Overnight Raised Waffles
The fluffiest, lightest waffles made with a yeasted batter that rests overnight. These are the best waffles ever!
Wondering what to make for breakfast this weekend? Raised waffles! Raised waffles! Of course.
If you’ve never tried a raised waffle (also called yeasted waffles), you are really missing out.
The texture and flavor is like no other waffle that ever was. It doesn’t hurt that the batter is required (bossy but true) to be whisked together the night before which makes the morning prep wickedly fast.
These lovely waffles along with our favorite buttermilk version (made with whole wheat flour) are definite Saturday morning waffle staples. While the buttermilk recipe is a bit lighter and delicate, these raised waffles are tender and a bit more sturdy (which doesn’t translate into dense and heavy – they just happen to be a bit heartier).
Raised waffles are classic breakfast fare. I’m going to be whipping up a batch of these this very night to enjoy on our lazy* Saturday morning tomorrow. Join me?
*Lazy being another word for work-your-fingers-to-the-bone since I already have the kids’ chore lists written out. Saturday chore fests are kind of a tradition around here. Of course my kids would rather we abolish the chore tradition altogether. Don’t worry for them, though, they get paid in self-worth and waffles.
One Year Ago: Soft Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Two Years Ago: Crepes, Crepes, Crepes!
Three Years Ago: Syrup Solution: Homemade Maple Syrup
Overnight Raised Waffles
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups milk
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) salted butter, cut into pieces
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 cups (568 g) all-purpose or white whole wheat flour or a combination (see note)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
Instructions
- Make the batter 12-24 hours in advance and refrigerate tightly covered. Use a bowl that gives the batter at least double the space to puff and rise so the batter doesn’t overflow in the refrigerator.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and butter and warm over medium-low heat until the butter is just melted and the mixture is warm to the touch. Set aside. Whisk together the eggs and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
- Stir the warm milk/butter mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Whisk in the egg mixture, stirring just until incorporated.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
- When ready to make waffles, stir the batter down gently. Heat a waffle iron and cook the waffles – amount of batter used will depend on the manufacturer instructions.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from a recipe my Aunt Marilyn gave me years ago
I made this recipe using the 50% white flour and 50% wheat flour and they were very good. I accidently used active dry yeast instead of instant yeast and they still turned out good. I’ll be sure to grab the correct yeast next time – LOL. I made a 1/2 recipe to test it first and will be making the full recipe next time as it is definitely a keeper. Using a mini waffle maker with half recipe makes about 15.
Delicious! Will definitely make again!
Has anyone ever made this with buttermilk before?
Love all your recipes, best most reliably good/easy recipe site I’ve found.
Thank you!
I haven’t tried these with buttermilk but I’m guessing it would work!
Tried this recipe today with whole buttermilk and and it was yummy!!
Can this be made with dry yeast? If so, would I just proof the yeast and add it in with the rest on the ingredients? Thanks!
Yes, exactly!
I made these with half white and half whole wheat flour and they are just lovely! The recipe is so easy and it made enough for this morning and to freeze for 6 or 7 generous breakfast for the two of us, i.e., 28 4″ waffles. Thank you! These just became a regular part of my menu rotation! <3 The amount of yeast was just perfect, I think.
I am wondering if yeast amount can be reduced? I made similar waffles once and they were good but had kind of yeasty taste. I am thinking that yeast breeds (increases) overnight and smaller amount should be fine. What do you think?
Sure, you could definitely experiment with that.
Made these this morning as we have waffles on Wednesdays. 🙂 (Monday muffins, Tuesday toast…) I keep a very simple breakfast rotation each week. 🙂
They were yummy and it was nice to have the batter already made! They also make good pancakes! thanks!
About how many does this recipe make?
it depends on the size of the waffle iron, but maybe right around 8 6-inch waffles.
Hi Mel, i have made this waffles twice and both times the batter didn’t double in size. I know the yeast is good because i made rolls with it just fine. Do you know what could be my problem?
Hmmm, I’m not sure, Jocy – are you using instant yeast or active dry?
Instant
Could it be because i used the pot lid to cover instead of plastic wrap? Maybe it wasn’t tightly cover?
I don’t know if that would really matter – but I guess you could try it with plastic wrap and see next time.
I just made these for the first time last night, and this morning they didn’t double in size. It looked like the batter hardly rose at all, though it was a little bubbly on top. I was thinking that maybe my milk/butter mixture was too hot when I added it to the dry ingredients. It was hot to the touch after I melted the butter, so I let it sit a few minutes to get it warm rather than hot, but I think I didn’t wait long enough. Can’t that kill the yeast if it’s too hot? Maybe that was the problem.
Raquel
A really hot mixture could kill the yeast, yes, but if your mixture was just warm, it shouldn’t have made a difference, especially if the yeast was mixed in with the dry ingredients. Did you use instant yeast?
