If you’re a fan of crispy waffles, these are the best waffles in existence. They come out beautifully golden with a crispy, crunchy exterior and light and fluffy insides every time.
Today’s recipe is one I’ve gotten a TON of requests for: waffles!!
The Best Waffle Recipe (Fight Me)
If you’re a crispy waffle fan, these are the best waffles in existence. They come out beautifully golden with a crispy, crunchy exterior and light and fluffy insides every time.
They are substantial and sturdy enough to pile whatever you want on top. Soak them in syrup, strawberry sauce and whipped cream , scoops of ice cream and hot fudge sauce . However you eat these waffles, they’re going to be great.
And, as should be expected of the best waffle recipe in all the world, they’re very, very, very easy to make. You just need one bowl and a waffle maker.
How to Make Crispy Waffles
Start the waffles by combining all your dry ingredients: flour, corn starch, sugar, baking soda and powder, and salt, in a large bowl and whisking them together.
Then make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients and add all the wet ingredients: buttermilk, vegetable oil, an egg, and vanilla. This might seem like a lot of liquid, but don’t freak out! The recipe is correct, and the batter will be just fine. I promise.
Once the liquid ingredients are added, switch to a wooden spoon, and stir everything together until just combined. There will be some lumps, but that’s okay. Just make sure you don’t have any dry flour at the bottom of your bowl.
- Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes. Remember all that liquid we were just talking about? The resting time allows the batter to thicken and the gluten to relax so you get that really tender and fluffy waffle interior rather than chewy waffles. ( Here’s a good article on what’s happening while batter is resting, if you’re curious ).
If you’re serving waffles with sides, this is a great time to cut fruit, prep any meat you’re making, or make a fruit sauce.
- Once your batter is ready, preheat your waffle iron and cook the waffles according to your iron’s instructions. This recipe makes pretty exactly 2 cups of batter, so it will make 2 to 4 waffles depending on the capacity of your waffle maker.
Keep waffles warm in a 200°F oven while all the waffles cook, and then top with toppings and enjoy!
Variations
- Blueberry waffles: Stir ⅔ cup of washed and dried blueberries to the batter just before cooking.
- Chocolate chip waffles: Stir ½ cup of chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate to the batter before cooking.
- Strawberry and whipped cream waffles: Serve topped with strawberry sauce and whipped cream . (My FAVORITE way to eat waffles!)
Waffle Recipe Substitutions
This recipe uses a couple ingredients that not everyone keeps stocked in their baking cupboard. These waffles are best when made as written, but you can make the following substitutions and still end up with a pretty great waffle.
- Substituting for buttermilk: To make a buttermilk substitute , put 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice (fresh or bottled) in a 1 cup measuring cup. Fill the cup the rest of the way with milk. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to “sour,” and you’re good to go.
- Substituting for cornstarch: Corn starch is one of the ingredients that makes these waffles so crispy, so I recommend using it if possible, but in a pinch, you can replace the corn starch with the same amount of flour.
Do I have to let the batter rest?
Yes. As mentioned above, resting the batter gives it a chance thicken slightly and let the gluten in the batter relax so you get the best waffle texture possible.
How many will this recipe serve?
This recipe makes about 2 cups of batter, which depending on your waffle maker will make 2 to 4 waffles. It generously serves 2, but if serving to children/with a large breakfast, it could be stretched to serve 3 to 4.
If you would like to double the recipe, go for it. It scales up with no preparation changes needed. To change the recipe yield, hover over the serving size in the recipe card below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.
Can I freeze waffles for later?
Yes!! Extra waffles freeze extremely well, and I often double the recipe just so I have extras to freeze for later. Store cooked waffles in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months.
To eat, place frozen waffles on a baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
Troubleshooting and Tips
Batter is too thin: This batter will be a little thin-looking. This is normal, and it will thicken slightly as it rests!! If it looks like the photo of the batter above being poured onto the waffle maker, you’re good to go.
If you’re worried about it oozing out the sides of the waffle maker, make sure your iron is completely preheated before adding the batter. Ladle it on slowly, filling holes where more batter is needed, and then give it a moment to set (about 5 to 10 seconds) before closing the lid. This will help prevent batter from squeezing out the sides when you close the lid.
