The Best Buttermilk Waffles are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, making them the perfect vessel for fresh fruit, whipped cream, or an ice cream sundae!
Don’t get me wrong, I love me some pancakes and French toast. And eggs. And pizza with eggs.
What can I say? Sunday breakfast is an important meal for us! It always was for me growing up and I love that Kyle is really into it too.
Since moving, we found a little place in town that has become our favorite Sunday breakfast spot. We’re there maybe once or twice a month and when I discovered their waffles, there was no turning back. Except when they have crab cakes and poached eggs with Hollandaise on the Specials menu. Yeahhh.
A few weeks ago, I finally picked up a waffle iron for the house since I was tired of waiting for breakfast out to have waffles. Like when I want them for dinner? Perfectly acceptable.
These buttermilk waffles are the first ones to come off the iron and I have to say, it’s a fabulous basic waffle recipe! They really are the best buttermilk waffles! Crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside due to some whipped egg whites – just like my adorned waffles from our favorite breakfast joint.
Mix-in possibilities are endless and I anticipate loads of fresh blueberry and strawberry waffles happening this summer! Oooo! Or chocolate chips! Or toasted coconut!
You get the idea.
The Best Buttermilk Waffles
- Prep Time: 10min
- Cook Time: 15min
- Yield: 5-12 waffles (see note below)
Notes
Depending on the size of your waffle iron, this recipe will yield 5 to 12 waffles. We have a Waring Pro double Belgian waffle iron and we got 5 large waffles.
Storage: These waffles keep best when frozen – they’ll get very soggy when stored in the refrigerator. To freeze, allow the waffles to cool completely then freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Once frozen, transfer the waffles to a large zipper bag. Reheat in a 300° F oven for about 10 minutes.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cornmeal
1 tsp table salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs, separated
1 ¾ cups buttermilk
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
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01
Heat waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
-
02
In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. In a separate medium bowl, warm the buttermilk in the microwave until it is warm but not hot. Whisk in the egg yolks, vanilla, and melted butter.
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03
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer (or by hand), beat the egg whites to almost stiff peaks – they should be about 2 inches when you pull the beaten whites up with the whisk.
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04
Pour the wet ingredients (not the egg whites) into the dry ingredients in a thin steady stream, mixing in with a rubber spatula. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
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05
Add as much batter to your waffle iron as the manufacturer’s instructions describe and cook for the appropriate amount of time. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200° F oven directly on the racks.
adapted from The New Best Recipe by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated
Absolute waffle perfection!!!!
Thanks, Kayle!
Hey there!
I was surfing around looking for this specific recipe and came across your blog. Looks great! I’m guessing the recipe actually calls for 2 Tbs. of cornSTARCH, not cornMEAL, right? I mean I suppose cornmeal might be interesting, but not very “waffle-y.”
No, it’s actually cornmeal, not cornstarch. I’ve made this recipe more times than I can count and it’s definitely a “waffle-y” waffle even with the minimal amount of cornmeal it contains.
No kidding? OK then! Can’t wait to try it.
Hi. The point of the cornmeal is to add some crispness / crunch to the exterior (I’ve got the Cook’s Illustrated cookbook, in which there is the explanation for how they developed the recipe). The cookbook states that the cornmeal is option, though having done it both ways (with/without) I do prefer having the cornmeal in the batter.
I agree – I prefer the cornmeal as well. You don’t taste it or notice the texture of the cornmeal itself. It’s there to help with the crispness.
These waffles have a lot of potential. I would like to try them again. They were very salty, so I would reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon. And they tasted like baking soda, so I would try and figure out how to use more baking powder and less baking soda. Otherwise, they were really fun!
Hi Megan, sorry to hear you felt like so many tweaks were needed for this recipe. Please come back and let me know how your changes turn out in the future. I obviously think the recipe was great as written but I’m always interested to hear how peoples’ changes turn out.