Classic Buttermilk Waffles
These easy buttermilk waffles are a family favorite. In fact, I haven’t made another classic waffle recipe in so many years because they are perfect!
This is my all-time favorite, tried-and-true recipe for waffles.
I will not make another recipe as long as I have buttermilk in the refrigerator (and if you don’t have buttermilk in the fridge, don’t fret, here’s a great tip on easy substitutions).
They are light and fluffy and absolutely delicious. And they work great with whole wheat flour (or half all-purpose flour, half whole wheat flour)!
On another note, have you ever tried waffles with cheese? Don’t run away! Hear me out. Brian introduced me to cheese waffles when we were dating, and I was a huge skeptic at first. Can you blame me? But I quickly converted.
You have to dismiss the idea that the cheese on the waffle is reminiscent to cheese on pizza. It’s nothing like the gooey, mounds of cheese you may be thinking of. Instead, it is a light, crunchy, salty texture that pairs so well with the sweet syrup and bready waffle.
Right after pouring the batter into the waffle iron, sprinkle a couple tablespoons of shredded cheddar cheese on top and promptly close the waffle iron to let the magic happen.
It is worth trying, and hey, if you don’t like it, then no worries because these waffles are delicious without.
FAQs for Classic Buttermilk Waffles
If you keep them in a warm oven, that will keep the waffles crispy on the outside.
Be sure NOT to overmix the batter- that can make the texture kind of rubbery. It’s okay to to still see a few dry spots.
Yes! We serve cheese wafles with maple syrup- it makes a great sweet u0026 salty combination!
Classic Buttermilk Waffles
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ¾ cups buttermilk (see note)
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (213 g) all-purpose flour (see note)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. In another bowl whisk together the dry ingredients; combine the wet and dry ingredients just until smooth.
- For an 8-inch round waffle iron, use about 1/3 cup batter (adjust according to waffle iron size). Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the iron stops steaming.
- If making cheese waffles, pour 1/3 cup batter on waffle iron and sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese over batter before closing iron.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from King Arthur Flour’s Baking Companion
122 Comments on “Classic Buttermilk Waffles”
Mel, I often have to pass on delicious breads recipes because my husband is celiac and gf flour is a pain. But I’ll try swaps sometimes. And this turned out amazing!! The higher liquid content of this waffle batter was amazing for gluten free flour! My whole family loved it. They were so fluffy and not crumbly. There were actual air pockets! Thank you so much for this beautiful breakfast gift.
Have tried a few waffle recipes, that were ok. Decided to try one more, this one, and they turned out so nice. My favourite for sure. I have never used buttermilk and don’t have around, so thank you for the tip with regular milk and cream of tartar. Worked perfectly. What can I say, your recipes are wonderful, and I have tried several so far, haven’t been disappointed yet. Thank you Mel
Delicious and easy to follow recipe! My husband and children surprised me with a waffle maker, and to “christen” it, he made waffles (I didn’t even supervise or anything lol). He came here, did a quick search, and made these yummy waffles, which everyone declared their favorite, of course. Thanks for making things easy — even for the ones who aren’t “regulars” in the kitchen.
I forgot to say we’ve made it several times since then, and still a keeper. We triple the recipe for our family of 7 eaters, but baby is getting older and will have 2 teen boys soon, so we’ll probably be quadrupling this next time. 😉
Made this today and the waffles were incredible. I did put some walnuts in my waffles, but other than that no changes. So easy!
These waffles are so yummy!! We’ve made them for years and they never disappoint.
HmmmI loved the flavor of these waffles, but I’m hoping for some advice/instruction. My turned out really floppy kinda almost soggy. Any ideas?
What brand/kind of waffle iron do you have? Do you think they need to be cooked longer?
Gosh I don’t even know what brand. It’s a really old one. I will try cooking them longer next time or I was wondering maybe it’s time for a new waffle iron!! Thank you!!
We’ve been using Mel’s Buttermilk Waffle recipe for 12 years now and it’s become a recipe that holds some of my favorite simple memories making and eating them with my children. This one is a keeper. Thanks Mel!
