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
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!