Waffle Maker: If you don’t own a waffle maker, this is the one I own , and I absolutely love it. I’ll be totally honest, I was little iffy when I took it out of the box, because it felt a bit cheap compared to waffle makers I’ve handled in the past, but it does such a good job cooking waffles that I don’t care. And you can stand it upright for storage, which is a nice space-saver.
More Favorite Breakfast Recipes
- Banana Pancakes
- Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
- Banana Muffins
- Cream Scones
- The BEST Banana Bread
Ingredients
- ▢ 3/4 cup ( 98 g) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1/4 cup ( 30g ) corn starch
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 12g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1 cup buttermilk
- ▢ 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- ▢ 1 large egg
- ▢ 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ Melted butter optional for serving
- ▢ Syrup optional for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, corn starch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Make a shallow well in the dry ingredients and add buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla, and stir together until just combined.
- Allow batter to sit for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200°F and set a baking sheet inside to place the waffle(s) on after cooking to keep warm while you cook the rest of the batter.*
- Preheat waffle iron and cook batter according to your iron’s instructions*, typically 4 to 6 minutes per waffle, until waffle is nicely golden and has mostly stopped releasing steam. Waffle may not initially seem crispy to the touch, but will crisp up out of the waffle maker.
- Top with melted butter and syrup if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe slightly adapted from The Waffle of Insane Greatness
This balsamic chicken recipe requires almost no cutting and only about 5 minutes of prep time. The boneless skinless chicken breasts cook in a sauce of tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and onions, so they come out deliciously moist and packed with flavor.
Friends, I’m really excited about sharing this one with you today.
You all are always asking me for easy chicken recipes, and balsamic chicken might just be my new ideal easy chicken dinner.
What’s Great About This Recipe
- Almost no cutting required. You’ll need to slice an onion and maybe a couple of chicken breasts. That’s it.
- You can prep the ingredients in about 5 to 10 minutes. Even though this dish is big on flavor, there aren’t a ton of ingredients, so the recipe comes together FAST.
- After searing, the chicken cooks in the sauce so you can walk away and don’t have to babysit it.
- The chicken comes out PACKED with flavor. Super tangy, and a little sweet, this definitely isn’t your usual old boring weeknight chicken recipe.
I hope you immediately add this to your weeknight dinner rotation and then come back here and tell me how much everyone loved it!
Ingredient and Equipment Notes
- Chicken breasts: Chicken breast size varies wildly these days, so you can use either 4 small chicken breasts (8 ounces or less) or 2 large (12+ ounces). If using large chicken breasts, in the recipe, I simply have you slice them into cutlets before cooking.
- Sweet onion: I love using a sweet onion here, but you can substitute a red or yellow onion if that’s what you have on hand.
- Canned diced tomatoes: You can substitute crushed or whole canned tomatoes if you’re out of diced. Crushed tomatoes will change the texture of the sauce but will still be delicious. To use whole canned tomatoes, pulse them a couple times in the can with an immersion blender or in your food processor or blender before adding them to the pan.
- A deep 12-inch skillet with a lid: A standard 12-inch skillet works okay for this recipe, but it gets a little full so you’ll want to watch it closely once you put the lid on to make sure everything stays at just a simmer and does not boil over. A deeper skillet gives you a little more breathing room. If you don’t own a skillet with a lid, you can also make this in a large dutch oven.
How to Make Balsamic Chicken
Slice the chicken if needed: If using 2 large chicken breasts, slice each piece of chicken into 2 cutlets by placing your hand on top of the chicken breast and running a sharp knife horizontally through the breast, slicing the top and bottom into two even pieces.
Brown the chicken: Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and brown both sides of the meat. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Cook the onions and garlic: Add butter, garlic, and onions to the pan and cook until the onions are wilted and beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. While the onions cook, be sure to use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the skillet and dislodge any cooked-on bits of fond. The fond adds flavor to the sauce, but it can burn if left sitting at the bottom of the pan.
Add the remaining ingredients: Stir everything together and bring to a simmer.
