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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!
Gretchen Harmon says
Premixed the ingredients and everything came out PERFECTLY! Joshua (the hubby) asked if I was making pumpkin waffles. I told him no (apparently he doesn't like pumpkin waffles, which just makes me want to try a recipe he'll end up liking for pumpkin waffles :) and to just trust me. Yep, BIG hit. Everyone loves them!
Erik at Just Enjoy Travel says
Thanks for this recipe! The Mrs. and I will have to try this.
Heather says
A friend sent me a link to this site because we recently switched our family over to "fresh food"-mainly because we found out our son is allergic to egg, milk, wheat, nuts, etc. Any advice/tips on making these recipes "gluten" free???
100 Days of Real Food says
If you substitute a different flour it would change the recipe so I am not sure how it would turn out. For gluten free ideas check out Deliciously Organic, The Fresh 20 (http://www.thefresh20.com/dap/a/?a=2928&p=www.thefresh20.com/lunch-plan-100-days) or Elana's Pantry. Good luck!
Teri says
I can't wait to try this recipe. I usually throw a little oatmeal into my waffles and pancake's along with apples and cinnamon. Or even with blueberries. The kids (and hubby) never know I added them!
Kristin says
Looks yummy! I just use the recipe from the basic better homes and garden cookbook and substitute white whole wheat flour. Though, I am looking forward to making my first batch with coconut. Thanks for all the tips. In regards to the waffle texture, I highly recommend whipping the egg whites to stiff peaks then folding them into the rest of the ingredients (mix ingredients first). Also, when heating frozen waffles, toasting them is the best way to keep them crisp, wide slot toaster, toaster oven, etc. In regards to flax, I sometimes add 1 tbs flax meal. (It is easier for your body to absorb the nutrition in ground flax then seeds)
Kathleen says
I made these today for my family (with added blueberries) and they were wonderful! Thank you for sharing another great recipe! :)
Robin says
I made these this morning and they were great! I love the cinnamon - I could eat them as a handheld snack without any syrup because of their wonderful flavor. I subbed the oil with some applesauce and used almond milk. My first waffle came out a little soggy, but after adjusting my waffle maker's temperature, they were fine. I kept them warm in the oven by placing them on a cooling rack that was on a sheet tray. This kept the waffles from "steaming" while in the oven. Definitely keeping this recipe!
Gretchen Harmon says
Made these yesterday morning for the first time and again this morning (the recipe makes a HUGE batch for our family although we'll probably eat an entire batch on a Saturday morning when my husband is home too (there are six of us, although the youngest doesn't eat solids just yet). We used applesauce instead of oil, and they turned out WONDERFUL (obviously, we ate them two mornings in a row and I can't WAIT to use this as sandwich bread too). I pinned it on pinterest and NO JOKE, it's been repinned a dozen times over. I've also decided to have batches pre-made (just the dry ingredients) so Saturday mornings I can whip these up right quick. Only question/concern I have is: Seeing as all the dry ingredients will be pre-mixed, is it going to mess up the recipe? (Seeing as you mix the baking soda with the wet ingredients before adding the dry.)
Also, I had NO problem making these crisp. Sometimes they came out a little soft if I took them out as soon as the light turned green, but our waffle iron has five settings (1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest). I set mine to four and have crisp waffles. Have to make sure you heat up the waffle iron to the crispy setting first. I discovered I wasn't quite at 4 and turned it while a waffle was cooking; fried it. So if your iron has settings, just put it on a crispier setting while it's heating up and you should have crispy on the outside, soft on the inside no problem!
100 Days of Real Food says
So glad the recipe worked out for you...and I don't have experience premixing the dry ingredients like that, but can't imagine there being a problem. Good luck!
Heather says
These are wonderful, and the kids gobble them up. I make a batch during the week to freeze for breakfasts, and the kids snack on them as they come off the waffle maker. I did have to make one change, which was to use water instead of the milk. Our 3 kids can't have cows milk, one can't have soy, two can't have almond, and one won't eat anything with rice milk.....so water it is. I do find I need to add a bit more honey also to get the taste perfect, maybe because the milk isn't there to sweeten it up at all.
100 Days of Real Food says
I'm glad it still worked for you...coconut milk might be an option next time (if the kids can have it)!
Mary says
Made these this morning... They were delicious! Freezing the rest so that I can make a waffle sandwich with cream cheese, cinnamon, and raisins next week.
Rebecca says
Yum! These turned out great! I used regular whole wheat flour and it turned out fine. The only problem I had was with the coconut oil--I should have used a liquid oil. It's cold here today so I melted the coconut oil to measure it and as soon as I added it to the other liquids it solidified again into little clumps. Oops. :)
100 Days of Real Food says
You are not alone with this issue! Some things you can do are have all the other ingredients at room temp or just add the coconut oil last while whisking thoroughly (which usually helps).
Jennie says
Unsweetened whipped cream, really? I'm imagining that's an acquired taste. Last time I tasted unsweetened whipped cream I did NOT like it.
I will try this recipe, though!
100 Days of Real Food says
You could add a little maple syrup to it if you'd like.
