With this Belgian Waffle recipe, you can count on feather light waffles that are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. With the make ahead batter, you'll have fresh waffles in minutes for up to 3 days (or freeze the cooked waffles to toast later)!
I had never heard of using yeast in waffle batter until I happened upon the raised waffle recipe in my trusted Fannie Farmer Cookbook (originally published in 1896!). Honestly, most of the waffles I'd eaten were either at a restaurant or made with a store-bought mix. I didn't realize how simple and incredibly wonderful waffles could be.
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The Secret to Light, Crispy Waffles
I've seen several recipes that call for whipping the egg whites separately to stiff peaks for fluffy Belgian waffles and I'm here to promise you that yeasted waffles are better and so much easier. The active yeast in the batter makes the waffles so light and crisp that they melt in your mouth.
One of those convenient, make-ahead breakfast recipes, not only can you make batter from this Belgian waffle recipe ahead of time, it will keep beautifully in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Or you can do what I do and cook all of the batter at once and freeze the waffles to heat in the toaster. So convenient and they taste almost as if they were fluffy waffles straight out of the waffle maker.
Belgian Waffle FAQs
Belgian waffle irons are traditionally round (though you can find them as squares or rectangles) and have deep grid pattens that create lighter, crisper waffles with deeper pockets for toppings like syrup and butter. Classic American waffle irons have a shallow grid pattern and make waffles that are thinner, and often denser and less crisp compared to Belgian style waffles.
Yes you can and you should because you can reheat them in the toaster!
Once you've cooked your homemade waffles, gently tear them into triangles (or squares, depending on the shape of your waffle iron) and transfer to a cooling rack in a single layer. Allow to cool completely before placing in an airtight freezer-safe container or plastic freezer bag. When ready to eat, put frozen waffles directly into the toaster (no need thaw) and toast on medium-low until hot. (They are delicate, so keep an eye on them as they toast to prevent burning.)
Serve homemade Belgian waffles with classic toppings like butter and maple syrup or sliced strawberries or blueberries and whipped cream. For a heartier breakfast or brunch, serve with bacon and/or Baked Eggs or Breakfast Frittata.
How to Make Belgian Waffles
Step 1: In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water and let stand 5 minutes to dissolve. Whisk in milk, butter, salt, sugar, eggs and flour. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Step 2: When ready to bake waffles, preheat a Belgian waffle iron until very hot. Whisk baking soda into batter.
Step 3: Brush top and bottom grids with a high heat oil. Scoop batter into hot waffle iron and bake until crisp and golden. Repeat with remaining batter and serve.
Recipe Video
Belgian Waffle Recipe
Equipment
- Belgian Waffle Iron
Ingredients
- ½ cup warm water
- 1 package active dry yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons, or 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast (see recipe note #1)
- 2 cups warm whole milk or buttermilk
- ½ cup melted butter cooled slightly
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups all purpose flour 272 grams
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- avocado oil or other high heat vegetable oil for brushing hot waffle iron
Instructions
- Pour warm water into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle yeast over. Let stand 5 minutes to dissolve.
- Add milk, melted butter, salt, sugar and eggs; whisk until smooth. Whisk in flour until smooth (Or use a hand mixer - it's okay if a few small lumps remain.) Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
- When you are ready to make waffles, preheat Belgian waffle iron. Whisk baking soda into batter.
- Brush top and bottom grids of waffle iron with oil. Scoop ½ to ¾ cup of batter into very hot waffle iron. Bake until crisp and golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter (see recipe note #3). Serve with butter and maple syrup if desired.
Notes
- If you use instant yeast skip step 1 and whisk the yeast and ½ cup of warm water into the other wet ingredients in step 2 and continue with recipe.
- You'll need a Belgian waffle maker to make these, here is my favorite one.
- Once you've made this batter, you can store it tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- If you'd like to have frozen waffles on hand, cook the waffles normally and transfer to cooling rack. When cool, tear into quarters (or whatever shape will fit in your waffle maker); transfer to freezer safe plastic bag and freeze. Toast on the lowest setting of your toaster, keeping an eye on them as they are delicate and burn easily.
Absolute perfection. My only complaint is that this recipe has now ruined all other waffles for me. The new gold standard of what a waffle should be. So, be careful if you make these as it will turn you into a waffle snob.
aww, I love this, Emma! It sounds like you're enjoying these as much as we do. Thanks so much for coming back to let me know!
I just got a waffle iron for Christmas and was looking for a recipe. Your description sounded like the exact waffle that I was looking for so this is the first recipe that I tried. It was perfect! Loved it! Thinking of adding some chocolate chips in the batter next! Thank you!
My pleasure, Mercy! I'm so glad you're enjoying the recipe.
I wanted to add a different dish to my annual Christmas morning buffet and had decided that churro waffles were going to be that new addition. I had never even heard of churro waffles but in my mind I had pictured a light, fluffy and crisp Belgian waffle with a sugar and cinnamon topping. This recipe made exactly as written with the addition of the cinnamon/ sugar topping was simply amazing. I was very nervous I had prepared the batter about 2 hours ahead of time and added the baking soda when I was ready to make the as directed. The batter was super thin unlike any other waffle batter I had used so I was certain I had done something wrong, but when I cooked the first waffle I knew everything was perfect. The waffle in itself was spectacular but after brushing the cooked waffle with melted butter and dipping it into the cinnamon sugar it was nirvana .