Return the chicken to the pan: Nestle the chicken breasts in the simmering liquid and cover skillet. Cook for 6 to 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken breast reads 165°F.
Cooking time is going to vary depending on how thick your chicken breasts are, so if you’re working with thicker pieces of meat, don’t worry if they’re taking a little longer to cook.
Reduce the sauce. Once the chicken is cooked through, transfer it to a clean plate or cutting board to rest and tent with foil to keep warm. Simmer the sauce uncovered until the onions are softened to your desired level of doneness and the sauce reduces to a thicker consistency, about 3 to 5 minutes. You’ll know the sauce is good to go when you run your spoon down the pan and you can briefly see the bottom without the liquid immediately covering it up.
Time to eat: Serve chicken with sauce spooned over the top alongside egg noodles or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!!
Can I use bone-in chicken breasts/thighs or boneless skinless chicken thighs?
You can, but bone-in meat will require longer cooking times, especially for chicken breasts. If the sauce becomes too thick before the meat has finished cooking, add a couple tablespoons of water back to the pan to keep the sauce from burning.
What to serve with balsamic chicken?
You can serve balsamic chicken breasts over egg noodles or with rice, but my favorite is mashed potatoes . Pair the chicken with a simple vegetable like:
- Roasted Green Beans
- Roasted Broccoli
- Roasted Zucchini
- Steamed Broccoli
- Roasted Carrots
Can I make this dish ahead of time?
You can. Make this dish up to 48 hours in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
More Easy Chicken Dinners
- Shredded BBQ Chicken
- Chicken Shawarma
- Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Chicken Francaise
Equipment
- 12-inch deep skillet with a lid
Ingredients
- ▢ 4 small or 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ▢ Salt and pepper
- ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ▢ 1 tablespoon butter salted or unsalted is fine
- ▢ 4 garlic cloves pressed or minced
- ▢ 1 sweet onion halved from root to tip and sliced into ¼-inch slices
- ▢ 2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes*
- ▢ ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ▢ 1 teaspoon granulated sugar optional
- ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ▢ 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ▢ 1 teaspoon dried, crushed rosemary
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground thyme
Instructions
- If using 2 large chicken breasts, slice each piece of chicken into 2 cutlets by placing your hand on top of the chicken breast and running a sharp knife horizontally through the breast, slicing the top and bottom into two thin, even pieces.
- Generously salt and pepper both sides of your chicken breasts.
- In a deep 12-inch skillet with a lid heat oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken breasts to the pan and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chicken and repeat with the second side.
- Remove skillet from heat, transfer chicken to a plate and set it aside.
- To the same skillet, add butter. Melt butter over medium heat and then add the garlic and onions. Use a wooden spoon to stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any cooked-on bits. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are wilted and beginning to soften.
- Add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan and nestle it in the simmering liquid. Cover skillet, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken breast reads 165°F.
- Transfer chicken breasts to a clean plate or cutting board to rest and tent with foil to keep warm. Continue to simmer the sauce uncovered until the onions are softened to your desired level of doneness and the sauce reduces to a thicker consistency, about 3 to 5 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Spoon sauce over chicken breasts and serve alongside rice, over egg noodles, or with mashed potatoes. Enjoy!!
Recipe Adapted From Dishing With Leslie (no longer available online)
Here’s how to make a quick apple pie spice mix at home.
During the fall baking season, apple pie spice is a wonderfully convenient spice blend to keep on hand.
Instead of digging a bunch of rarely-used spices out of the back of your spice drawer each time you want to make an apple dessert, you can reach for a single jar of premade apple pie spice.
But in my experience, unlike pumpkin pie spice , apple spice isn’t something a ton of people keep stocked in their kitchen. So today I’m going to show you how to mix up a batch at home.
Homemade Apple Pie Spice Substitute
And if you’re here because you’re making a recipe that calls for apple spice and don’t have any mixed up, here are the ratios for a couple different measurements you might need.
For 1 tablespoon
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground allspice ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
For 1 teaspoon
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon ⅛ lightly heaping teaspoon ground nutmeg Generous pinch ground allspice Generous pinch ground cardamom
What is apple pie spice made of?
- Ground cinnamon: Cinnamon is the base flavor for apple pie spice, so you can’t really substitute for or omit it.
