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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!
Karen says
These are excellent! None of my kids could tell they were whole wheat. (My son is 17, skeptical of this and very acclimated to processed food.)
One note, if you use coconut oil, you need to warm the milk or the oil solidifies and then you have to warm it carefully so as not to cook the eggs. I've made this mistake twice and finally wrote it on the recipe.
Thanks for trying all these recipes out on your picky kids first!
:)
Laura says
These are officially my go to whole wheat waffles! I have made these so many times and I love them. I take the leftover and freeze them and during the week just heat them in the toaster and they are great! THanks so much Lisa, fantastic!
Laci says
What are some alternatives to coconut oil?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Laci. You could use butter instead. Jill
susan says
I add a cup of rolled oats into my recipe that calls for 4 cups of flour. It tastes really great and just another option!
Jodie says
I haven't read all the responses, so I don't know if this has ever been asked, but I am wondering what kind of baking powder you use. I use aluminum free (Bob's Red Mill) but it has corn starch in it. Is there a better brand without corn in it??
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Jodie. I use the Rumford aluminum free. I'm pretty sure they all have corn, although I could be wrong. Let us know if you come across something different that works. Jill
Kristy says
I made these for my family and we all loved them! I was nervous about using all wheat flour (usually I do half wheat, half white) but these turned out great! And I loved that you used honey instead of white sugar! I am excited to try your crepes! Thanks for the recipe!
Stacey says
These were delicious! Very light and fluffy. I wonder if this batter would work for pancakes as well. Thanks for a great recipe!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Stacey. Try this recipe for pancakes...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/04/21/recipe-whole-wheat-banana-pancakes-freeze-the-leftovers/. Jill
elizabeth says
When you use coconut oil, are the measurements for the recipe taken while it's solid or melted?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
It should be melted. Jill
Emily Ban says
I have grapeseed oil. Is that going to work or will it give it a funky taste?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Emily. Grapeseed oil is on our list of oils to avoid. Coconut oil is probably the best in terms of taste. Jill
Jessica says
Oh now, we're avoiding grapeseed oil now? Dang!
Diane says
Is the batter supposed to be runny? I will try to make them again as maybe I missed something:)
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Diane. Not really. You could always reduce the milk next time. Jill
Kim says
I love waffles and just came home from Maine with fresh wild blueberries. My daughter asked for waffles, so am trying your recipe(love this blog!) I like very light waffles and use my mom's old trick...beat in the 2 egg yolks, beat the whites till stiff and add those last, works every time! Also, my dad makes maple syrup, so i put about a half inch in the sauce pan and pour in blueberries(any berry works) and warm til berries pop and soften. My kids love this!
Chris McQ. says
I just made these yesterday and served them today for my 5 yr old and 3 yr old. I won't like.... I did have a few chocolate chips in there (hey... at least they aren't eating the processed Egos anymore!). They LOVED IT. They always eat lots of fruit. They love it. So they had no problem with a bowl of blueberries on the side with a waffle. I made everything on the Foreman grill. Worked out quite well. There was some concern because last week I made the whole wheat banana pancakes and the only one that ate those was good old Daddy. I had them all week (no complaints from me!)
Anyway - thanks for the great site and fantastic recipes. I look forward to continuing to use your site as one of my guides to a healthier life with my family!
Chris McQ. says
Sorry.... that should say "I won't lie" not "I won't like".
Courtney says
That sounds awesome. I'm totally going to try that for a weekend breakfast sometime!!
Or, you know, suggest it to my husband, since this does totally seem like a dad thing :)
Alisha says
Do you think I could use almond flour instead? Do you ever cook with that?
Lisa says
I have not tried almond flour in this recipe, but you could certainly experiment!
Lindsay says
Oh my goodness these waffles were delicious! I had to stop myself after the 1st one...I used unsweetened coconut milk and added flaxseed and I can't believe how good they turned out. I barely had to use syrup!! Thank you!
Amanda says
My 4 year old ate THREE of these tonight! And her baby brother ate TWO! I replaced the oil with unsweetened applesauce, added a half a mashed banana, and then tossed in some leftover honey glazed pecans from our homemade butter pecan ice cream last night. It was delicious!
Erin says
hi! maybe I missed this somewhere, but how many waffles does this make? I would like to make some this weekend for my husband's family who asked me to bring Bisquick to the lake (yikes!). Thanks for your help!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Erin. I am sorry if this response is getting to you late, but, it's about 4-5 servings. Jill
Angela says
I made these yesterday and was hoping to freeze the leftovers, they were so good that we had none!
Marsha says
These are awesome waffles. I normally make a big batch on the weekends and then freeze for the week. My husband and I both LOVE them! This is definitely a keeper!
krimp says
I just made a batch of these for our friends who had a baby last night. I of course tried a bite of one and it was amazing. I've been looking for a good whole wheat waffle recipe for awhile now and I've finally found it. I've got a bunch in the freezer for the new parents to pop in the toaster in the morning. Great recipe! Thanks!