These turned out really badly. I don’t know what went wrong! I followed the recipe exact. The batter was super fluffy, but the waffles them selves were deflated, flat and sour.
We love cheese waffles! We also put cooked bacon in ours!
I just realized that I totally left the eggs out!! The waffles were very good without the eggs,. The next time I will try them with egg whites only. My husband is not a fan of eggs, so it all worked out.
For once, my bad cooking paid off.
These waffles are light and delicious!!
My daughter has been requesting buttermilk waffles…your site to the rescue! These were excellent and so easy… doubled their recipe to freeze extra. Thanks!
Has anyone made these with a dairy milk substitute like almond or coconut milk?
So delicious! Made them with half whole wheat half white and I couldn’t even believe they had whole wheat in them. They we so tender and light. An easy but special breakfast for conference morning! Made the full recipe and had about 3 waffles leftover after two adults and two little kids ate their fill. Perfect!
Winner winner chicken dinner!! These are so good! Made them tonight with some leftover buttermilk. Best decision!! My waffle maker is dreadfully slow. I always warm my oven, & place the cooked waffles on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet. This ensures that they don’t get soggy on any side. Thanks for the recipe, Mel! You are the best!
We made these for dinner with chicken tenders, and they turned out pretty good. We thought they were a little salty, so will try it with 1/2 tsp. of salt next time, but this might be because we weren’t eating them with syrup. Thanks for the recipe!
Fantastic! absolutely delicious reminds us of a favorite breakfast restaurant we love! Definitely recommend!
I have a question I tried to find an answer to in the comments but with no luck. When I make my waffles they come out of the waffle iron crispy but after being on a plate for less than a minute they become soggy. Any suggestions to keep them crispy? ~
If they aren’t getting eaten right away, I’ve heard keeping them in a warm oven can help them stay crispy on the outside.
Thanks Mel, you are my turn-to for sweet, savoury and everything in between! These waffles were a Christmas hit, crisp even with wholewheat flour. Cheers from B.C.!
We love these! Crisp and delicious.
We tripled the recipe and made these on Sunday. They were amazing! My kids were singing praises about the waffles. “This is amazing. These are the best waffles ever.” Some of us ate them for leftover dinner tonight. This recipe beats out the much harder recipe my husband has always made involving beating egg whites. This is our new number one waffle recipe. Thank you!
Thanks, Tracy – glad you loved this one!
Amazing recipe! I always triple and have my own “real” freezer waffles handy.
Wonderful! Crisp and light. I did half butter and half oil for extra crispness and ALWAYS use real buttermilk. It just makes it for us!
So so good!! Made these for my hubby for Father’s Day breakfast with fresh berries and whipped cream.
I made these with chocolate chips….OMG! They were ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!
so good! i was going to make your overnight pancakes but my family voted on waffles instead, so i search your site and found this recipe. i doubled it the recipe and used 1/2 white whole wheat flour. turned out perfectly! i love that i can always count on you for reliable, delicious recipes!
First time making waffles, easy to make and family enjoyed. Will make again!
Made these for the first time tonight. HOLY SMOKES!!!! SO SO GOOD! I used a belgian waffle maker (the really thick, deep waffle iron) and they were fantastic. I used half all purpose flour and half white wheat flour w/ great results. Also THANK YOU for that cheese idea—so random but SOOOO YUMMY!!
These were so good! Buttermilk is everything. I’ll try the cheese on the waffles (it actually sounds good!) if you’ll try spam in them. Dice it up and throw it on the waffle iron before you put the batter on. I know it sounds classy , but it’s so good.
Mel~ I made these tonight for the first time and it will be the only waffle I ever make again!
For years, I had a go-to waffle recipe that I adored, but the second I tried this, I was sold for life! In fact, this recipe marks the first time I EVER made something with buttermilk, and this recipe is now also the reason that I always have buttermilk on hand now. This is my waffle recipe for life!
I was a little skeptical about adding the cheese so I made half with cheese & half without & my family loved adding the cheese. The only leftovers we have are the waffles without cheese. Thanks for the adventures in cooking!
That made me happy (and my husband even more happy since he’s the one that introduced me to cheese waffles!).