- Ground nutmeg: People tend to have strong feelings about nutmeg. If you don’t like nutmeg in your apple pie, you can reduce the amount in your blend by half or omit it completely.
- Allspice: Allspice has a warming, peppery kick to it. It really boosts the flavors of the other spices, but if you don’t have any, you can omit it. You can also replace the allspice with cloves if you prefer.
- Cardamom: Cardamom has an herbal, citrusy flavor that pairs exceptionally well with apples, but again, if you don’t have any, you can omit it.
How to Make Apple Pie Spice
Mix: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and stir together until well-mixed.
Store: Store in an airtight container (recycled spice jars work GREAT for this) in a cool, dry place for up to 4 months.
Use: Use in recipes that call for apple pie spice or your favorite apple recipes when you want to spice things up a little.
Apple Recipes to Spice Up
- Dutch Apple Pie
- Small Apple Cake
- Cinnamon Apple Crumb Muffins
What is a substitute for apple pie spice?
Aside from making a homemade substitute with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom, in a pinch, you can simply substitute cinnamon for apple pie spice. The dessert won’t have the same depth or complexity of flavor, but apple pie spice is mostly cinnamon, so using cinnamon alone will get the job done.
If you have pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can also substitute it for apple pie spice because they contain similar ingredients.
What is the difference between apple pie spice in pumpkin pie spice?
Pumpkin pie spice is usually made with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice or ground cloves. Apple pie spice is typically cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom. They can be used somewhat interchangeably.
Pumpkin pie spice works well in most apple desserts, but some people might not like the citrusy herbal flavor of cardamom in pumpkin desserts, so you’ll want to really consider the flavor you’re going for before substituting apple pie spice that contains cardamom for pumpkin pie spice.
More Kitchen Staples
- Homemade Taco Seasoning
- Cinnamon Sugar
- How to Make Whipped Cream
- What to Do With Leftover Pumpkin Puree
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ▢ 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and stir together until well-mixed.
- Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 4 months.
If you’re a fan of crispy waffles, these are the best waffles in existence. They come out beautifully golden with a crispy, crunchy exterior and light and fluffy insides every time.
Today’s recipe is one I’ve gotten a TON of requests for: waffles!!
The Best Waffle Recipe (Fight Me)
If you’re a crispy waffle fan, these are the best waffles in existence. They come out beautifully golden with a crispy, crunchy exterior and light and fluffy insides every time.
They are substantial and sturdy enough to pile whatever you want on top. Soak them in syrup, strawberry sauce and whipped cream , scoops of ice cream and hot fudge sauce . However you eat these waffles, they’re going to be great.
And, as should be expected of the best waffle recipe in all the world, they’re very, very, very easy to make. You just need one bowl and a waffle maker.
How to Make Crispy Waffles
Start the waffles by combining all your dry ingredients: flour, corn starch, sugar, baking soda and powder, and salt, in a large bowl and whisking them together.
Then make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients and add all the wet ingredients: buttermilk, vegetable oil, an egg, and vanilla. This might seem like a lot of liquid, but don’t freak out! The recipe is correct, and the batter will be just fine. I promise.
Once the liquid ingredients are added, switch to a wooden spoon, and stir everything together until just combined. There will be some lumps, but that’s okay. Just make sure you don’t have any dry flour at the bottom of your bowl.
- Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes. Remember all that liquid we were just talking about? The resting time allows the batter to thicken and the gluten to relax so you get that really tender and fluffy waffle interior rather than chewy waffles. ( Here’s a good article on what’s happening while batter is resting, if you’re curious ).
If you’re serving waffles with sides, this is a great time to cut fruit, prep any meat you’re making, or make a fruit sauce.
- Once your batter is ready, preheat your waffle iron and cook the waffles according to your iron’s instructions. This recipe makes pretty exactly 2 cups of batter, so it will make 2 to 4 waffles depending on the capacity of your waffle maker.
Keep waffles warm in a 200°F oven while all the waffles cook, and then top with toppings and enjoy!
Variations
- Blueberry waffles: Stir ⅔ cup of washed and dried blueberries to the batter just before cooking.
