What makes a waffle? Is it the iron? For without one, you’re pretty much just looking at a pancake. Is it the batter? What if you put something other than waffle batter into your waffle iron? What if you put a sandwich in there (yep, we’ve done it)? Whatever they are, we’re in LOVE. They’re one of our favorite brunch foods, they make for a great anytime snack, and you can “waffle” almost anything to great effect (think LOTS of crispy corners). Don’t even get us started on the magic combination that is chicken & waffles (we’ve got four recipes here). Check out our best waffle recipes for ideas—dust off that iron and get to wafflin’!
Before we get to all the crazy waffle recipes we bet you’re really here for, you’re going to want to perfect the art of making a classic waffle first. Try our best homemade waffles, our buttermilk waffles, or our Belgian waffles. Our number one tip for all of them: DON'T OVERMIX THE BATTER. Waffle batters should be lumpy when they get poured into waffle makers, never smooth.
Once you’ve got those down, you can pretty much add any flavor you like to a waffle. You could go sweet, like with our pumpkin waffles, our red velvet waffles, or our chocolate chip cookie waffles. More of a savory breakfast person? Try our cornbread waffles, our Parm waffle egg in a hole, or our cauliflower waffles. You could also put things other than waffle batter into your iron, like in our pizza waffles, our mozzarella stick waffles, our omelet waffles, or our waffle iron grilled cheeses. No waffle iron? We got you. Try making our grill pan waffles, or check out one of our recipes that improves upon pre-made freezer waffles, like our waffle breakfast tacos or our chicken n' waffles casserole.
Want more breakfast inspiration? Try our top breakfast casserole recipes, our fun breakfast for dinner ideas, and our favorite brunch cocktails too.
Belgian Waffles
Light, fluffy, and slightly crispy on the outside, these waffles are PERFECT. To make them even more authentic, add crunchy pearl sugar (a European specialty sugar that's more like rock candy than granulated sugar) to the batter.
Get the Belgian Waffles recipe.
Chicken & Waffles
Making fried chicken and waffles at the same time is quite a feat, but this soul food classic is worth the effort. We think the best course of action is as follows: Get your chicken in a buttermilk brine, whip up your waffles and pop 'em in a 200° oven to stay warm. THEN take out your chicken, bread, and fry. Voilà! Perfectly timed brunch.
Get the Chicken & Waffles recipe.
Buttermilk Waffles
The perfect way to begin any day that stretches lazily ahead is with a batch of these tender buttermilk waffles, topped with pats of melty butter and pools of maple syrup. As they cook, the waffles will fill your kitchen with the delicious fragrance of vanilla-scented batter. It's heavenly.
Get the Buttermilk Waffles recipe.
Magic Low-Carb Waffles
We realize that by calling these "magic," they better really deliver—trust us, they do. The batter is basically eggs, mashed bananas, almond butter, and a few tablespoons of flour, so you won't feel like these are weighing you down at all!
Get the Magic Low-Carb Waffles recipe.
Best Homemade Waffles
You've probably heard this a thousand times, but we're going to tell you once more: For the perfect waffles, DON'T OVERMIX THE BATTER. Waffle batters should be lumpy when they get poured into waffle makers, never smooth.
Get the Best Homemade Waffles recipe.
Banana Bread Waffles
This is our dream breakfast, and surprise, it's made using almost the same exact batter as our favorite banana bread! Don't own a waffle iron yet? Check out our best waffle irons to buy too.
Get the Banana Bread Waffles recipe.
Almond Flour Keto Waffles
Almond flour and Swerve are used in place of flour and sugar in these waffles. (You could also use Stevia.) Almond butter and butter (a full stick!) provide the fat. Remember fat = good on the keto diet. These waffles will keep you full and satisfied for hours.
Get the Almond Flour Keto Waffles recipe.
Chicken & Waffle Breakfast Sandwich
When thinking through how we could perfectly transform chicken and waffles into a perfect sandwich, we knew that just sticking a piece of chicken between two waffles might be a little dry. So we added some ingredients to make a "sauce": runny egg yolk and habanero hot honey. 😍
Waffle Iron Grilled Cheese
If you love the crispy cheesy bits of grilled cheeses (and who doesn't?!), you gotta try this genius waffle iron hack.
Get the Waffle Iron Grilled Cheese recipe.
Pumpkin Waffles
Pumpkin puree and ground spices (you could use pumpkin pie spice instead) are the stars in these waffles, providing signature fall-inspired flavors. Though they’re extra crispy on the outside, the inside stays extra tender from the pumpkin puree and buttermilk. Top them with your favorite syrup and enjoy!
Get the Pumpkin Waffles recipe.
Chicken 'n' Waffles Casserole
Southern chicken & waffles are the BEST, but getting everything out at the same time can be tricky. When you need to feed a crowd quick, use our freezer waffle and breaded chicken hack instead!
Get the Chicken 'n' Waffles Casserole recipe.
Cinnamon Sugar Waffle Dippers
If you're short on time, you could skip the batter-making steps for these churro-inspired dippers and just use a boxed mix. But let it be known that this recipe guarantees fluffy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside waffles. It's really the best!
Get the Cinnamon Sugar Waffle Dippers recipe.
Pizza Waffles
Pizza bagels are so last year. Instead, put store-bought canned biscuit dough, mozzarella, and pizza sauce (plus pepperoni or whatever your pizza-loving heart desires) into your waffle iron for the easiest pizza twist ever.
Get the Pizza Waffles recipe.
Omelet Waffles
Making an omelet is sometimes more than we can handle in the morning. The flipping is hard! Using your waffle maker makes it the easiest thing ever to make yourself an easy, high-protein breakfast.
Get the Omelet Waffles recipe.
Grill Pan Waffles
It really burns when a craving for homemade waffles hits, but you don't own a waffle maker. We've got you—your grill pan can make some pretty cool-looking waffles. They still cook up perfectly fluffy and have plenty of ridges for holding extra syrup. It's the perfect breakfast (or dinner 😉).
Get the Grill Pan Waffles recipe.
Tie-Dye Fruity Pebbles-Crusted Waffles
With these tie-dye Belgian waffles, the breakfast classic gets a much-needed makeover—and we’re so here for it. From now on, adding Fruity PEBBLES cereal into the batter, around the sides, and on top of your waffle is a must. Think of it as sweet and fruity confetti (that also adds a super satisfying crunch)!
Mac 'n' Cheese Waffles
Proof that a waffle iron makes everything better, even boxed macaroni & cheese.
Get the Mac 'n' Cheese Waffles recipe.
Red Velvet Waffles
Take your love for red velvet cake to the next level. We love ours topped with a cream cheese frosting-inspired icing and mini chocolate chips, but feel free to go classic with maple syrup and butter too.
Get the Red Velvet Waffles recipe.
Mozzarella Stick Waffles
Imagine mozzarella sticks but with crispy waffled nooks and crannies. The good news is that it's perfectly possible to have them soon…like within 20 minutes. The recipe is so fabulously easy: Once you dredge mozzarella sticks in flour, eggs, then breadcrumbs, all they need is 4 to 5 minutes in the waffle iron (compared to 20 minutes in the oven!).
Get the Mozzarella Stick Waffles recipe.
Cornbread Waffles
Your favorite Southern-style cornbread—no baking required. We went for a sweet version here, but we think these would be great savory too. Try adding some cheese and jalapeños for a fun twist.
Get the Cornbread Waffles recipe.
