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What’s for breakfast this weekend? How about some yummy, healthy, easy-to-make, homemade whole wheat waffles!
You do need a waffle iron for this recipe, but I definitely think it is worth the $25-30 investment for a low priced model. I'm still using my parents’ old waffle iron, which has to be at least 20 years old. It is incredibly basic and always does the trick whenever we are in the mood for some homemade waffles.
I made this exact recipe the other morning and lost count at how many my kids ate. I love that they can eat something so wholesome and still enjoy it. I did make sure they ate plenty of fruit before giving them their second and third helpings though.
If you aren't sure what your kids will think of this for breakfast try adding a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream on top! And don't forget to freeze the leftovers.
What goes into this recipe for whole wheat waffles?
If you haven’t already noticed from my other posts, I love making real food swaps in recipes to make them healthier. That’s why this waffle recipe uses whole wheat flour, honey (instead of sugar), and real butter!
What I really love is how easy this waffle recipe is, especially since you can use any kind of milk you have on hand. The rest of the ingredients: eggs, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder, are all things you probably have on hand as well!
What’s the best whole wheat flour for this homemade waffle recipe?
I especially love this recipe with whole wheat pastry flour, but you can substitute regular whole wheat flour (or white whole wheat flour) if that's all you have. We often use King Arthur brand, but any whole wheat flour will work fine in this recipe.
How to make fluffier waffles
There’s an easy trick to getting extra fluffy waffles. Instead of adding the eggs whole, separate the whites from the yolks. Add just the egg yolks with the other liquids and leave the whites aside.
Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, then gently fold the whites into your whole wheat waffle batter. The whipped egg whites add air into the recipe, which means extra fluffy waffles!
Waffle cooking tips
I’ve had plenty of time to perfect waffle making after making countless batches of this recipe for the kids, so here are my best tips:
- Let the batter rest for a few minutes before cooking.
- Make sure your waffle iron is hot at the start and between batches.
- Instead of a ladle, you can also use a measuring cup to scoop the batter. You may need to experiment with different sizes, depending on the size of your waffle iron.
- Don’t overfill the waffle iron. Remember your batter will expand!
- You may need to spread the batter out in your waffle iron, especially if it's one of those novelty shaped waffle makers.
- Keep your waffle iron well greased, adding more butter between waffles as needed.
- If you have kids, consider grabbing a second waffle iron or one that cooks more than one waffle at a time.
- Waffles can be removed with something made of wood or silicone (wooden chopsticks work!). Metal tools can scratch your waffle maker. If I use metal silverware, I make sure it only touches the waffle and not the machine.
Healthy topping ideas for whole wheat waffles
We always top our waffles (and pancakes) with real food. For classic waffles, real maple syrup tastes delicious! Other yummy, sweet toppings that we’ve enjoyed are berries, peaches, homemade jam, and no-sugar-added whipped cream.
For savory whole wheat waffle toppings, try Greek yogurt, butter, or natural peanut butter. Another idea is to fry an egg over easy and place it on top. (Bonus protein for a more filling breakfast!)
Other Breakfast Recipes You Might Enjoy:
Whole Wheat Waffles
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¾ cups milk (I have used everything from skim milk to thick buttermilk…so whatever you have on hand should work)
- ¼ cup butter (melted)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- pure maple syrup (warmed, for serving)
- fruit (for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat your waffle iron.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, butter, honey, cinnamon, and baking soda until well combined.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk together just until the large lumps disappear.
- When the waffle iron is hot, dab it with a little butter and then ladle some batter onto the center of the iron. Follow the instructions that came with your waffle maker to know how long it should be cooked (mine takes about 3 - 4 minutes each).
- Keep waffles warm until you finish cooking all of them. Top with pure maple syrup and fruit. Enjoy!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Amy. How about maple syrup? Enjoy. ~Amy
Amy says
Could you please recommend a good substitute for honey in this recipe? I would like to make them for my 9 month old son. Thank you!
Kelly says
I have made these several times and they are always wonderful, but yesterday I swapped the oil with organic pumpkin puree and my kids went gaga for them. I also added some nutmeg and vanilla to make more of a pumpkin spice waffle. So good. Love the website, thanks.
Erin says
Sorry...mashed bananas...
Erin says
Have you tried this with mashed banks like your pancakes? Will it work with waffle iron.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Erin. I have not tried adding mashed bananas to this recipe, but, you could certainly try it. Hope you enjoy it. Jill
Buffy says
Just made these and my picky 6 year old loves them! Wow, I will be trying more "real foods"
Thanks.
Meghan says
Just curious....have you ever substituted applesauce for oil in this recipe? I've done it in cakes before, but never waffles/pancakes. I want to try it, but don't want to ruin/waste a batch!
Mona says
I have actually substituted pureed sweet potatoes, squash and pureed spinach for the oil. They look a little green, but they're tasty and nutritious.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
No, Meghan, I have not done that substitute. Jill
Shana Mueller says
Do you have any idea on the calories or the carb on these? like let's say you make 3 or 4 on a small waffle maker? I want to start counting calories more seriously and these are super filling and I am not hungry after I eat them.
