Belgian Waffles

Waffles are the epic breakfast for a special occasion or when you really want a special treat. Belgian waffles are really thick and have deeper pockets than regular waffles. They are really crisp on the outside and fluffy, light and tender on the inside. 

I tried all sorts of ingredient combinations trying to achieve the perfect waffle recipe. I used buttermilk as the main liquid component, not only does it work so well for pancakes, muffins and waffles, it also is acidic, which helps to activate the baking powder and baking soda.

I also used a bit less flour than most recipes call for so that the waffles would turn out lighter and not as dense and added just a bit of cornstarch, which helps to make the waffles really light and airy.

The addition of butter and vanilla extract give the waffles a really great flavor, so they are absolutely delicious eaten all on their own, but a drizzle of honey, maple syrup or fresh berries, fruit and whipped cream are also great additions.

Waffle Maker For Belgian Waffles

There are many models of waffle makers on the market today. Belgian waffles are really thick with large pockets and usually circular, sometimes square.

This is the model* that I have and I really like it. It's nonstick, can make two waffles at the same time and you can adjust the color and crispness of the waffles. 

The Liquid Ingredients Need To Be At Room Temperature

It is really important for all the liquid ingredients to be at room temperature. I would suggest heating up the buttermilk just a little bit. If you add the melted butter to cold buttermilk, the butter will congeal and created little clumps of cold butter throughout the butter, which will prevent the liquid ingredients from mixing evenly.

Making the Waffle Batter

Preheat the waffle iron before you start making the batter.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and salt. I usually use a whisk to mix it all together.

In another bowl, combine the egg yolks, (put the egg whites in another bowl, which you will beat separately next) buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract and whisk together until the mixture is smooth.

Use a hand mixer or a standing mixer to beat the egg whites for about 2 minutes, until stiff peaks form.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix to combine, making sure not to over mix, there should still be lumps and streaks of flour in the batter. If you over mix the batter, the waffles will end up dense, not be tender and light.

It is perfectly normal to have streaks of flour and lumps in the batter. That is what you are looking for, especially since you will still be folding in the beaten egg whites.

Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, until the batter is evenly mixed. Once again, be careful not to over mix the batter.

Brush the preheated waffle iron with oil or butter. Pour in the appropriate amount of batter that your waffle iron needs (it should tell you in the instructions how much batter you need to use).

Use a spatula or the back of the portion scoop to spread out the batter towards the edges of the waffles iron, about ½ inch from the sides.

Close the waffle iron and cook until the waffle is golden brown on both sides.

If you are using a double waffle maker, like mine, flip the waffle maker and pour more waffle batter into the second side, close and keep cooking until golden brown too.

The time will depend on your waffle iron. As a general rule of thumb, I find that you need to wait for the steam to stop coming out of the sides of the waffle iron. I got exactly four waffles from this batter.

Serve the waffles immediately, or keep warm in the oven. Serve with butter, honey, maple syrup, fresh fruit, jam, whipped cream, etc.

Keeping the Waffles Warm

If you are making a large batch of waffles, place the waffles on a wire rack and place in a warm oven set to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Don't do this for too long, or the waffles will dry out.

Freezing Waffles

Waffles freeze really well. Store them in an airtight container or a large freezer ziplock bag. Freeze up to 6 months. You can defrost the waffles before serving, or place them, frozen, right into a toaster or the oven to defrost and reheat.

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