10 Great waffle recipes you need to try

I love fresh waffles as a weekend breakfast treat, with each little hollow holding some maple syrup.

How do you make yours? Do you follow a traditional Belgian recipe, either a thick dough with pearl sugar for Liege waffles, or a thinner batter making an airy, fluffy yeasted Brussels waffle? Or do you have a favourite recipe that is faster and more convenient than one that uses yeast?

Waffles can be so versatile—sweet or savoury, served at breakfast, as a snack during the day, or a savoury version as a side in the evening. Here’s a full range of recipes, from traditional to fusion, to give you an option for any time of day.

Liege waffles are thicker and doughier than most other waffle recipes, but still need to be light and fluffy. Made with pearl sugar for a sweet crunch, the thick dough is raised with yeast and enriched with butter. This traditional recipe shows the secrets of this form of waffle, with the usual downside; they do take a little while to make, needing some resting time.

Definitely not traditional, these waffles are made with almond rather than wheat flour, and they’re lightly sweetened with banana instead of white sugar. The recipe also includes collagen to add protein and bind the waffle mix; it also helps with joint health.

For these waffles, utilise leftover sourdough which brings a light and fluffy, but still crispy result. For breakfast, leave the sourdough out overnight and add the rest of the ingredients in the morning.

These sweet potato waffles are made with whole wheat flour and scented with festive gingerbread spices. I like the suggestion of freezing waffles that can be simply popped in the toaster when you’re in the mood for waffles. A great make-ahead breakfast for any time!

A mash up recipe now, blending carrot cake and waffle batter. It’s spiced with cinnamon and like many carrot cake recipes included walnuts—I love the idea of that. It’s a great way of adding some fibre and extra veg to the morning, meaning a deliciously lazy brunch treat doesn’t have to be sinful. The mascarpone maple cream sounds luscious!

For those following a low carb or keto diet, this recipe is ideal. It uses coconut rather than wheat flour, and adds cream cheese and chia seeds. All the ingredients are blended in a food processor, so it’s a quick and easy recipe; the author calls these “chaffles”, being a cheese and egg based waffle.

This waffle recipe has been attributed to either Jackie Kennedy or JFK in numerous publications. This recipe uses two leavening agents: both baking powder and egg whites whisked to stiff peaks. These two additions make the result unbelievably light and fluffy.

I can see the inspiration here: Belgium is known for waffles, and for chocolate, so let’s combine the two. The recipe replaces flour with cocoa powder, so the don’t come out as being too sweet—something I find a frequent issue with recipes from the US. They like their sugar over there!

Quinoa waffles make a powerful breakfast that’s full of protein—quinoa has all the amino acids you need; it’s one of the only plant foods that does. Add some fresh berries for antioxidants, and bananas for potassium to start your day on the right foot!

My waffle focus has been on Belgium, and I didn’t know about the Norwegian variety, which are made with a heart-shaped waffle iron. A little research shows that they traditionally are made with a batter that contains soured cream. This recipe, however, is vegan, replacing the cream with a plant-based yogurt.

Read more: 11 Stone fruit recipes you need to try
Read more:10 Brunch recipes for the weekend 

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Helen Best-Shaw, is a freelance food & travel writer, recipe developer & photographer. She has been blogging at Fuss Free Flavours for over ten years  

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