Some gauge on carbs and calories would be good.
Shana
Stacy says
I do weight watchers so don't know the cals but it has 5 fat, 20 carbs, 4 protein, and 2 fiber if you use pumpkin in place of the oil (which is how I make it). Hope that helps!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Shana. No, I'm sorry we don't. You may want to look at this post for a little more information...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/04/29/mini-pledge-week-8-stop-eating-when-you-feel-full/. Jill
Brittney says
Can applesauce be used to replace the oil?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Brittney. I have not tried it, but, you could certainly give it a try. Jill
Dawn says
This recipe looks awesome but we are gluten free. Have you ever tried a substitute for the flour?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Dawn. I have not tried to substitute anything for this recipe. My husband is actually gluten free and I often substitute gluten free oats for the flour (I grind them up in my blender). That might work for this one as well, but, again, I have not tried it. Jill
HeatherB says
Made this in my 13 year old Belgian Waffle maker and they are AWESOME! A hit with everyone in the house.
Bobbie says
I made these but maybe I am a rookie. The coconut oil doesn't mix well. It is lumpy. Am I suppose to heat it first?
Laura J says
Yes - it will remain solid below 74F, so it's easier to melt it first.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Bobbie. Yes, the coconut oil should be in liquid form when using it. Jill
Dona says
I did the same thing, Bobbie. :)
Ally Roscoe says
Two questions - can these be reheated in the toaster? AND could I combine all the dry ingredients, keep it in a container in the cupboard and just add the liquids right before coking?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Ally. Yes, I reheat mine in the toaster oven. I don't see why you can't mix the dry ingredients...anything to save time!!! Jill
Tonya Mae says
I got a waffle iron for Christmas. Made these today. They are so good! I will definitely be making these again soon. This will be my go to recipe for waffles. :-) Thank you!
Emily Monahan says
Just found you!! Made these waffles and not only were they a hit at home, my sister tried them in passing and messaged me this morning that she coming over to steal the ones I have in the freezer. Thank you so much!!!
Sandra says
Made these this morning and had to comment. These arewonderful!! I have tried many while wheat waffle recipes, and this was by far the best! Filling, but not heavy and have great flavor. THANK YOU for my new go to recipe and everything else you do.
Amy says
My kids eat waffles every day. I usually get organic frozen blueberry for my daughter and make gluten free with gluten free bisquick for my son. I'd love to make all homemade (without the bisquick). Would these work well with a gluten free type of flour? What's the healthiest type of gluten free flour to use? Would I need to adjust the recipe for gluten free flour?
Thanks so much!!!!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Amy. Instead of substituting the gluten free all purpose flour in these waffles, I might suggest finding a healthier gluten free recipe. The gluten free all purpose flour is usually a combination of some flours that are processed. I have had pretty good success with using almond flour for gluten free recipes. You might want to check out Elana's Panrty (www.elanaspantry.com). Deliciously Organic also has a lot of gluten free recipes that are great...I would suggest checking them out as well (www.deliciouslyorganic.net). Jill
Amy says
Thank you so much!!! I will check those out!!
Kari says
Have you ever used Spelt flour instead of the whole wheat flour? I am wondering what the ratio is.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Kari. Yes, I've used spelt instead of whole wheat before. I have subbed it 1:1 and it's been fine, although I'm not sure if that's the correct ratio or not. But, it's worked for me with no problem. Jill
Sara says
Does this work okay with regular whole wheat flour?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Sara. I haven't tried it, I've only used the white whole wheat flour. I don't see why it wouldn't work though. Jill
Courtney says
I use the regular whole wheat flour and they're great!
curious says
Can this recipe be used for pancakes too?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Curious. There is actually a separate pancake recipe (https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/04/21/recipe-whole-wheat-banana-pancakes-freeze-the-leftovers/). Jill
Erin says
I came across your site a few weeks ago from something someone liked on facebook and I started checking it out and am going crazy over your site getting recipes and ideas! So far I have made your granola, blueberry muffins, trail mix bars, raspberry applesauce and still have more to try. I just like all the info your posting and have started back at the beginning to read all that you've been writing! Anyways, sorry that was long, but I did want to ask, I just made your whole wheat waffles recipe and my batter was really runny. I had just made some muffin batter in my kitchen aid and so I mixed this in there as well. Would it be because I wasn't whisking it and it got mixed too much? Would that make a big difference? I kept checking the recipe to make sure I read the amount of flour right. I ended up making them into pancakes (and threw in some frozen blueberries, kids loved it) and that worked fine but I'm just curious to know what I may have done wrong to have such a runny batter?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Erin. I always mix it by hand with a whisk, so, that may have had something to do with it. You may try it that way next time. Jill
Chris says
Wow - what a great recipe! Perfect for a blustery fall morning. I've never used cinnamon in a waffle recipe before - this added a lot to the flavor. I used unsweetened almond milk and grapeseed oil and they turned out great. Entered the recipe into MyFitnessPal and got ~278 calories for 1 large belgian waffle, fwiw.
