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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!
Sherill Trevino says
Waffle recipe was wonderful.
Lindsay says
Absolutely delicious! My kids loved them!
Holly says
Made these today and loved them. thought they were perfect!
Jolissa says
This is my go-to waffle recipe. I LOVE the hint of cinnamon and the wheatiness of these. I make a double batch and freeze a whole bunch of them. They're perfect for breakfast before work, reheated/crisped up in the toaster oven then covered in fruit and a little syrup or even slathered in peanut butter.
Kristin says
This was one of the first recipes I tried from your site. I do prefer the recipe in the book and I replace the honey with maple syrup since my picky my daughter did not like it with honey. She is now a fan and I think I have even convinced my husband that he does not need to by anymore frozen waffles. I get four to five large Belgium style waffles. For those who are asking about calories, according to the ingredients I used (butter and maple syrup) and entered into my food tracker each waffle (when I get five) is 324 calories. We usually half the waffles and it is plenty with an egg or smoothie. I freeze them and in the morning pop them in the microwave for about 15 seconds and then throw them into the toaster so they get a little crispy again. If I skip the microwave step they are still cold inside coming out of the toaster from the freezer.
Erin says
Is the nutritional information available anywhere for this recipe? I'm specifically looking for the amount of protein but would be curious to know the calories, fat, etc. Thanks!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Erin. We do not provide nutrition info. This post provides some perspective: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/. You can import any recipe into online tools like My Fitness Pal to get all those details, however.
Shauna says
I make a lot of waffles and these one were a mess. Literally took me half an hour to clean them off my waffle iron. I have never had a waffle stick till today.
Jackson says
I make waffles similar to these but grind up oats in a food processor and substitute 1/3 of the flour with the oat flour. The kids love them.
I also sometimes use 1/2 butter and 1/2 coconut oil.
Julie says
I made these for my husband for New Year's Day breakfast and they were wonderful! I used buttermilk just because I happened to have some left over from holiday baking and vegetable oil. Will make them next time with butter and see what is better.
We topped them with fresh blueberries, maple syrup and powdered sugar. I will be making these again soon!
Nancy says
I make these almost every weekend, and my entire family loves them! I substitute gluten free flour, since we have an allergy in the family, and they come out great! I will never buy the frozen ones again! These are so quick! If there any leftovers, they go right into the fridge, and we re-toast them!
Kace says
Hey Nancy, I as well have a allergy what Gluten free flour do you use when making this reciepe?
Catherine says
Finally Made these for first time since I got a waffle maker for Christmas! I don't understand negative reviews... Must have done something wrong. These are delicious! Nice subtle cinnamon flavor makes them amazing . I used coconut oil in place of butter this time but will try the butter next time :) remember your maple syrup will add that extra sweetness if that is what you were missing from the recipe since only a small amount of honey is used. A recipe that came with my machine separated yokes and whites and they whip the whites separately and fold into batter at end to make "Belgian" style.
My waffle maker is a Breville used setting 5, nice crispy outside soft inside.
Mary Anne says
My go-to waffle recipe is in my Farm Journal cookbook from about 40 years ago. 4 eggs separated, 2 cups flour (I use sprouted grain flour), 4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt (original calls for 1 tsp), 1 cup milk, one cup butter, melted. no sugar added at all and very delicious. I eat mine with just butter, but husband is a sugar-a-holic and eats with apple compote AND maple syrup (he's a lost cause).
For any waffle recipe, I'd separate the eggs and beat the egg whites separately and fold them in; gives extra crispy and nicely light waffles.
Lauren says
Great tips Mary! I whipped up the egg whites separately & they were much fluffier waffles
Lauren says
I'm a huge fan of this site & have loved every recipe we've made up until this one. We didn't like these waffles at all. Such a disappointment.
Lauren says
Today I made the waffles from the recipe in the 100days real food cookbook which is different than on the website. I made them with bananas and without. We liked the recipe from the cookbook much better. I also separated the eggs & whipped up the egg whites so the waffles were fluffier.
Sarah says
No honey used, real butter instead of oil, 365 Whole Foods own brand Wholewheat flour -- bloody perfect waffles! Ensure your waffle iron is greased, smear some butter on there, they won't stick then. Cheers.
Ginny says
I just made these waffles for the first time, following the recipe exactly but added some coarsely chopped strawberries. I expected some push back from my family because they've never had whole wheat waffles, but they enjoyed them and this recipe is getting printed for my recipe box right now! So happy to eliminate yet another processed food from our lives.
Kim says
This recipe was fantastic! I wasn't expecting it to be that good. It has a bit of a different taste to regular waffles. I think it tastes a little like french toast, but it's not bad at all. They brown perfectly and are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside (if you cook them correctly). The texture really is great. With a little butter and syrup, they were absolutely delicious! They seemed to lack something though. I might try adding a little bit of lemon juice next time to see if I can't give them a little kick. Though, as they are, these are great for when you're craving waffles but don't want to break your diet too much. My rough estimate for calorie content is around 150 calories per waffle, if you make five waffles per batch. Of course, this will vary depending on your specific brands of ingredients. I used King Arthur 100% Whole Wheat Flour, which has 110 calories per 1/4 cup serving, and the flour you use is going to make up the bulk of the calories in this recipe. I also recommend using fat free milk to cut calories, too. Even if my calorie estimate is off by a little, these still won't destroy your diet if eaten as an occasional treat. When cooking, I recommend pouring about 3/4 cup of batter in the center of your waffle iron at a time. Make sure to spray your iron thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray (I used olive oil cooking spray) and cook each waffle until most of the steaming has stopped. Mine were done when there was only a single spout of steam coming out the side. Overall, I would definitely recommend that everyone try this recipe at least once.