I did use instant yeast. My mixture was definitely hot by the time the butter melted, and then I let it sit for a few minutes, but I was too lazy to touch it again. I just assumed I had let it sit long enough and that it was warm. It very well may still have been hot. My laziness was probably the problem! 🙂 I will try again another day and report back. Thanks for you blog and your fantastic recipes!
Thanks Mel! Made these & they are great!!
Going to try this recipe. Curious, do these freeze well? I like making waffles ahead of time sometimes so that we can just grab and pop in the toaster. Thanks! 🙂
Yes, they freeze great! 🙂
Made these today, batter yesterday of course. They were wonderful. I halved your recipe and used half white, half whole wheat flour. It made 6 Belgium style waffles. Yummy! Next time I will add flax seeds to the batter and make enough to freeze! My kids and husband gobbled up what I made and barely left any for me, ha!
I was a little scared to try these because I’ve never used yeast before…ever. They weren’t hard to make and turned out great! We are going to try the other waffle recipe next Sunday.
Hi Mel, love your website! I want to make these waffles Christmas morning, but I think I may need to double the recipe. Should I double the yeast and how big of a bowl should I put it in if I do double it? Thanks!!
Hi Darcy – yes, I’d probably double the yeast (or at least 1 1/2 it) and use about quadruple the size of batter for bowl-size – it expands a lot!
Thank you!!
Looking forward to making these on Saturday! Do you also top these with cheddar cheese? Or do these not work with cheese?
Bri H. – Yep, we still put cheese on these, too, although I think the cheese tastes slightly better on the buttermilk waffles.
I’m wondering if you can give me some advice. I want to do a waffle bar for the open house after my son’s missionary farewell (we have 9:00 church). I have made your raised waffles and loved, loved, loved them. I’m expecting there to be a lot of people so I don’t want to do something that is going to hold up a line and take for ever. So here’s what I’m debating about. Should I make a ton of waffles the day before and re-heat them in the oven then serve them from a large rectangular chafing dish, OR should I have a separate table from the rest of the buffet table just for the waffles- I’ve got 2 of those rotating waffle makers and they could be made fresh right there on the spot. The thing that bugs be about the second option is the “presentation”. I know that I’m a little (ok, a lot) on the ocd side when it comes to that and I can’t really think of a way for the batter to look good besides using a batter dispenser and I’m worried that the batter for these might be too thick for a dispenser anyway. I know that I don’t want ugly Tupperware bowls of batter on the table. I guess my main question is if you think reheating the waffles would be an unjustifiable crime!!!???
Hi Julie – sounds like a fun idea! Two things come to mind after reading your comment: 1) If you wanted the waffles made fresh right there, could you fill up pitchers (like juice pitchers) with the batter and put the pitcher lid on them so the batter comes out through the spout? That might help with the presentation or make it less messy. Or you could even do it like the hotels I’ve been at where there are already disposable cups filled with just the right amount of batter lined up and when you want a waffle, you grab a cup, pour in the batter and make one. The lined up cups of batter would look just fine, I think! 2) If you do decide to make the waffles ahead of time, I think that would be ok, too. I’ve found that waffles made ahead of time can dry out a bit so I’d be sure to not overheat them back up (that’s when they’d dry out). I definitely don’t think it would be a crime – just make sure they stay nice and tender on the inside. Good luck!
Mel, you are seriously the best ever! I love your blog and every single recipe I have tried has been fantastic! – You should consider adding a page or a few posts about your favorite kitchen gear, I know you’ve mentioned in a few posts about things like the scale, and other items. I think it would be a great resource to add to your website (kinda like America’s Test Kitchen cookbooks)
Megan – You are in luck, I already have a Favorite Things list compiled. Check out THIS link.
Thanks! I made it last night and this morning they were delicious. I think the milk was warm enough to proof the yeast. I will pick some instant up the next time I go to SAMs! Thanks for the tip and excellent blog!
Ack! I only have active dry yeast…will it make a big difference? I almost always cook with active dry, where do you find your instant yeast in bulk? Do you prefer instant over active?
Hi Julie – active dry yeast will work fine – it just needs to be proofed in the warm milk mixture until it is bubbly before mixing with the other ingredients. I buy my instant yeast from Sam’s (the Fleischmann brand). I only use instant, mostly because it is easier to work with in my opinion (doesn’t need proofing, can be added to dry ingredients, can often eliminate one rise if using instant) but really either active dry or instant will produce the same end results as long as that active dry gets proofed.
Hi Mel, thanks for another fabulous recipe. I had been thinking about making overnight waffles for a while now and this recipe is fantastic. We loved them, they froze really well too and crisped up in the toaster nicely.
Hi! Love your recipes. I made these and in the morning the batter was really really thick, it took awhile to cook as well. Is this nomal?
Andrea – The batter isn’t overly thick…but its definitely thicker than pancake batter. You might need to thin it out with milk next time or weigh the flour with a lighter touch.