Bless Stennis says
Hi! I just wondered how many calories are in each waffle? I'm making a batch this weekend and freezing them to use during the week! Was interested in the nutritional info! Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Bless. Sorry, but, we don't track that info. You can probably calculate it using one of the calorie trackers that can be found online. Jill
Amy says
Has anyone had success with adding pumpkin? Really love this recipe but really wanting to add the pumpkin and make a huge batch to freeze.
Melanie says
Ok, so i added canned pumpkin puree. They were very soggy :( im not much of a non recipe following baker.)
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Melanie. Sorry they didn't work out. If you are going to add that, I might suggest cutting down on some other liquid in the recipe to balance it out (I would do the milk). Jill
Kelly says
Using 1/3 cup of batter for each waffle, I was able to make 9 waffles. I thought this might help others determine how much the recipe would yield.
Michelle says
I tried the waffles this morning with my 3 & 5 year old. We ALL loved them! They were easy and turned out fluffy and delicious!
lisa says
I am new to real foods and gave this one a try this morning..IT WAS DELICIOUS! Even my son and hubby (hubby is the pickiest eater EVER...anything that looks healthy he wants nothing to do with normally) devoured it. Made the recipe just as it's written! WONDERFUL! We used 100% pure, organic maple syrup and if you dip your bite in it instead of pouring it over you waffles, you only need 1/4 cup (a little less, actually) for 2 waffles! LOVE this recipe! Delicious, inexpensive & nutritious...It's def a keeper!
Eden says
These are the BEST whole wheat waffles we have tried (and we've tried some pretty good ones :). Thank you so much for this wonderful, simple recipe!
Taylor says
Is this recipe you use for the lunch waffles? Thanks :)
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Taylor...yes, same thing. I usually pack the leftovers the next day. Jill
LNUNES says
I stole a trick from my mom's "old" white flour waffle recipe from when I was a kid. I separated out the egg whites, added 1 more egg white, then beat the whites to stiff. I fold these in after the rest of the dry and wet ingredients are mixed. Seems to make the waffle lighter and fluffier which helps combat the "heaviness" of the wheat flour that my kids are STILL getting used to.
Thanks for so many recipes and great inspiration Lisa!
erika says
Made these this am and they were a hit with the whole family! I tripled the recipe so we could freeze for breakfast during the week. The only thing I changed was using a little white flour in place of some of the whole wheat flour (2/3 WW, 1/3 white). I'm trying to ease the family into more whole wheat.
Chelsee says
These waffles were fantastic!! I usually don't make waffles too much because they come out dense and soft on the outside, but these had a very nice crunch and were light and fluffy. This is now my go to recipe. Thanks!
Christina says
For the whole wheat waffles, can I make the batter the night before and put in the fridge till morning? Just trying to get a few more minutes of sleep :)
Courtney says
yes! I do it all the time.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Christina. I haven't done that, but, I don't see why it wouldn't work. I think you will probably just have to add a little more milk in the morning to thin it back out. Jill
Melanie says
Mine did too. Lol i microwaved it to get it warm again. My question was if i want to make them pumpkin waffles, howdo i incorporate it? :) thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Melanie. You could probably just add some pumpkin puree. It's thick enough that I don't think it would affect the consistency. Let us know how it goes. Jill
Lacy says
I'm new to this blog, and to eating real food! My family and I have been at it for one week and see no turning back. :D. My question is concerning coconut oil. My first timeusing it today on these waffles. It turned chunky! And it was really thick! What's the secret?? Thanks! :-)
Courtney says
Here's what I do, when that happens with butter- I melt it. I mix all wet and dry ingredients together first, then add the butter (or oil) last, and that keeps it from seizing. Hope that helps!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Lacy. Try mixing all of the ingredients first and then add the coconut oil last. It turns to a solid at room temperature so when it's added with all of the other ingredients, it tends to turn back to the solid state. Jill
Melanie says
My son loves these and so do I. I wish i could post the pic of his big toothy grin after he was done! He giggled while eating them so i *know* he loved them!!
Portia B. says
I just made these this morning for my daughters 1st birthday breakfast and they are delicious!! We picked fresh blueberries from our bushes and made a little whipped cream and of course topped them with fresh maple syrup! Great recipe, my family gobbled them all up. THANK YOU!
Melissa says
Just made these for the first time and they were a HUGE hit! Thanks for the great recipe.
P.S - I just found your site a couple of weeks ago and I love it - lots of great info and recipes:)
Julie Quinn says
Thanks for your blog. We haven't made a complete change over, but we are working in baby steps. I have all of these ingredients except for honey and wanted to make these for dinner tonight. Any suggestions for a honey substitute?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Julie. You can always try subbing maple syrup. Jill