g
- Sodium: 393mg
- Fat: 15.9g
- Saturated Fat: 9.4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.4g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 35.1g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 116mg