Delicious!!! Love it with hard white whole wheat flour. So hearty and filling 🙂
I just wanted you to know how much my family and I LOVE this recipe!! We have been making it for years and I’m not sure I’ve ever commented on it, so today is the day! I really love it because it does “double duty” for me…chicken and waffles for supper and then we have them the next day for breakfast. Thank you so much for all of your hard work..my family thanks you too!!
Thanks so much, Hilary!
Hey Mel! Just wondering if I added maybe 1/3 cup of creamy peanut butter to the batter would I need to decrease on any of the other ingredients?
No, you should be able to add it without altering anything else (I’ve added almond butter this way before and it was delicious).
Hi! I have made these waffles many, many times and we love them. I did just today notice something about the weight measurement for the flour, though. (I actually noticed when I was reading your new chocolate peanut butter brownie recipe while I was waiting for waffle to cook). Both recipes call for 1 3/4 cups of flour, but the waffle recipe says 7 1/4 oz flour and the brownie recipe says 8.75 oz. I know you’ve said that you generally follow 1 cup flour = 5 oz.
Anyway, no biggie, just thought I’d ask! Thanks for all your super fab recipes!
Hey Adrienne – great question! And astute observation. 🙂 The waffle recipe is an “old” recipe on my site and is from King Arthur Flour – they give their own weight measurements and use less than 5 ounces per cup of flour, if that makes sense. I think way back then when I posted this recipe, I used their weight measurements (it was long before I started incorporating more weight measures into my every day recipes). But you make a good point – if you are weighing the flour, it doesn’t make a difference, but if you are measuring it out, I’d end up measuring out more like 1 1/2 cups of flour, not 1 3/4 cups. I’ll edit the recipe to state that. 🙂
Hey Mel! I made these tonight for dinner and they were amazing!! I have 3 boys, and they were all THRILLED to have waffles tonight! Like, I haven’t seen them that happy to eat dinner in a very long time! If only every night was like this, right!
But I have to ask, how the heck do you make waffles and still be able to eat these with your family??!!? I dream of sitting down with a pile of ready, hot waffles on the table for everyone to enjoy together! I swear, for the first 30 minutes (I tripled the recipe….so glad I did that!!) I constantly had one child (husband included) standing at my side waiting for the next waffle to be ready. I couldn’t keep up! I was lucky to sneak a waffle or 2 away for myself to eat.
Do you have any tips or tricks in that department? Thanks!!
I hear you! Usually I just man the waffle station and eat while I’m making them but when we’ve had company, I’ll make the waffles and put them on a large cookie sheet and keep them warm in a 250 degree oven until we are ready to eat. The outsides don’t stay as crispy but they’re still delicious (as long as they aren’t kept warming for longer than 20 minutes or so).
My Christmas-gift waffle maker took its maiden voyage with these today, and they were fantastic. I can always count on your site for a perfect recipe – thanks!
So I made these dairy free, even lemon juice in the soy milk for butter milk. I used 1/2 c. coconut oil and they turned out delicious! 🙂
Have been making these for the past few months and we love them every time! My 5 year old requests them often and will eat the leftovers for each subsequent meal until they’re gone! Great recipe! Thanks!!
Loved!! ours did not get as high as yours, but all the more reason to try again next weekend!! Thanks Mel! Now. . .onto the Banana bars. . . .
Yum these are amazing!! So easy to make and freeze very well! No more Eggos for us! Thank you!
New go to recipe! I want to try your overnight one sometime too. I switch this one up with my Grandma’s jubilee waffle recipe.
For a real treat serve with berries and whipped cream. 🙂
You saved the day…again! We had a herd of teenagers at our house at 5:00 this morning for an April Fool’s Day “kidnapping.” Thank goodness for your amazing recipe. Plus, doing half with cheese gave the brave ones a special treat!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love my Betty Crocker recipe but love to try new things. Speaking of cheese, I make yummy banana bread and my aunt loves to eat a piece of banana bread with a slice of cheese on it. I tried it and it is quite delicious!