Kara says
WOW! We live in an egg free house (allergies), and I have been looking for a recipe that still tastes great without egg - and THIS IS IT! (I sub. a 1 T flax seed and 3 T water mixture for each egg). Used some cream cheese/ maple syrup / cinnamon spread and had delicious waffle sandwiches!
McKenzie says
Have you ever tried soaking the flour overnight? I try to do that for better nutrition and easier digestion but it doesn't work well with all recipes so I'm a little afraid to try it :)
100 Days of Real Food says
I have not tried soaking my grains mainly because we don't have any digestion issues, but I have heard soaking can help if you do struggle with that.
Gaby says
I have a question, I did make these waffles and they are yummy. But I have had bad luck with freezing both waffles and pancakes. After I reheat them they seem to get tough and stale very quicly once they start to cool down and my kids won't eat them like that. I did freeze some of these and the same thing happened. Am I missing something as far as the freezing or reheating process? Like freeze them when they are cold, still warm, reheat on defrost or high power? I freeze them wrapped in foil and inside freezer bags.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Gaby. I would suggest defrosting the waffles/pancakes on the counter or in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. You should heat them up in a toaster or toaster oven...I would avoid the microwave. I hope that helps. Jill
S says
I bought a $30 GE waffle maker from Wal-Mart this past weekend. It makes 4 square waffles. They came out great and very yummy, although my 8-yr old daughter will have to get used to them. One batch made 11 waffles. I made 3 batches and froze some. Thank you!
Kim Ostrom says
I love your blog.....I have only one recommendation for your recipe. When I make waffles they turn out much fluffier when I mix dry ingredients in a bow. Here is my tip for you:
In a separate bowl mix wet ingredients with just the egg yolks (reserving the whites in a separate bowl). Beat egg whites until light peaks form. Next stir together dry and wet ingredients (all except the egg whites). Last, fold in beaten egg whites into the wet mixture. The key is not over folding in the beaten egg white at the end so it looks lumpy with the fluffs of egg white not completely mixed in but it makes them so fluffy and yummy! Hope this tip works as well for you as it does for me. I make waffles in large batches and freeze them for quick toaster over prep work on school mornings :) My son loves them!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Thanks for the tip - I will have to give it a try. Jill
Alicia Chafin says
Oh yeah, I also made a BIG batch of the dry ingredients to keep in the pantry with the recipe written on the side. So its all ready to go at a moments notice.
Alicia Chafin says
I made these last night for Brinner! They were a hit! The only little issue I had was that when I added the coconut oil to the cold milk and eggs it clumped up. I had to hold the bowl over the griddle to get it to melt and mix in :) super delish!
Courtney says
I've had that problem with butter and coconut oil before! Mix all wet and dry ingredients except the oil/butter, save that for VERY last and you should have no problem with and clumps :)
Courtney says
Uh delish! I am munching on one right now and they are yummy. I did sub the coconut oil for straight butter, as Joy Of Cooking has taught me a good waffle is all bout the butter content but since it's a real food swap I dont feel bad.
I also added a banana just because it sounded yummy and I wish I had added two!! I cannot wait to try these with blueberries, or pecans, and as sandwiches...
Oh, and I used straight whole wheat flour without any problems. I will say I think the waffle iron needs to be on a slightly lower setting than you usually crisp them at as these seem to brown a little faster.
And if anyone needs to make a purchase, the Cuisinart waffle maker I have is my 2nd favorite kitchen utensil, right behind the kitchen aid. It's about $40 but totally worth it :)
Stephanie says
Just made these tonight. Me and my boyfriend love them. He prefers them with the whipped cream, fruit and just a touch of maple syrup over just maple syrup. Thank you for the great recipe.
Pam Finney says
I made them today but I replaced the oil with unsweetened plain applesause and added a mashed ripe banana. They turned out great. My kids are so used to whole wheat baking they don't know anything different.
Wendy H says
I just made these for the first time today. They were wonderful! And my kids told me they were the best waffles they've ever had. I use my grandma's old waffle iron. I set it on medium and burned the first batch. But they cooked up great when I bumped it down to low. I went sugar-free, then whole-food in January. My kids have always loved frozen waffles, and I am so happy that they loved these more! I made PB&Js with some of the leftover waffles to put in their lunch boxes. The rest are going in the freezer. Thank you for this fantastic recipe!!
Christy says
Oh my gosh!! These are so much better than any other waffle I've had!!! Thanks for sharing! Love your website/blog.
Jo @ In Corners of My Mind says
I have been on the hunt for a good light and fluffy whole wheat healthy waffle, something everyone told me I would never find...they were wrong...this is it! Thank you!
Rachelle says
Hi, just a question? These turned out great and I would love to pre-mix the dry ingredients to have on hand and store in a tupperware and then just add the milk, oil, egg and honey when I am ready to whip them up? Have you tried this? and if so how long do you think the pre-made mix would be good for? just wondering if you do anything like that and have any pointers.
