I have been trying to perfect this recipe for quite some time now and I’ve finally done it! These are by far the best waffles I have ever made. They are soft yet crispy, with a perfect crunch.
I just love waffles, even more than pancakes. I love the little nooks that cup the syrup and buttery goodness...soo yummy!! And I find that pancakes get soggy after a bit, also they’re not good reheated. Which is another reason why I love these waffles, they might feel soft and spongy once they’ve reached room temperature and sat out for a bit but once you toast them for a few minutes - they’re back to crisp and crunchy again!
After experimenting around with different variations of this recipe and some research, I found out what the key to a crispy, airy waffle is - OIL! Not butter surprisingly but oil!! Yes, butter adds a better flavor but oil has more liquid and to make a lighter waffle, the batter has to be on the thinner side. So that’s what I had been doing wrong during my other trials.
The 2nd part that also gives fluff and air to these waffles, is the whipped egg white. Do NOT skip this part! This is what makes the waffle amazing! I haven’t tried it without whipped egg whites so I’m not sure what it would be like if you decided to skip this step but my guess is that it would turn out more on the dense side.
So the third and final ingredient that makes the crunch factor is Belgian Pearl Sugar. I just recently learned about this sugar from my cousin, this week to be exact. She told me that it melts while cooking so it adds a sweet, sugary crunch. I ordered it from Amazon right away, lol! It’s linked below. However, this ingredient is optional as most of you probably don’t have it hand but certainly order if you wanna make your waffle extra like I did! Hopefully y’all have most or all of these ingredients already, they’re all kitchen staples.
I know most of you may not have a waffle maker but again, Amazon to the rescue! I have the Presto Ceramic Flipside Belgian Waffle maker and I love it. You don’t have to grease it prior to pouring the batter and the waffle peels right off. Easy to wipe and clean too. If you don’t want to spend $40 on this one then there is another option. My friend, Krishna, told me about the Dash Mini-Maker Waffle iron for only $10! She’s heard great things and the reviews seem awesome as well. Not a bad deal at all and you can have it delivered so no excuse not to try! This recipe is super easy too and comes together quickly.
In my Instagram stories, I had done a poll for either a plain or flavored waffle recipe. Majority of you chose plain so that’s what this recipe is for but I’ll add some mix-in options for different flavors so you can make it yours!
I’m extremely proud of this recipe, hope you guys love this one as much as hubby and I did!! Bon appetít!!
Belgian Waffles
Yields: 4 waffles
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour (unbleached)
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 egg, separated
1 tbsp granulated sugar
4 tsp Belgian Pearl Sugar (optional)
Directions:
1. Turn waffle iron on to preheat.
2. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
3. In a measuring cup, add milk, oil, vanilla extract, and egg yolk - whisk to combine.
4. Add milk/oil mixture to the bowl of flour and whisk or stir to combine. Set aside.
5. In another bowl, add egg white and sugar. Beat with a whip or cake mixer until fluffy and stiff peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.
6. Add egg white fluff to the rest of the batter and fold in gently. Make sure not to over mix or you will deflate the air in the egg white. Just fold gently until it’s combined.
7. Pour about 3/4 cup of the batter onto the waffle iron, sprinkle 1 tsp of the Belgian sugar if using, close and cook for 4 minutes. Once done, open waffle maker and remove waffle carefully with tongs and set on rack or eat immediately!
8. Top with a pat of butter and syrup, or even fresh fruit of your choice, enjoy!
**To reheat: toast for 2-3 minutes until waffle is crispy again and warm throughout.
Flavor mix-in options:
Chocolate Chip-
Add 1/3 cup chocolate chips.
Cardamom Rose-
Omit vanilla extract and replace with 1 tbsp rose water. Add 1/4 tsp ground cardamom.
Almond Joy-
Add 1/4 cup chocolate chips, 1/4 cup desiccated coconut, 1/4 cup crushed
almonds.
Lemon Rose-
Omit vanilla extract and replace with 1 tbsp rose water. Add 1 tbsp lemon zest.
White Chocolate Raspberry-
Add 1/4 cup white chocolate chips & 1/3 cup muddled raspberries - muddle with 1 tsp sugar then mix in.
Blueberry-
Add 1/2 cup blueberries.
Cinnamon Vanilla-
Add 1 more tbsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder.
Pecan Pie-
Add 1/3 cup chopped pecans, 1/4 tsp cinnamon sugar, & 3 tbsp light brown sugar.
The options are endless! Have fun with it and get creative!
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to see your recreation! Please tag me @thecurriedcook or #thecurriedcook so I can see! Thanks again for your continued support!