- Chocolate chip waffles: Stir ½ cup of chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate to the batter before cooking.
- Strawberry and whipped cream waffles: Serve topped with strawberry sauce and whipped cream . (My FAVORITE way to eat waffles!)
Waffle Recipe Substitutions
This recipe uses a couple ingredients that not everyone keeps stocked in their baking cupboard. These waffles are best when made as written, but you can make the following substitutions and still end up with a pretty great waffle.
- Substituting for buttermilk: To make a buttermilk substitute , put 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice (fresh or bottled) in a 1 cup measuring cup. Fill the cup the rest of the way with milk. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to “sour,” and you’re good to go.
- Substituting for cornstarch: Corn starch is one of the ingredients that makes these waffles so crispy, so I recommend using it if possible, but in a pinch, you can replace the corn starch with the same amount of flour.
Do I have to let the batter rest?
Yes. As mentioned above, resting the batter gives it a chance thicken slightly and let the gluten in the batter relax so you get the best waffle texture possible.
How many will this recipe serve?
This recipe makes about 2 cups of batter, which depending on your waffle maker will make 2 to 4 waffles. It generously serves 2, but if serving to children/with a large breakfast, it could be stretched to serve 3 to 4.
If you would like to double the recipe, go for it. It scales up with no preparation changes needed. To change the recipe yield, hover over the serving size in the recipe card below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.
Can I freeze waffles for later?
Yes!! Extra waffles freeze extremely well, and I often double the recipe just so I have extras to freeze for later. Store cooked waffles in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months.
To eat, place frozen waffles on a baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
Troubleshooting and Tips
Batter is too thin: This batter will be a little thin-looking. This is normal, and it will thicken slightly as it rests!! If it looks like the photo of the batter above being poured onto the waffle maker, you’re good to go.
If you’re worried about it oozing out the sides of the waffle maker, make sure your iron is completely preheated before adding the batter. Ladle it on slowly, filling holes where more batter is needed, and then give it a moment to set (about 5 to 10 seconds) before closing the lid. This will help prevent batter from squeezing out the sides when you close the lid.
Waffle Maker: If you don’t own a waffle maker, this is the one I own , and I absolutely love it. I’ll be totally honest, I was little iffy when I took it out of the box, because it felt a bit cheap compared to waffle makers I’ve handled in the past, but it does such a good job cooking waffles that I don’t care. And you can stand it upright for storage, which is a nice space-saver.
More Favorite Breakfast Recipes
- Banana Pancakes
- Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
- Banana Muffins
- Cream Scones
- The BEST Banana Bread
Ingredients
- ▢ 3/4 cup ( 98 g) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1/4 cup ( 30g ) corn starch
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 12g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1 cup buttermilk
- ▢ 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- ▢ 1 large egg
- ▢ 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ Melted butter optional for serving
- ▢ Syrup optional for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, corn starch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Make a shallow well in the dry ingredients and add buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla, and stir together until just combined.
- Allow batter to sit for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200°F and set a baking sheet inside to place the waffle(s) on after cooking to keep warm while you cook the rest of the batter.*
- Preheat waffle iron and cook batter according to your iron’s instructions*, typically 4 to 6 minutes per waffle, until waffle is nicely golden and has mostly stopped releasing steam. Waffle may not initially seem crispy to the touch, but will crisp up out of the waffle maker.
- Top with melted butter and syrup if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe slightly adapted from The Waffle of Insane Greatness
The Very Best Crispy Waffles
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup ( 98 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup ( 30g ) corn starch
- 1 tablespoon ( 12g ) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Melted butter optional for serving
- Syrup optional for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, corn starch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Make a shallow well in the dry ingredients and add buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla, and stir together until just combined.
- Allow batter to sit for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200°F and set a baking sheet inside to place the waffle(s) on after cooking to keep warm while you cook the rest of the batter.*
- Preheat waffle iron and cook batter according to your iron’s instructions*, typically 4 to 6 minutes per waffle, until waffle is nicely golden and has mostly stopped releasing steam. Waffle may not initially seem crispy to the touch, but will crisp up out of the waffle maker.
- Top with melted butter and syrup if desired, and enjoy!
