Easy Buttermilk Waffles

Why This is the Best Recipe

Once you've got a waffle iron, you need to have the best buttermilk waffles recipe to go with it. I absolutely love this one because:

1. Easy to Prep: Mixing up the waffle batter just takes a minute or two.
2. Perfect Golden Brown and Crispy: The waffles bake up a gorgeous golden brown color, be sure to read my tricks for getting them nice and crispy!
3. Freezer Friendly: When I've got buttermilk getting close to the sell-by date, I can whip up a batch of these waffles and freeze them. My kids pop them in the toaster before school. So easy.

Ingredients

I love how wholesome homemade from-scratch buttermilk waffles are to make. Just take a peek at the short list of ingredients:

• Flour
• Sugar
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Buttermilk
• Eggs
• Butter
• Vanilla Extract
• Waffle Spices: Optional. I love plain vanilla waffles, but I think these buttermilk waffles are even more delicious with a dash of warm spice in the batter. My personal favorites include cinnamon, apple pie spice, and maple sugar. I mix and match using these based on what we're in the mood for, they're all great picks.

However, if you're looking for a gluten-free option, you'd want to check out these gluten-free waffles instead.

Make the Waffle Batter

Making waffle batter is easy peasy.

Start by adding all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and any spices you plan to add. (See my note in the ingredients list above.)

In a separate bowl, measure the buttermilk. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk them together until smooth.

Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly.

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry flour bowl and stir it in. It will still be slightly thick.

Then stir in the melted butter very slowly as you continuously stir. This helps prevent the eggs from cooking from the heat of the butter.

The waffle batter will be slightly lumpy and that's ok! Just be sure you've mixed in all the big dry pockets of flour.

Griddle the Waffles

To cook the buttermilk waffles, preheat your waffle iron according to the directions it came from. Mine has a light that turns green on it so I know it is ready.

Spray the griddle with cooking spray and then fill the waffle wells.

Our waffle iron takes about 1/3 cup of batter for each well.

Close the waffle iron and cook according to the directions for your appliance.

My waffle iron takes 4 minutes to cook the waffles to a perfect golden brown:

How to Serve Waffles Family Style

The last thing I want to do during the weekend is feel like a short order cook in my own kitchen. Serving up hot waffles fresh from the waffle maker, one at a time to whoever has an empty plate, is not a relaxing way to spend the morning.

Instead, I prefer to preheat the oven to 220°F with a large baking sheet inside.

As I prepare the waffles, I transfer them directly to the oven to keep warm so that I can serve a large platter of waffles all at once and sit down and enjoy breakfast with my family.

This is an especially great trick because the waffles tend to get even crispier edges that simply soak up the softened butter and maple syrup!!

How to Get Crispy Waffles

Unless you have the budget for a high-end waffle maker, I think you will find that most budget-friendly waffle makers tend to make semi-soft sided waffles.

Even our waffle maker that cooks them to that perfect golden brown color still doesn't get them quite as crispy as we love.

Here are my top 2 tricks for Extra Crispy Waffles:

1. Warm Them in the Oven: Use my family-style trick and heat them in the oven at 220°F while you are preparing all the waffles. They'll dry out just a bit and get nice crispy edges.
2. Toast the Waffles: We LOVE make ahead waffles because we reheat them in the toaster. Not only do they warm through but they get perfectly crispy on the outside. We think they're even more delicious the next day!

Make Ahead and Freezer Tips

I usually make a big double batch of batter because our family LOVES leftover waffles during the week.

Store them in single layers between waxed paper and we just pop them in the toaster to heat through.

One or two light rounds of toasting and the buttermilk waffles come out crisp and fresh, almost more delicious than the first day we make them if that is even possible!

But if your kids get tired of having waffles every day, you can absolutely freeze these waffles for another day.

Just be sure to keep the waxed paper between them so they don't stick together.

You can toast the waffles directly from frozen but it may require another round of toasting to make sure they are heated all the way through.

Alternatively, you could thaw them in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds on 50% power and then finish them in the toaster.

Serving Suggestions

Our favorite part of this homemade waffles recipe is that you can top it with all different kinds of flavored syrups or spreads and completely change the experience.

It's a perfect base vanilla waffles recipe to top with any of these ideas:

• Blackberry freezer jam and fresh blackberries on top
• Strawberry freezer jam and a sprinkle of chocolate chips
• Blueberry preserves and a sprinkle of slivered almonds
• Peach vanilla bean freezer jam and whipped cream
• Lemon curd with sliced strawberries or blueberries
• Cherry jam with whipped cream
• Maple syrup and chopped pecans
• A spread of Nutella and fresh sliced strawberries
• A spread of almond butter and fresh blueberries

No-Cook Strawberry Freezer Jam

Peach Vanilla Bean Freezer Jam

Cherry Freezer Jam

Blackberry Freezer Jam {No-Cook, No Corn Syrup!}