This recipe will be in the Christmas rotation every year and will also be enjoyed throughout the yea
I love to hear this, Roberta! So glad you enjoyed these and the cinnamon sugar dip sounds amazing.
I prepared his recipe today for a brunch gathering. At first, I was a bit skeptical because the batter was kind of watery (I followed the instructions to a "T") rather than having a thicker consistency. I preheated my Belgian waffle maker and poured the batter and it puffed up, had a light, airy, crispy on the outside but moist in the inside consistency! This was perfection! Everyone loved it and had me make another batch for people to take home and freeze. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I'm so happy the waffles were a hit, Ms. Mei! Sweet of you to come back and let me know.
Best recipe for making the perfect waffles.Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure, Stacy! So glad you enjoyed them.
Light and crispy Belgian waffles are a real breakfast treat! So convenient to keep the batter in the fridge for fresh waffles in the morning!
I do love that the batter can be made ahead! Thanks, Kelly!
Great waffle recipe! Made fresh they were excellent. Put the left over batter in the refrigerator and the next day had the same result. Made an extra waffle on the second day to finish off the batter and promptly forgot I had placed the extra waffle in the refrigerator until 2 days later (this morning.) Still excellent. When I make them again I am going to put malted milk powder into the recipe in the hope of producing the ultimate malted waffle.
I'm so glad you enjoyed these, Ken! Love your idea about adding malt flavor.
Hi, I lived in Brussels for five years so I know exactly how they should be but has not been able to find the right recipe until now. Despite I made it with yeast it still turned out soggy. Does the waffle iron make any difference? Could it be that if the iron cannot produce enough heat it makes the waffle soggy regardless of the batter? Thanks.
Hi Judit! Oh no...the waffles definitely should not be soggy, they should come out very light and crispy. I do recommend using a Belgian waffle iron and it should be very hot when you add the batter.
Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, just perfection! Looks like a great brunch option for the holidays!
Absolutely! Thank you, Kevin!
They look incredibly delicious Marissa! Belgian waffles are such a breakfast treat. So perfect for the holiday season!
Thanks so much, Mary Ann!
Wow, these are beauties! I'm going to have to treat the family to some yeasted waffles for the holidays!
Yay! I hope that you and your family love them, Liz! xo
Your post made me thinking indeed - I'm not sure I've ever had yeast-based waffles. Anyway, these Belgian waffles look impeccable, so fluffy and irresistibly golden-brown. Perfection!
Thank you, Ben. I hope you'll give them a try!
Marissa! I've never heard of waffle batter made with yeast. I adore those big, deep Belgian waffle pockets. I also love that you can make this ahead of time! I have a Belgian waffle maker, so I can totally picture myself making this ahead of time and having the most delicious breakfast the next morning!
I'm so excited for you to try them, Katherine! It's really convenient to have the batter ready to go in the morning!
Oh man! You sure know how to make a girl happy! Crisp on the outside - tender on the inside...it's a love song! Can't wait to make these for the family during the holidays!!
I love how you put that, Annie! I hope you and your family enjoy these.
Like you, I always thought waffles just came from a box mix when I was growing up. I remember when I discovered yeasted Belgian waffles for the first time. I was like a kid on Christmas morning! Speaking of Christmas morning, I'm thinking a batch of Belgian waffles needs to happen sometime this holiday season. Yum! 🙂
Yay! I love to hear that, David. Thank you!
I have a classic waffle maker - I think I really need to get myself a Belgian waffle maker! These are the waffles I want to eat! Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure, Marcellina! The deep pockets are great for that crisp outside and plenty of space for the butter and syrup to pool. 😉
I have a classic waffle maker as well. Are you saying this recipe wouldn’t work with this kind of iron?
Hi Deborah! It won't have the same texture without the deep wells of a Belgian waffle maker. I'm guessing that the waffles would still turn out well, but I haven't tested this recipe with a classic waffle maker.
Love how crispy these are. Your photos are gorgeous and mouth-watering! 🙂 ~Valentina
Thank you so much, Valentina!
Belgian waffles are my absolute favorite! That exterior crunch paired with the tender interior just makes me swoon! And these look like PERFECTION! I would literally devour a giant stack of these if they were in front of me right now... and I just ate lunch! 😉 I'll be dreaming of these until the weekend when I get a chance to make them! I can't wait! Pinned! And sharing the video - it's stellar!
aww....thank you very much, Cheyanne!
Nicely golden brown and crisp...they look droolworthy!
Thank you, Angie!
My hubby makes waffles pretty often so we're a huge fan in our home! These look super crispy and fluffy all at the one time. Great addition to a holiday brunch...with lots of maple syrup and butter, of course 😉
I can't wait for you and your hubby to try these, Dawn! Why don't you two pop down here and I'll make you a batch myself! 😉