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Oh, waffles. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
1. I love all your nooks and crannies, perfect for cradling fruit and syrup and whipped cream.
2. I love that I can whip up a batch and freeze them for a speedy breakfast (or lunch or dinner or snack).
3. I love it when you’re crisp on the outside yet still light and tender inside.
Light, crisp waffles are my favorite kind of waffle. I love to hear that telltale crunch when I take a bite of one and it’s still crisp after I’ve drowned it in maple syrup or berries and whipped cream or if I’m feeling crazy, all three.
How to Make Crisp Waffles
There are three things you need to make crisp waffles at home — cake flour,vegetable oil and whipped egg whites.
Cake flour is all purpose flour with cornstarch added. It creates waffles that are crisp on the outside, tender inside. Using vegetable oil instead of melted butter – once my go-to for homemade waffle batter – makes your waffles light and airy, not dense. Folding whipped egg whites into the batter also keeps the waffles light and fluffy.
Want waffles for breakfast tomorrow morning? You can make your batter the night before and keep it covered in the fridge overnight. For an easy breakfast on busy school mornings, place waffles on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze. Once they’re frozen, place the waffles in a plastic resealable freezer bag. Use a straw to suck out excess air and seal the bag tightly. When you’re ready to nosh, pop a waffle in a toaster (if your toaster’s wide enough to accommodate a waffle) or in a toaster oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until warm and crisp, about 10-15 minutes and you’re ready, set, waffle!
TIPS:
Cake flour, a mix of all purpose flour and cornstarch, gives these waffles their crispness.
Be sure to whip your egg whites to stiff peaks. This will keep your waffles nice and light.
Cook waffles until they’re golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes.
TOOLS:
Medium Bowl
Whisk
Waffle Maker
The tools section may contain affiliate links to products we know and love.
TECHNIQUES:
Whipping Egg Whites
Light & Crisp Waffles
August 30, 2016
Ingredients
- 2 cups cake flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, separated
Instructions
- Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions. Place a baking sheet in oven and preheat oven to 200F or warm.
- Whisk cake flour, 1 tablespoon sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Whisk in milk, vegetable oil, vanilla and egg yolks.
- Place egg whites in a separate medium bowl and whip to soft peaks. Add 1 tablespoon sugar to whites and continue whipping to stiff peaks.
- Fold whites into batter until no lumps or streaks remain.
- Spray waffle iron with nonstick spray. Add batter to waffle iron, according to manufacturer's directions, and cook until waffles are golden brown and crisp. Remove waffles from iron and place on baking sheet in oven. Repeat until all batter is cooked.
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FAQs
Add 1 tablespoon sugar to whites and continue whipping to stiff peaks. Fold whites into batter until no lumps or streaks remain. Spray waffle iron with nonstick spray. Add batter to waffle iron, according to manufacturer's directions, and cook until waffles are golden brown and crisp.
What is the secret to making crispy waffles? ›
7 Life Saving Tips to Make Crispy Waffles
- Bring the Eggs to Room Temperature.
- Grease the Waffle Iron With Cooking Spray.
- Melt the Butter.
- Add a Tint of Liquor to Your Baking.
- Use Buttermilk.
- Ran Out of Buttermilk? Try an Alternative.
- Bake Them in the Oven for That Crisp Finish.
As you are cooking, simply transfer each finished waffle from your waffle maker to the wire rack. That's it! The low temperature of the oven will keep the waffles warm and crispy without burning them and the the elevation of the rack in the baking sheet helps keep away sogginess.
How to make waffles crispy again? ›
Reheat in a 350F oven (or toaster oven) for 5-10 minutes, until warmed through. If reheating straight from frozen, you will need to add an extra 5 minutes. It is also possible you can pop them into the toaster, depending on how thick your waffles are.
What should you do to ensure that waffles are crisp and do not stick? ›
Use a non-stick spray preferably made with canola oil to handle the high temperatures. Butter and olive oil have too low of a smoke point and will scorch after the waffle is removed. Spray the griddle plates after they are warm and right before you add the batter.
Is it better to make waffles with oil or butter? ›
Butter has a relatively high water content, and vegetable oil or rapeseed oil actually give your waffles a better crisp crust due to their lower water contents, allowing the batter to brown more easily and evenly. Additionally, butter is more prone to burning, since it has a lower smoke point and contains milk solids.
What type of flour is best for waffles? ›
On the flip side, waffles aren't as flaky-delicate as baked goods, making pastry flour too fine for the job. Good old AP, or all-purpose, flour is where it's at. If you want to sprinkle in a tablespoon or two of buckwheat or rye flour for added nutty heft, go for it.
Why won't my waffles get crispy? ›
Make Sure Your Waffle Iron Is Hot
You should actually hear the batter sizzle on contact. The outer crust will immediately begin to set and crisp. Moisture in the batter quickly turns to steam and evaporates out the sides of the pan. If the iron isn't hot, none of this happens and the waffles will be soggy and squishy.
Should you let waffle batter rest? ›
Recommended overnight or 2 hr resting – for the tastiest waffles, rest the batter overnight in the fridge or for at least 2 hours. This makes the flour grains absorb the liquid so it makes the inside of the waffles softer.
Why do my waffles turn out like pancakes? ›
Consistency has to do with how thick the batter is. Waffle batter is thick, and pancake batter is thin.
- Preheat oven to 425 °F.
- Place frozen waffles flat on baking sheet and heat in the oven for about 3 minutes.
- Flip waffles and heat for an additional 3 minutes or until crispy and hot.
Mix the batter gently
Some lumps are fine and will cook out. If your recipe calls for whipped egg whites, carefully fold them into the batter in three or four batches. Don't overmix. Overmixing your waffle batter can leave you with tough, chewy or hard waffles instead of crisp waffles with tender insides.
What is the secret to making good waffles? ›
Here are some tips:
- Strike while the iron's hot. If your waffles come out pale and soft, it could be because the appliance isn't hot enough. ...
- Whip your whites. ...
- Opt for oil instead of butter. ...
- Try a yeasted-waffle recipe. ...
- Add cornstarch. ...
- Finish them in the oven.
Nonstick waffle makers should only need a light coating of cooking oil before the first time they're used for the day (not before each waffle is made). It's better to use cooking oil either in a refillable spray bottle like a Misto or to brush it on with a pastry brush.
How to keep waffles crispy on Reddit? ›
Increase volume of oil in batter and/or brushed on the waffle iron. If there is a low amount of fat, you're essentially boiling and not frying the waffles making them crispy. Don't increase by a tablespoon but by a significant amount, like a quarter cup for a full batch of batter.
Why are Belgian waffles so crispy? ›
Texture – In Belgian waffles, the eggs are separated. The yolks are whisked together with the other wet ingredients, while the whites are whipped to stiff peaks and then folded into the batter at the end. This creates a texture that is crisp on the outside and light and tender on the inside.
How important is baking soda in waffles? ›
Pancakes and waffles typically both contain baking soda, which causes them to rise. As soon as the baking soda is combined with the wet ingredients (which contain an acidic ingredient, like often buttermilk), it starts producing carbon dioxide gas bubbles that cause the batter to rise.
Why add egg to waffle mix? ›
By whipping extra air into the egg whites, you can create a light and delicate foam that carries that air into the waffle batter. When the batter is light and airy, so are the waffles.
