These Easy Belgian Waffles are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside - perfect for topping with Nutella or syrup or your favorite fruit with fresh whipped cream. These are ready in under 20 minutes and perfect for a breakfast, brunch, or even dessert!
Want even more waffles? Be sure to try our Overnight Sourdough Waffles, Cinnamon Roll Waffles, and Liège Waffles!
I am most definitely a breakfast person. I never skip it, and not just because of the old "it's the most important meal of the day" adage. It's really because breakfast is so fun to make. Especially when it's an easy waffle recipe for the best homemade waffles like this one.
And honestly you can sometimes get away with calling something "breakfast" when really you are just eating a quasi-legitimized dessert first thing in the morning. But it's okay because it's not dessert, it's BREAKFAST, right?!
Why this recipe works
- Belgian waffles are a typically a little sweeter and have more butter in the waffle batter, which makes them richer than your standard buttermilk waffle. In Belgium waffles are frequently served by street vendors as a dessert.
- Belgian waffle makers have a larger grid pattern than a classic waffle iron. This provides them with large, deep squares and their signature look. You can use this recipe with any waffle maker, though.
- There is actually another variety of Belgian waffle known as the Liege waffle that is made with a yeast dough. They are SO good, but this recipe is more like what we think of as Belgian waffles in the U.S.A. American-style Belgian waffles, if you will.
Recipe Ingredients
- Eggs: The eggs are separated, with the whites beaten and gently folded in to create light and fluffy waffles.
- Flour: I use unbleached all-purpose flour in this recipe and in most of my baking unless I specify otherwise.
- Milk: I use regular milk (not buttermilk) in this recipe. Whole milk is best but we have even used 2% or non-fat milk and they still turn out great.
- Baking Powder: This leavening agent is what helps you get large fluffy waffles.
How to make Belgian waffles
- Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt: Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk them together. This ensures that you don't end up with pockets of baking powder in your waffles and helps them rise evenly in the waffle maker.
- Combine wet ingredients: Whisk the milk, melted butter, and egg yolks in a separate bowl. Mixing them well now means you need to stir the batter less later, which results in more tender, airy waffles.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Pour the eggs and milk mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture. Stir just until combined and don't worry about getting out all the lumps.
- Beat the egg whites until frothy, stiff peaks form. This can be done by hand, but it's definitely easiest with a hand mixer.
- Fold egg whites into the waffle batter. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the egg whites into the batter until they are combined. Try not to knock out all the air that you just beat into your egg whites by folding or stirring too vigorously. It's okay to have a few lumps.
- Cook. Fill your preheated waffle maker with batter. Because all waffle makers are a little different, you might need to experiment a time or two to know just how full to fill it, but generally go with less batter than you think you might need at first or follow the instructions that come with your waffle maker. The batter will puff up and spread to fill the waffle maker while it cooks.
- Serve warm! If you are making your Belgian waffles in batches, place the finished waffles on a wire rack while you make the next round of waffles before serving. Stacking them directly onto a plate while still hot usually results in steam on the bottom of the waffles which makes them less crisp.
Pro Tip: Waffles are always fantastic when topped with butter and maple syrup. But nutella with sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries, fruit syrups or jams, apple pie filling, or even peanut butter are also all delicious toppings for Belgian waffles.
Recipe FAQ's
Yes, you can use this recipe in any waffle maker, although it might not have the same classic size holes of a Belgian waffle maker. Even a Dash mini waffle maker that you often see in holiday shapes at Target and other places for making individual waffles will work well with this Belgian waffle recipe.
The most important factor in getting crispy waffles is to make sure the waffle iron is hot before dropping the batter on it - you should actually hear the batter sizzle when it hits the iron. Try letting the waffle iron heat up for a full five minutes before starting to cook the waffles.
Also, when making multiple batches, transfer the complete waffles to a wire rack, instead of setting them on a plate. The steam from the hot waffles will cause them to lose some of their crispiness otherwise.
Many waffle irons have a non-stick surface so you actually don't want to spray them with cooking spray, which can build up and actually make your waffles stick more, not less. Instead, I recommend lightly brushing the waffle maker with a little oil before adding the batter if you have had problems with your waffles sticking.
Recipe Tips
- Don't overmix the batter! It's okay if there are lumps in the batter after adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients or after adding the egg whites. Over-mixing can lead to rubbery, flat Belgian waffles instead of light and fluffy ones.
- Adjustments: If you want to make these waffles a little healthier, you can decrease the amount of butter by half without changing any of the other ingredients. They won't be quite as rich and amazing, but still darn good waffles.
- Freezing instructions: These waffles freeze well for a quick breakfast on busy days. To freeze a batch of waffles, lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper after they have been cooked, then stick them in the freezer for 1-2 hours. After that, transfer the waffles to a freezer-safe Ziploc bag or other airtight container for longer term storage of up to 3 months.
- Reheating waffles: You can stick frozen homemade waffles right into the toaster or toaster oven to reheat until they are hot all the way through and crispy on the outside. You could even place them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and reheat lots at once in a 325 degree oven for 6-8 minutes. I have even used my air fryer with good results and it only takes a couple of minutes from them to crisp up.
More delicious breakfast recipes you'll love
- Aebleskiver | Danish Pancakes
- German Apple Pancakes with Cider Syrup
- Cinnamon French Toast Sticks
- Crepes Recipe (How to Make Crepes and Crepe Filling Ideas)
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Belgian Waffles
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs separated
- 1 ¾ cups milk
- ½ cup salted butter melted
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks, then add the milk and melted butter. Mix well to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. It's okay if some lumps remain.
- In another bowl, beat the egg whites with until fluffy and stiff peaks begin to form. This can be done by hand, but is much easier with a mixer. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter using a rubber spatula. It's okay if there are still some streaks of egg white showing.
- Cook in a preheated belgian waffle iron until golden brown. Be careful not to overfill the waffle maker as the batter with puff and spread while it bakes. Transfer finished waffles to plates to eat immediately, or place on a wire rack while cooking the rest of the batch so they don't steam on the bottom and lose their crispness.
- Top with syrup, freshly whipped cream, berries, nutella, or any toppings you like. Enjoy!
Notes
- Waffle Irons: This recipe will work with any waffle iron, but was specifically tested on belgian waffle makers with larger squares. We have used both the kind that you fill and flip, as well as standard ones where you just fill and close the lid. Either will work.
- Freezing instructions: These waffles freeze well for a quick breakfast on busy days. To freeze a batch of waffles, lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper after they have been cooked, then stick them in the freezer for 1-2 hours. After that, transfer the waffles to a freezer-safe Ziploc bag or other airtight container for longer term storage of up to 3 months.
- Reheating waffles: You can stick frozen homemade waffles right into the toaster or toaster oven to reheat until they are hot all the way through and crispy on the outside. You could even place them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and reheat lots at once in a 325 degree oven for 6-8 minutes. I have even used my air fryer with good results and it only takes a couple of minutes from them to crisp up.
- If they stick: Many waffle irons have a non-stick surface so you actually don't want to spray them with cooking spray, which can build up and actually make your waffles stick more, not less. Instead, I recommend lightly brushing the waffle maker with a little oil before adding the batter if you have had problems with your waffles sticking.
Great waffle recipe. My son loved them and I appreciated all the tips!
Thanks so much!
These are SO delicious, now my go-to recipe.
Yummy! This is absolutely what I hope for in a waffle - perfect texture and great flavor that tastes good with ANY topping!
Will be using your recipe for a breakfast next week!
Delicious waffle recipe. Our family really loves this and been enjoying this almost every weekend
Thank you, Linda!