Birthday Cake Waffles

Why This is the Best Recipe

These homemade birthday cake waffles are the best because:

• From Scratch: They are made completely from scratch but still so very easy.
• Better than Frozen Waffles: Homemade waffles taste soooo much better than the kind in the grocery store freezer department.
• Freezer Friendly: But if you love the convenience of frozen waffles, you can absolutely make these ahead and freeze them.
• Thick and Fluffy: These waffles are so satisfying because they are nice and thick but still very fluffy. Reheat them in the toaster if you want crispy edges.

My birthday cake waffles are a spin-off on my classic buttermilk waffles recipe. All you need to make them is:

• Buttermilk: I love Organic Valley buttermilk because the date keeps so much longer in my fridge but if you don't have buttermilk on hand, be sure to see my buttermilk substitution below.
• Eggs
• Butter
• Flour
• Sugar
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Pie Spice: I have a spice blend in my pantry that includes cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. You can use your own favorite baking spice blend or just use cinnamon.
• Vanilla Extract
• Almond Extract

Buttermilk Substitution

If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own substitute with milk and lemon juice or vinegar.

For 1 cup of buttermilk, pour 1 cup of milk into a measuring cup and add 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar.

Stir and let sit for 5 minutes before using in your recipe.

Or you could just try to make these cake mix pancakes instead.

Make the Waffle Batter

First, measure all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pie spice or cinnamon and whisk it all together.

In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the liquid ingredients.

To make sure that hot melted butter doesn't cook your raw eggs, melt your butter in a small bowl and set it aside to cool slightly while you measure the buttermilk and other ingredients.

Measure the buttermilk, add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Whisk them together until smooth.

While whisking, slowly drizzle in the cooled melted butter.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of flour and sugar and stir to combine completely.

The batter may appear a little lumpy like this:

Choose Birthday Sprinkles

Now the fun part!

What makes these birthday cake waffles so amazing is not just that they taste like a sweet birthday cake, but that they are filled with fun and festive sprinkles.

When choosing sprinkles, you want to be sure that your sprinkles don't bleed colors into wet batter or your waffles will turn out grey.

I tested these two kinds of sprinkles and they worked perfectly in this recipe:

1. Pastel Sequins (LEFT)
2. Rainbow Jimmies (RIGHT)

Add the sprinkles of your choice to the birthday cake waffle batter right before you are about to cook them, just to be safe.

Don't let them sit too long in the batter or even the best sprinkles may start to bleed color into the batter.

Cook the Waffles

Preheat your waffle maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Ours has a green light on top that glows when it is ready.

Spray the waffle maker with cooking spray and then scoop 1/3 cup waffle batter into each well.

Check your waffle maker manual to see if your waffle wells need a different quantity.

Cook the waffles for 4 - 5 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Serving Suggestions

Make Ahead and Freezer Tips

I made these waffles days in advance and simply stored them in a ziptop baggie in the fridge.

Lay the waffles between sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper to prevent them from sticking and make sure they are completely cool before you seal the bag or they'll steam inside and become soggy.

You can freeze the waffles between layers of paper in an airtight container and then:

• defrost them in the fridge over night
• microwave them until heated through or heat them in your toaster or toaster oven

We prefer using the toaster because it gives the waffles an awesome crispy texture.

More Waffle Recipes

Got a kiddo that loves waffles? Don't miss our other favorite recipes!

Sweet pumpkin pecan waffles are great with butterscotch chips. Yummy peanut butter chocolate chip waffles with strawberry jam are always a hit.

And of course there's my easy buttermilk waffles recipe that pairs well with your favorite syrup or jam and my chocolate Belgian waffles with powdered sugar or even cream cheese and fresh strawberries.