Waffle Batter Hacks: How to Make Perfect Waffles
Why is my waffle batter always lumpy?
What happens if I freeze waffle batter?
Why aren’t my waffles getting crispy?
If you have ever had any questions about waffle batter, this is the article for you! While waffle batter can be super easy to make and use, there are a few tricks and secrets to ensure it comes out perfect. Let’s take a look at some seriously helpful (and delicious!) waffle batter hacks and see how to make waffle batter that is flawless!
Making Lump Free Batter
Have you ever thrown together some waffle batter and ended up with a bunch of lumps in the batter that just won’t go away? Well, you’re not alone! So what should you do and what is the best way to avoid lumps next time?
First, always make sure you add the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and not the other way around. The best way to do this is to have all of your dry ingredients whisked together in a bowl and your wet ingredients all whisked together in a separate bowl.
Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry, whisking constantly and pausing if needed to really get the ingredients nicely blended. This should give you lump free batter.
If you already have finished your batter and it has those dreaded flour pieces floating around, take a rubber spatula and smoosh them on the bottom of the bowl, pressing down with the spatula to flatten and mix them into the batter. A few little lumps won’t be detrimental to your batter so just try to smooth the big ones.
Using Oil vs. Butter
Oil all the way! If you like a nice crispy waffle, using oil in your batter is definitely the way to go! Oil will make your batter thinner than if you used butter and thin batter will crisp the best in your waffle maker. Our amazing waffle batter recipe uses oil and makes some of the tastiest waffles around. Give it a try!
Whisk it, whisk it real good…but not too much
Yes, you want your batter to be nicely mixed but you do not want to over stir it too much! Over mixing will cause the gluten in the flour to develop and get tougher, leaving you with chewy waffles. In order to get a nice smooth batter, with no lumps, without over stirring, try using a silicone coated whisk like this Cuisipro Twist Whisk. It is like a whisk and a rubber spatula combines and works wonders with waffle batter!
Make Ahead Waffle Batter
You sure can make waffle batter ahead of time! Waffle batter will keep really well in the fridge for about three days. Because waffle batter is made with baking powder which begins reacting the moment it touches liquid, it might lose some of its rising power as it sits.
If you are using our amazing waffle batter recipe, add another 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to the batter. Cover the waffle batter and store it in the fridge and it will be ready to use whenever you need your waffles!
Can I Freeze Waffle Batter?
Well, yes and no. Waffle batter that is made using baking powder is the best recipe to go with if you plan on freezing the batter. Freezing waffle batters that use yeast or whipped egg whites won’t thaw very well and your waffles might not come out very tasty or fluffy.
Here is the easiest way to freeze waffle batter:
- Pour the waffle batter into a Ziploc bag, label it with the date and freeze.
- Only keep the waffle batter frozen for up to three months
- When you are ready to use, remove the Ziploc bag from the freezer and thaw in a bowl of lukewarm water
- Heat your waffle maker according to the manufacturer’s directions
- Snip the bottom corner off of the Ziploc bag and pipe the batter into the waffle maker
The Fluffiest Waffles Ever
You like fluffy waffles. You like crispy waffles. You want them both. Well, then you should definitely try a recipe with whipped egg whites to get the best results (Check out our Fluffiest Waffle Batter Recipe for a perfect example of whipped egg white waffles).
Whipping air into the egg whites then folding them into the batter helps lighten the batter overall and helps the waffles rise while they are cooking. Take the extra time to separate your eggs and whip the whites separately to get amazingly fluffy waffles.
Substitutions
It can be super easy to make substitutions to waffle batters in order to create delicious waffles that suit your dietary needs. Here are some great ways to switch up your waffle batter recipes (these will all work fantastically with our amazing waffle batter recipe!). Just try to stick to one or two substitutions at a time otherwise the waffle batter recipe may not come out so pretty.
Gluten Free Waffles- switch out the flour for a one to one all purpose, gluten free baking mix such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour. You can also replace the flour in the recipe with almond flour but add an extra egg to the recipe as well to ensure that the waffles bind well. Delicious and easy gluten free waffles? Done!
Vegan Waffle Batter- Use coconut milk, almond milk or soy milk rather than whole milk and add an extra tablespoon of sugar to the batter (this will make sure the waffles are still crispy!). Use an egg replacer such as flaxseed eggs, 1/4 cup pumpkin puree per 1 egg, or 1/2 a mashed banana per egg. Some of these substitutions also create great new flavored waffles- vegan pumpkin waffles? Yes please! Vegan waffles never tasted so good!
Sugar replacement- While replacing the sugar in waffle batter with honey will work, the waffles will not crisp quite as much as the honey will not caramelize. If you don’t mind softer waffles, then use all the honey you’d like! Otherwise, substitute granulated sugar with organic stevia such as Whole Earth Stevia and Raw Sugar Blend.
Oil Substitute- If you’re not a fan of vegetable oil in waffles, simply use coconut oil which not only adds a tasty flavor to the waffles but is better for you than traditional oils (check out the benefits of coconut oil here!). You can also use traditional, melted butter in place of oil but your waffle maker may not get them quite as crispy.
Whole Wheat Waffle Batter- Substitute whole wheat flour for the all purpose flour in the recipe and add an additional 1/8 cup of milk. Simple as that!
Add This, Not That
If you are tempted to get creative with your waffle batter, go for it! Just keep a few things in mind while your inner culinarian comes out.
- Adding small quantities of spices or extracts will not change your batter drastically so reach for the cinnamon, nutmeg or almond extract to add to your waffle recipe.
- Putting fresh fruit into your waffle batter before it bakes will add a lot of moisture to the waffles. This may cause the waffles to not crisp, be chewy or have raw batter in the center. Keep the fresh fruit out of the batter and save it for the waffle toppings.
- A small amount of dried fruit in waffle batter will work well. However, dried fruit may stick to your waffle maker, making it hard to clean so keep this in mind before you throw a handful of dried cranberries into the bowl! (If it’s just too late, check out our post about how to clean a waffle maker!).
- Crumbled Bacon? Cocoa Powder? Ground Flaxseeds? Yes, yes, yes! Again, adding small quantities of dry ingredients will add flavor and not alter the batter too much
- Anything can go on top of your waffles once they are baked…anything. So keep the batter simple and save the creativity for later
Waffles? What a Mess!
If you are a neat freak but also love a homemade waffle, the first step is to invest in a waffle maker with a drip tray that will catch any over flowing batter. Try the Hamilton Beach Flip Belgian Waffle Maker or the Bella Rotating Waffle Maker which both have removable drip trays.
If you need an easy way to pour the batter into the waffle maker then look for a waffle batter dispenser. The KPKitchen waffle batter dispenser doubles as a measuring cup to ensure you are adding the perfect quantity of batter to your machine. If you’d rather have a simple waffle batter dispenser, the Handy Gourmet stainless steel version will work great!
If you still have a mess on your hands after making waffles, check out our blog about cleaning waffle makers, you will find everything you need to know to restore your machine to its original condition!
If you still have questions about waffle batters, waffle makers or any other waffle related topics, keep checking out website (www.wafflemakershub.com) as we are constantly posting waffle blogs, recipes and advice. In fact, you may find what you are looking for in some of our other articles now! But until next time, happy waffle making!
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About the Author Amanda Bochain
I have a bachelor's degree for the Culinary Institute of America in Baking and Pastry Arts and over 16 years of food service experience. I also owned and operated a bakery cafe for several years. I have a two year old daughter who helps me write food blogs and articles as my official taste tester!