I made a double batch of these yesterday morning–12 of them. They were really good. We actually liked them reheated/toasted in the oven on both sides today than right out of the waffle maker. They were a little soft coming out of the machine, but crisped up really nicely after being toasted. I used to use a waffle recipe from Everyday Reading, which I really loved, but realized it had way too much oil in it (although they were very crispy!). I like this one because I used the lower amount of fat (and did use all white whole wheat flour). Very yummy breakfast/dinner recipe.
So I am pregnant and was craving waffles SO badly yesterday and I remembered that Carrian at Oh Sweet Basil had given me the link to your buttermilk waffles and said they were her favorite. So I made them this morning (with 1 cup of white wheat subbed in) and topped them with bananas and my buttermilk syrup…oh my goodness I thought I died and went to heaven. They SO hit the spot for me and my husband ate SO many of them. They will be our new go to recipe! Thanks so much…I might have to make them again tomorrow…
Very nice blog post. I absolutely love this website. Stick with it!
Hi there, You have done a great job. I’ll definitely digg it and personally
recommend to my friends. I am sure they will be benefited from this site.
I cant get these to look like yours! Should the batter be thick? Mine was very thin, even after adding a bit more flour. I fear I may have overmixed it? The end result was thin and flimsy, not at all like the ones in your photo. They tasted good, though. Will just need to work on the presentation.
Megan G – Definitely don’t overmix – that can make the texture of the waffles kind of rubbery. It’s ok to still see a few dry spots.
Mixing by hand solved my problem completely. Fantastic waffles. I cant wait to enjoy the leftovers.
Thanks for this waffle recipe! We’ve made it so many times now, it’s definitely a favorite! But I have yet to try it with cheese… hopefully soon.
I saw this post linked from your Overnight Waffles post. I was wondering if you could make the batter for these the night before as well and refrigerate til the morning. That would certainly make for less hectic mornings!
Christin – I’ve never made this batter the night before but you probably could. It might need to be loosened up with a bit of milk the next morning.
Thank you for the updates to this recipe! I am so happy that this recipe works with half the butter and whole wheat flour. I made the original recipe and the waffles were AMAZING, just as promised. But I haven’t made them since then because I just couldn’t bring myself to throw a whole stick of butter into one little batch of waffles. Now I can’t wait to make these again!
Not sure why it took me so long to find these on your website. I’ve been coming to you for recipes for over two years now, and this morning was the first time I tried these. Best waffles I’ve ever made (husband agrees). Thanks for all your work…my family appreciates the good food you inspire in our lives. 🙂
I went yesterday and bought a waffle maker just so I could make these for the kids and I tonight while Dh was working. I got 6 waffles from the mix, took about 1:50 to cook each waffle so not only are they incredibly tasty they are also super fast to make. The kids all asked if we could have them for breakfast tomorrow too and one DD is already asking to try the brownie waffle recipe we saw on your site.
Thank you for another great recipe.
Thank you for your wonderful recipes. I always meal plan with your blog and we have many “tried and true” recipes of yours that we eat regularly. Love this waffle recipe- I have a big family so I usually triple the recipe- and I felt a little guilty using so much butter- so I cut the butter amount in half and couldn’t taste any difference. (Just a little calorie cutting tip). You are awesome!!
You saved the day again Mel! Made these for dinner on a whim and they were delicious. Subbed 1 cup Whole Wheat flour in and added 2 heaping tbsp. of ground flaxseed hoping it would make up for my lack of Sunday dinner planning. I had to add some skim milk to thin the batter out properly but they were delicious. I can always count on your recipes turning out perfectly.
Hi Mel! I don’t know how I wandered onto your site, but now I can’t imagine life without it/you!! Son says waffles are “really really good”, and since we have waffles once or twice a week, that is high praise 🙂 I cut fresh nectarine onto my batter, and blueberries onto his. Making your French bread for French dips tomorrow night!
These are wonderful! For those of you who are skeptics, I was too, but I trust Mel’s food wholeheartedly! My picky, plain food 16 year old loves them too! It isn’t a strong flavor, but gives it an added crispiness that makes it more of a professional waffle 🙂 Thanks Mel.
Hey Mel, I love these buttermilk waffles & made them today actually but I was wondering if you have a new recipe or is this still your go-to? Your recipes are really tried & true!! Thanks
Army of 7 – yep, this is still my go-to! The only thing I do differently from the original recipe is usually sub in whole wheat flour.