Thanks for the great recipe, this is my first 1 I have tried and look forward to trying many more!!
also have you tried freezing them and then popping them in the toaster.
Gretchen says
I did. I put everything in a bag minus the wet ingredients and it works GREAT! (each baggie had one meal each) We eat these SO often that they never sit on the shelf long. Always having to refill them. We have also frozen the waffles and then reheated (in the oven or toaster) and they still taste GREAT! Hope this helps!
Courtney says
Do you add the baking soda and powder too?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Courtney. Yes, add them according to the recipe. Jill
100 Days of Real Food says
I have not tried that, but I think it would work. I would recommend keeping the flour mixture in the fridge or freezer for an extended shelf life.
Courtney says
Not a bad idea. Thanks!
Ange says
Mmm, I made these this morning and they were great. I have always made our waffles but when I tried to cut out white sugar I tried them without any sweetener and they didn't taste very good (for the kids that's not saying much but I am pretty tolerant of different tastes). So I decided to try your recipe, sooo much better. Thank you!
I do have a question though. I have a nutrition minor so I making something with coconut oil and whole milk is giving me a little anxiety. We were never taught that sat fat was bad but that it was the fat that most people don't need to try and fit into their diets, so I have always focused on trying to get poly and mono unsaturated fats. I am now seeing a different side of nutrition (one that is in my minor, a step up from just eating right). I am just curious how long it took you to not stress a little about the amount of saturated fat, go against what you had been told by every "nutrition expert" out there? I keep telling myself that we do not have the typical American diet so we are not getting a ton of it from other sources so it is okay.
Side note: My daughter just came to me (she is eating her waffle with cream cheese as she just discovered yesterday that she "loves!" it) and said, "Mom, this is sooo good!"
carissa says
Ange I am also having a hard time with the whole milk,coconut oil and full fat cheeses. I used to buy all skim products and have always used olive oil never coconut oil. I still find myself stressing a little about all the fat but I have to say I have lost a few pounds since I started eating a real food diet...I'm still doing research on the types of fats I'm consuming. I just really try to watch my portions but I seem to fill up pretty fast eating this way :)
100 Days of Real Food says
So glad the waffles were a hit! Some good books you could read to feel more comfortable with the reasoning behind fat content are In Defense of Food and Deep Nutrition. It's hard to relearn what we have all been told for many years, but obviously some mistakes were made (for example margarine!). Good luck.
Kim says
These waffles were "awes-tastic" as my 4 year old daughter would say...awesome and fantastic! Everyone LOVED them! No one said anything about the slightly different colour (using all whole wheat) or anything! Thank you!
Cathy says
I am new to cooking with coconut oil. What is the preferred method of getting it from a solid to a liquid state? Also, once it was liquid (I heated it in a pan) it got lumpy again once I poured it into the milk mixture. Am I doing something wrong?
100 Days of Real Food says
Coconut oil is tricky! Here is a post all about it.... https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/07/how-to-cook-with-coconut-oil/
Amy says
Making a batch for the week right now - using almond milk & they are turning out perfectly! Thanks for the reminder I can do this myself & not have to buy them. I think I'll try a batch with blueberries added next.
Lisa says
My family (mostly me forcing them) are starting to live a whole food, non processed life.. My son 3 1/2 loves frozen waffles and I love how easy they are as we run out the door to preschool. I decided to give these a try this morning. My 3 1/2 year old ate 2 waffles with syrup and my almost 2 year old ate 1 waffle..
It made about 15 waffles so I have plenty to freeze and have toaster ready..
They came off the waffle iron kinda hard but after they cooled a bit they softened up to a perfect texture.
Sierra says
Haha is it that obvious? :)
100 Days of Real Food says
Don't worry...I understand! I used to NEVER eat whole-wheat because I hated the taste of it (which sounds like what you described). I am by no means suggesting you grind your own wheat, but for me I've found the end product tastes MUCH better that way. Here's some more info: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/07/05/grinding-your-own-wheat-is-not-crazy-after-all-including-video/
Sierra says
Well I guess I was so surprised because everything I make with straight whole wheat flour tastes great to me! It's obviously more dense and "grainy" tasting but I love it. I guess I will just stick to that since the white wheat didn't work out for me :)
The company I buy my bread from now though uses the white wheat flour and their bread is GREAT!! So who knows what's going on haha.
Thanks for all your help and the great recipes :) I think I'm coming up on a month now of real food and feeling great and starting to get the hang of it a little more.
Sierra says
I used the same flour you always use (I used it to make your pizza recipe as well) and everything I've made with it has had a bad after taste!! I just bought it like a week ago and have been keeping it in the fridge, is it possible it's gone bad, or is this a natural flavor, any idea what's going on? :-\
100 Days of Real Food says
Are you new to using/eating whole-wheat?