Elaine Maier says
Love these waffles also make Lisa's Crock Pot Apple Butter and top the waffles with the Apple Butter- YUM!!
Ginny Thompson says
My son specifically asked for strawberry waffles (since I have stopped buying his beloved Eggo brand of strawberry waffles)...would it work to coarsely chop up some strawberries and add them to this recipe? Thank you!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Ginny. I don't see why adding strawberries wouldn't work. ;)
Laura says
Does anyone know of any Waffle Makers that are not non stick? Maybe cast iron? I'm looking to get my husband one for his birthday and would love any suggestions. Thanks :)
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Laura. Lodge makes one.:)
Patsy says
Can you use something else instead of eggs? Like flax "eggs"?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. Flax eggs will work fine. :)
elle says
Idk whats up with this recipe tried it 3 times and all of them stuck miserably to iron and came out in the trash...
Emily says
I've made these with both gf cup-for-cup flour and gf oat flour with a little xanthan gum. Both turned out great. I just learned I have to keep the waffle iron on the darkest setting and cook them about a minute past the "done" light turning on. They turn out crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Cindy says
Yummy for my tummy!!!
CanadianFollower says
Made these this weekend and they were a hit! Used 1 tbsp of maple syrup instead of the honey so our 8 month old could have some too... delicious!
Alicia says
Hi, as a working mom, I usually buy a box of frozen organic waffles. But I decided to try these with my 4yr old son and he ate them up. He was a little skeptical at first because they weren't the perfect round shape he was used to, but with a little syrup he was good so I made a double batch and they're ready to go in our freezer for breakfasts. Thank you!
Amber says
My family loves these. We've made them several times and every time they are a hit. We also freeze them and then pop them in the toaster for weekday-mornings and they are still a favorite then. Thanks so much for sharing such an easy, healthy recipe
Stephanie says
These have always been a favorite, this morning I added a couple TBs of pumpkin-even better!!! :)
Seana says
Do you have to use a waffle iron? We have a Belgium waffle maker..
Jessica says
We use the recipe with our Belgium waffle maker but it doesnt make many.I 1.5 or double the recipe for a family of four and usually have 1 left to freeze.
nicole says
Question?
My kids love waffles, especially on the go my daughter will pop the waffle in the toaster add some peanut butter and banana and she eats it on the road. The issue is ... it's becoming expensive to buy the frozen waffles. I love this recipe so the question is can I freeze these waffles? If so, how long would you suggest they would be safe in the freezer?
Thank you,
Nicole
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Nicole. If you freeze them in an airtight container, they will be fine for up to 6 months. I typically try to cycle things out of my freezer by three months but that doesn't always happen. ;) Although I really don't like to use plastic zipper bags, I do find that by removing the air (vacuum sealing by sucking the air out with a straw), they are kept them fresh and non-freezer burnt. ~Amy
Amber says
I was wondering why she adds the bakiing soda with the wet ingrediants instead of the dry.
Franki says
This has been my go to waffle recipe for quite a while. I just wanted to drop a note about how adaptable it is. My daughter is dairy free and I'm wheat free. I just made them with coconut oil, Namaste gluten free flour blend and oat milk. They came out fantastic!
Rachel says
These have become a weekend favorite at our house...my two children (ages 3 and 5) will down more than one of these waffles! We love them with applesauce on the side (for dunking the waffles in!) and we mixed one banana in the last time--even more delicious! Thanks for making recipes that are super easy and are delicious and nutritious!
Julie says
Oh my YUM!!!! So easy! No crazy ingredients or egg white whipping! Just super good classic easy waffles! That happen to be healthy! Thank you! Yay! I did use homemade buttermilk (by adding about 2 tsp lemon juice to the milk) so that probably helped them be nice and fluffy! Thanks for the great recipe!
Kim says
I made these waffles last night for "breakfast for dinner". I'm not sure why I was expecting my kids to balk at them because they are different from what they're use to, but I was pleasantly surpised when they all loved them! My son told me I'm the "best cooker ever"! The batter was a touch thinner than I expected, I may decrease the flour a bit next time, but they still turned out great. Thanks!
Jessica says
I substituted Maple Syrup for honey (3 TBS) and 1/2 cup oats for 1/2 cup flour and added 1 1/2 cups of shredded carrot. Carrot Cake Waffles! Awesome with cream cheese sandwiched in between, naturally!
carissa says
Can I substituent whole wheat flour for whole spelt flour in the waffles and other muffins? I purchased the flour for the pumpkin muffins and wanted to use it in other recipes.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Carissa. Yes, you can. ~Amy
Sara says
I don't know if these are in your new cookbook but if they aren't, they should be! These are so good. My 3 year old LOVES them!
leah says
My family loves this recipe!! How would you make them with pumpkin for the fall? I was thinking 1/2 pureed pumpkin with cinnamon and nutmeg?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Leah. I've used this recipe and substituted the banana with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. It works well. ~Amy
Rebecca says
Hi was just wandering, I am wanting to make this for my daughters lunch and thought about adding banana to the mixture but just wandering how I would adapt the recipe for this? sorry if this has been asked already
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi there. I add banana to this all the time without changing anything. ~Amy
Toni says
I've made these several time and love them, but today I subbed 1/4 cup wheat germ for 1/4th flour and they came out really good!
Megan says
Fantastic! I had all the ingredients on hand, which is great when I decided to make these on a whim for breakfast. We are used to a pre-packaged waffle mix, and although they didn't get as crisp on the outside as our previous mix, the flavor was great. I just popped them in the toaster for 30 seconds or so and they developed a little crunch on the outside. Plus I'm excited to freeze the leftovers for another day!