Amy @ A Little Nosh says
Made these this morning with my son and he loved them. We topped them with bananas and syrup for him, honey for me (I also sprinkled some chia seeds in there just for some added crunch and fiber). I used buttermilk powder mixed with water and it worked great. I also used the coconut oil and was nervous that it wouldn't work out since it was a little clumpy from being cold (next time I'll use room temp milk and eggs) but they were great. Thanks!
Shawn says
I've been making whole wheat waffles for my family several years now. My oldest son has nut and egg allergies so baked goods are usually off limits. However, I discovered you can add a half of a banana for every egg in a recipe. It works great for the waffles and he can now enjoy with the rest of the family. The taste is there so only do this in recipes that would make sense for a banana to be present!
Anyway, thought I would mention for those who can't eat eggs or may be out of them and need a replacement.
Maria says
Have you tried soaked whole wheat waffles? The night before I mix up my waffles with everything but the baking powder (or what ever leavening you are using) and eggs. The next morning I mix in the baking powder and eggs and cook them as usual. It is the easiest soaked wheat recipe I have.
100 Days of Real Food says
I have not tried that...interesting!
Tracey says
Another hit with my family! I just made a batch of these gems and my kids gobbled them up. I also made your berry sauce (with organic frozen blueberries) and I served it on the side and the kids dipped their waffles right in. I hoped to freeze up a bunch, but after the kids dove in I hardly have any left! Next I will try the whole wheat bread....although I'll make an oven version since I don't have a bread maker!
Thanks for another great recipe! SO GOOD!
Mariana says
I have been making these waffles for my family for a while now and we love them! After my sister added chocolate chip to her waffles one time I had the idea to make them in small cookie shapes on the waffle iron and serve them as Chocolate Chip Waffle cookies.
Sue says
This might be a stupid question, but I love waffles and I am new to this non-processed way of life. I was so excited when I saw this recipe! I went out and got coconut oil, got home, opened the jar (was not see through) and it was solid!!! I googled it and said it is liquid at room temperature (76 degrees). Who's house is 76 degrees-I live in MN, my house is 65 at best! Do I heat it up to make it a liquid so it mixes well with the batter? Otherwise it just clumps to the bottom, and obviously you can't keep this batter in your fridge? I am used to making waffle batter and keeping it in the fridge for up to a week.
100 Days of Real Food says
Not a stupid question at all! I just recently used coconut oil for the first time myself and since my husband is stingy with the a/c it actually was a liquid in our house during the summer :) If it is solid though you can heat it to easily measure the oil out for recipes. It can go back and forth between cold/hot numerous times with no issues. Also, if it becomes solid when it hits the cold eggs, milk, etc. in the recipe you can try to have everything at room temp first. I never plan that far ahead and just make it with little coconut oil chunks and everything seems to be fine!
Meg says
When I am adding melted butter or coconut oil to something cold I pour it in a thin stream and whisk at the same time. This keeps it from hardening into one big clump and you don't have to wait for ingredients to get to be room temperature.
Jennifer Hogue says
I made these this morning and they turned out soggy - even after trying to 'fix' in the toaster. The only thing I did differently was omit the oil and use unsweetened organic applesauce. The kids ate them and they were good, just not the 'crispier' texture we are used to. Any suggestions? Thanks.
100 Days of Real Food says
These are a softer waffle (not crisp by any means), but I would by no means describe them as soggy. I've never tried it without using the oil though so I imagine that could make a big a difference.
Andrea says
My son wanted waffles this morning and we didn't have any more of the store-bought so we made these...I'm so proud of myself for not making him have cereal instead haha :) He is 3 and loves helping me bake!
jennifer says
Most of your recipes call for honey. I have a 6mo daughter. Babies cannot have honey (even cooked) until at least 1 year. Do you have a recommendation for a substitute?
100 Days of Real Food says
Maple syrup would work great! Or in this recipe where it calls for such a small amount you could just leave it out.
jennifer says
Most of your recipes call for honey. I have a 6mo daughter. Babies under 1 cannot have honey (even cooked) until at least a year. Do you have a recommendation for a substitute?
vitina hamilton says
Some in my family are allergic to eggs- is there something I can substitute?
100 Days of Real Food says
What do you normally use as an egg substitution?
jessica gilbert says
I made these last night, put them in the freezer, then popped them in the toster this morning. SOOOOO GOOD!!I timed myself last night too. 28 min from start to clean up!
Lori says
I just made a double batch of these so I can freeze them and I couldn't resist having one for lunch. They were so yummy! I added some ground flax meal to up the nutrient value. I know my kids will love these, and I will love knowing they are eating something healthy before school. These were super easy to put together and by doubling the batch, I got 18 beautiful waffles. I may try to add some pureed pumpkin to these next time since I often make pumpkin waffles on the weekends. Thanks!
Natasha says
Hi:
How do you feel about agave sweetener? Thanks
100 Days of Real Food says
It is a little too refined for our taste. Also there seems to be a lot of different ways it is processed (sometimes it's raw, sometimes it's not) so it seems harder to know what you are really getting. I've read a lot of mixed info about it so I like to stick to the sweeteners that are less of a mystery, which include honey and maple syrup!