Three cheers for raised waffles! I have had raised waffles but never knew to call em that.
I can’t wait to make these! We are waffle fiends at this house, and will eat them anytime, any meal! :o) I’ve had the GE version of the Black & Decker waffle iron for over 30 years, and it is still going strong! I love that the plates come out for easy cleaning in the sink. But no bell for the timing….which means you have to watch the light (that was always the kids job! lol) I LOVE my Villaware Waffle BOAT iron….has a bell, yay…..and makes little boats that you can fill with fruit and chocolate sauce, and top with whipped cream! Waffle desserts! Yah!
Oooh I am dieing to get a waffle maker so I can make amazing waffles like these!!
I made these for last night for breakfast this morning. I saw your instruction on using a big bowl to avoid spillage. Well I thought I used a big enough bowl, a 5qt bowl. To my hot or this morning when I opened the fridge, spillage! I should have taken a picture but it was too early in the morning. Ooopppssss.
Thank you, Mel, for saving me from a recipe disaster. That moment of cockiness when I thought I could come up to the Mel cooking level by adding cake flour to these already perfected waffles to make them even more delicious. I stand corrected and thank you for patiently enduring the foolishness of this reader and saving me from excitedly waiting 12 hours to serve my family waffles that most likely would not have turned out as tender, fluffy, and flavorful as this posted recipe. I’m making them again tomorrow for breakfast before church. I was surprised to read of “bad” waffle irons. I have been using for fifteen years my mom’s inherited thirty year old waffle iron that works beautifully. Another blessing to be thankful to have!
I love yeast waffles so much!! These look perfect!
I just printed out the recipe. Making it tonight so that we can have yummy waffles tomorrow AM!
Hi Mel.
Recently discovered your website and I LOVE IT!! Question, definitely need to half this recipe. Do I still have to add the 1 tbsp. of yeast to the halved recipe or do I cut it down to what? 1 tsp?
Thanks, Jackie
Jackie – I’d suggest just cutting the yeast in half with a halved recipe (so 1 1/2 teaspoons). I am glad you are enjoying the recipes!
Oh man, I’ve been making these for years! I can’t believe I hadn’t shared the recipe with you! Either way, I’m so glad you found them 🙂 sprinkle with pearled sugar and you have a perfect waffle to-go!
I was wondering how fine you grind your wheat for these and for bread? Do you use the coarse bread flour setting or grind it more fine?
Tibby – I always grind my wheat flour on the finest setting possible (I only use the coarse setting when making cracked wheat or something similar).
Saturday chores….it was always awesome when a friend called Saturday morning……..me: I have to do chores first. Friend: Whaaatt? Me: Doesn’t everyone do Saturday chores?
I see all kinds of pancake and waffle recipes that call for butter from a small amount to a large amount. I never add any kind of fat to mine. If they were any better I don’t think we could stand it. HAHA!!!
These look tasty!!!
Mel – You read my mind. My husband and I are thinking of upgrading our waffle iron. We want thick Belgian waffles (not the flimsy ones we get now), but we don’t want to spend a fortune on a waffle iron. Any suggestions??
Hi Christine – I subsisted on bad waffle irons for the last ten years and we had to keep replacing them over and over again. I just spent a fortune on one with some birthday money I had saved up and the thing is amazing:
http://www.amazon.com/Calphalon-No-Peek-Waffle-Maker/dp/B001CHL3Q0/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1396631324&sr=8-9&keywords=waffle+iron
Plus, it makes four smaller waffles so I can feed my kids faster (versus the ones that make one circle waffle at a time). However, this one is pretty highly rated on amazon too for about half the cost:
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Waffle-Indoor-Griddle/dp/B000063XH7/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1396631324&sr=8-6&keywords=waffle+iron
Incidentally, I’ve owned that one, also (I swear, I’ve had almost every brand on the market) but it fell of a really tall shelf years ago and cracked…and actually broke my crockpot in the fall, also. Boo!
Great post — promotes yummy food, hard work, and self-worth! I’m wondering after all the versions of flour that you used, how they would turn out using half of your newly posted cake flour with half whole wheat? I think I will give it a try. Your original Mel creations rock — two in one week! They are the best!
Sheila – good question on the cake flour. I don’t think I’d use it here, personally, since the waffles are pretty light and tender as is, although, any experiment is worth a try. 🙂
PS: I’m making these waffles tonight!!
Mel!
I have great news. Scratch that, super awesome news. I’ll know you’ll appreciate my little food experiments, being a bit of a food nerd yourself, so here it is. I’ve found the best brownie recipe. They’re different from yours… but in an awesome way. If you want more melty chocolate chip yummyness, then these are the bomb. So yah, please check them out? 😀 xxx Gaby
The Gift of Gaby – The Best Ooey Gooey Chocolatey Brownies – Ever