Melanie – I’ve never tried it but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work as pancakes.
This may be a silly question, but can I just make pancakes with this instead since we don’t have a waffle iron?
Hi Kim – I have bought buttermilk powder before but I always have fresh buttermilk on hand so I hardly every use it. However, I think it should work fine in this recipe. Good luck if you try it!
Mel—do you ever use the buttermilk powder in your cooking, rather than fresh. I find it so much easier to have on hand, though I have found some recipes work better with it than others. Just curious if you have any thoughts. I am craving waffles for dinner, but don’t have fresh buttermilk.
ps…can’t wait to try the cheese addition!
Unbelievable waffles, they were so good. Thanks for sharing yet another amazing recipe with our little family in Rwanda! I used 1/4 c. vinegar to 1 1/2 c. milk and it worked perfectly for the buttermilk! Thanks.
Ali – it probably depends on the size of the waffle iron or consistency of the batter so if you have to use a little more, that’s ok!
This is my favorite waffle recipe!! Thank you! 🙂 Never would have thought to put shredded cheese on them but now it’s a “must” anytime we make waffles! One question though – how in the world do you only use 1/3 c. of batter at a time? I have an 8″ waffle iron and I have to use at least twice that much for one waffle, at the very least. 1/3 cup only barely fills half of the iron. Not sure if I’m doing something wrong or what! Either way, they taste amazing!! 🙂
Love these!! They are even better with the cheese, thanks for sharing!
Just found and made these. This is the best waffle recipe I have found so far!! We haven’t tried the cheese yet, but it’s on our cooking to-do list! Thanks so much for sharing this!!
Yum! Just had these for dinner. Surprisingly, everyone loved the cheese. This is our new favorite waffle recipe (with and without the cheese). Thanks!
Melanie, do you have a specific waffle maker that you would recommend? I’ve been debating over which brand to buy for a while, but don’t know anyone that has used a waffle maker before. I think I would prefer one where I could make four waffles at once, but so many at the stores seem cheap. Sorry if someone already asked this…I didn’t go through all the posts! Thanks!
Hi Jessi – I use a really old Black and Decker model that my husband used before we got married. It looks similar to this model. I bought a few four-waffle makers a few years back and had awful luck with them – the waffles stuck and I wasn’t happy with them so I’ve stayed with my tried-and-true round waffle maker. However, I have heard this griddle/waffle maker is pretty decent and it makes four square waffles. Good luck on your search!
Another hit at our house! We had a shortage of cheese (needed it to top the eggs) so we couldn’t try it in the waffles, but we will next time. This will be my go to recipe for waffles from now on!
Oh my! I did not own a waffle iron, but I bought one last week just so I could try your waffles! We had them for supper tonight…some with cheese & some without. They were all WONDERFUL! Seriously, WONDERFUL!!!
Sorry, ….prrrroooobably should have read the reviews below first. Can substitute with Whole Wheat Flour and they are still mmm mmm delicious 🙂 Thanks Mel, and everyone else for your brilliant questions and suggestions… ignore my stupid question and carry on! 🙂
How do these do with Whole Wheat Flour instead of the All Purpose Flour?
This is a great recipe! I make waffles at least 3x a week. I think the 3 tsp of leavener makes them airy inside instead of rubbery. I used a smooth, buttery evoo in place of the butter, and subbed 3/4 cup of the flour as whole wheat, and they were great!!!! I think you need oil in the recipe to make them come out crispy and stay crispy. Try it, and cut your cholesterol, saturated fat, and boost your fiber!! I don’t think you’ll miss the butter.
Thanks, Nikki! Love your changes…
We had these for dinner last night, and I was a little hesitant to try the cheese. After a little nudge from the husband we did and it was delicious. This recipe is great. I did substitute one cup whole wheat flour and loved it that way! We will make these often. Even my two year-old liked them so much he was thrilled to see the left overs at breakfast. And I was thrilled to not make breakfast! Thanks as always for helping me figure out what to put on the table.