Hazel says
Does the recipe call for 1 and 3/4 cup of milk or 3/4 cup of milk? When I made these they were so runny. Also, how do you keep the coconut oil from clumping. Thanks!
100 Days of Real Food says
It calls for 1 and 3/4 cup milk. The batter is a little runny, but it puffs up in the waffle iron. If you don't want the coconut oil to clump the other ingredients need to be at room temperature.
Anne-Marie A says
i tried this recipe tonight and added the coconut oil (i heated it a bit to try and get it melted which turned out disasterous. as soon as the liqued coconut oil hit the milk it instandly clumped... anyone have any tips on how to do better next time? i'm trying to make them lumps and all hoping that the oil will melt on the waffle iron heat but not sure it's going to work.
Lisa says
I use coconut oil cooking spray - it's my FAVE!!!!
Vickie says
Made these this morning...with fresh strawberries...delicious!!!
mom2lo says
Oh wow! I made these this morning and they were great! I added 1/2 mashed banana and a tsp of agave (making baby steps... my family and I have been sugar-dependent for far too long) and loved them! Thank you!!!
Amanda Z says
Did you do a post on what fresh ingredients should be kept in the freezer/fridge? I had NO IDEA whole wheat flour should be kept in the fridge and I'm sure there's much more that I don't know! Thanks!
100 Days of Real Food says
I've done posts showing what's in my freezer, fridge, and pantry! Here's the link: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-resources/#kitchen
beth g says
These were great. I used almond milk and they were moist and tasty. My husband liked them also. He put bananas on top went back for seconds. I guess tonite I will make another batch and freeze them for breakfast.
Again thanks for this great website.
Jaime says
We had these today for breakfast. I added some blueberries and pecans and they were really, really good! Thanks!
100 Days of Real Food says
So glad to hear that...thanks for leaving a review!
Lisa says
This recipe looks wonderful - I can't wait to try it! Is there a "pure" type of cooking spray that you recommend?
100 Days of Real Food says
Olive oil is probably the best bet out there...or make your own with a little spray bottle. They sell them at kitchen stores specifically for spraying oil.
Megan says
Would you need to have a special spray bottle or could I buy a cheap spray bottle and have it work just as well?
100 Days of Real Food says
I have a special spray bottle (that you pump) for the olive oil, but I've heard of people using regular spray bottles too...although I've never tried it myself.
Nicole says
I used this recipe this weekend to make waffles for the family, but they were very dry and crumbly. They tasted wonderful, but didn't stay together very well. Any suggestions?
Lisa says
I am sorry to hear that. What type of milk did you use? And are you sure your flour and baking powder/soda weren't outdated? Whole-wheat flour needs to be kept in the fridge or freezer to stay fresh. Also, have you used your waffle iron successfully with other recipes? I hope to figure out the problem!
Nicole says
Problem solved...I didn't realize you used whole wheat white flour; I used 100% whole wheat flour and it was older. I bought a new bag of whole wheat flour and refrigerated it. Purchased some new baking powder and it turned out wonderfully! I used almond milk in place of cow's milk and it worked just as well and it added a nice nutty flavor. What made it even better was a recipe for homemade warm blueberry sauce that we topped the waffles with!
Lisa says
So glad to hear that was a quick fix for you! I will have to do a post soon on using fresh ingredients and what needs to be kept in freezer/fridge...
M McKinley says
Sounds great! I'm curious...have you ever frozen these for convenience on another day, and if so, do you defrost in fridge and nuke them, or what? I'm just thinking of school morning breakfasts...
Lisa says
Yes I definitely have! And same goes for my pancake recipe too: http://thefoodillusion.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/recipe-whole-wheat-banana-pancakes-freeze-the-leftovers/
Freeze them in-between layers of wax paper and then just pull them out one by one and nuke them. We will definitely be doing the same thing when school starts here too!
Laura says
Leftover frozen waffles are even better when reheated in the toaster :)
Sage Scott says
I make big batches of pancakes and waffles on the weekends and then freeze them for the hectic work/school week. The kids grab them out of the freezer and heat them up by popping them in the toaster. Much crispier than the microwave!
Melonie says
Sounds like a great recipe. I'll try it this weekend with a little ground flaxseed and wheat germ mixed in. Yum!
maggie sanders says
I love pecans in my waffle too and you can add a little flax seed...
Kristin says
I don't think you're supposed to cook flax seeds.
Lisa says
You can cook flax seeds...we add it to our granola cereal recipe, but we do grind them up first.
Kristin says
I used to cook them too, but then I learned that cooking them reduces the nutrients. I've been taught to add them to foods after they have already been cooked in order to maximize the nutrients. ie: mix them into oatmeal or yogurt.
Lisa says
Oh, interesting. I will have to look into that a little further...thanks for bringing it up!
B-L says
To make more healthy have you thought of mixing fruit in or apple sauce? God way to know your kids are eating some fruit.
Lisa says
I have not done that with this recipe yet...but it is a great idea!