Kira – kudos to your husband for encouraging the cheese addition. I also usually add a cup of whole wheat flour. Glad you liked them!
ok, dumb me- two eggs
How many eggs? Yikes, everything is mixed but I don’t see how many eggs to add??
My uncle’s family always has waffles for dinner every Sunday night, and they come up with all sorts of combinations. So I’m used to cheese waffles with syrup (yum!). Cheese and sausage waffles are also tasty, topped with syrup or salsa.
These were so yummy!! I didn’t try them with cheese because I was too lazy to grate it, but I really want to some day! I used 1 c. whole wheat flour, and 3/4 c. white- and we loved them. Thanks Mel!
Stacie – that’s usually the proportion of whole wheat to white flour I use also. So glad you liked these!
Wow, I thought my husband was weird. He will only eat pancakes if I cut up cheese chunks to cook them with. He loves them with coconut syrup! I’m glad to know he’s not the only crazy one, (I guess I am too because I learned to love them)!
We had these tonight, quite possibly the best waffles we have tried. I have been putting cheese in my waffles my whole life. Sometimes, we also put bacon in them. Even better with maple syrup.
Rusby – my husband will be glad to know there are others loving cheese on their waffles. I’m very glad these waffles were such a homerun!
Just munching on one of these right now. Love the cheese addition. Yummmy!
TaLaisa – brave girl! Most people tell us we are crazy for the cheese…glad you liked them!
Erica – this is probably too late, but yes, we serve these with maple syrup (even with the cheese on top). It makes for a salty, sweet combination.
I’m trying these tonight but I have a question: When you make them with cheese do you pour maple syrup on top?
I love your site! I’ve been planning my weekly menus with your site. Thanks!
RC – thanks for letting me know you liked this waffle recipe. I know the cheese is a little weird – but my husband will be so proud that you tried it!
Tried this with and without cheese. We liked it! Nice to mix things up a bit. And a useful way to get rid of the last bit of cheese in the fridge before it goes bad. 🙂
You sold me I will be trying this, I am certainly not one to judge since I eat my waffles with sour cream and strawberries. Can't wait.
Nicole – that is a hilarious story about Scott and his grunting his approval about these waffles. I’m so glad he’s able to eat processed milk now!
Okay, we didn’t try the cheese, but I just made these and they were so delicious! I was curious about Scott trying the buttermilk and he passed. I went out of the room for a minute and heard him making a funny noise…I thought he was having throat troubles but it turned out to be him grunting about how good they were. He said, “Mom! These are the best waffles I’ve ever eaten!”
Thanks again Mel!
try cheese with french toast! melted between two pieces, yummy! Awesome with maple or buttermilk syrup which is our favorite
I will try it only because so far, you havent failed me with any of your recipes…..however, a skeptic I will always be! Cheese on waffles?
Hi Katie – this batch of waffles makes about 6 waffles on my circle belgian waffle maker, so it sounds like you might want to double, if not triple, the batch. You can always freeze the cooked waffles and reheat them if you have leftovers. Let me know how they turn out!
Can’t wait to try this! I grew up doing a similar thing with french toast. You just basically make a french toast grilled cheese, but then serve it with syrup. My husband has yet to convert, but I love it!
How many waffles does one batch make? I have a family of 6, and my oldest LOVES his waffles and pancakes…just need to know if I should double the recipe. It sounds delicious!!
I LOVE buttermilk waffles too!! The cheese sounds good–we are BIG cheese fans here-so I will have to try it! Yum!
I love this! I always say that I could eat cheese on anything…I will have to try it. I am sure it is great!
I’m gonna have to try it just because I am curious now!! I have never heard of anyone putting cheese on waffles!
I just made these waffles–served with coconut syrup, fresh berries and a dot of whipped cream. I would call it a breakfast dessert! Yummy!
Oh, I am so going to try this. I bet it is awesome. My mom is from Canada and always gets funny looks for putting cheddar cheese with her apple pie. It gets me thinking about a version of this, maybe with some baked apples and bacon. Hmmm… now you’ve really got me thinking! Nice work!
Cindy – wow! That combination of coconut syrup, berries and whipped cream sounds decadent…and divine! I’m so glad you liked the waffle recipe!