These Homemade Buttermilk Waffles are a family favorite!! They cook up crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside and are a delicious breakfast that feels extra special any day of the week.
Warm buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla make a tender batter with classic diner flavor, and the recipe is simple enough for sleepy mornings.
We love to top these with our Buttermilk Syrup, or for a favorite twist, Cinnamon Buttermilk Syrup. No matter how you top them, they are sure to be a hit!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Kid-approved. Our kids love these waffles just as much as they love a stack of Pancakes or a slice of French Toast!
- Start eating in 20 minutes! From start to finish, you’ll be pulling hot waffles from the waffle iron in no time.
- The toppings are endless. Sweet or savory, pick your favorite toppings and enjoy! We especially love fresh fruit and Whipped Cream.
Buttermilk Waffles Ingredients
- All-purpose flour (2 cups): Gives structure so waffles hold their shape yet stay tender.
- Sugar (2 tablespoons): Lightly sweetens and helps the surface caramelize and crisp.
- Baking powder (2 teaspoons): Provides lift for airy pockets.
- Baking soda (1 teaspoon): Reacts with buttermilk for extra rise and a golden finish.
- Salt (½ teaspoon): Balances sweetness and sharpens flavor.
- Buttermilk (2 cups, warm): Adds tang, tenderness, and steam for a soft interior. Learn How to Make Buttermilk using 2 cups of milk and lemon juice.
- Butter (⅓ cup, melted): Enriches the batter and promotes crisp edges.
- Eggs (2): Bind the batter and create a light, custardy crumb.
- Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon): Adds bakery style aroma and rounds out the flavor.
- optional toppings – Maple Syrup, Cinnamon Buttermilk Syrup, Strawberry Sauce, Nutella, Whipped Cream and fresh berries, powdered sugar, or even Fried Chicken
How to Make Buttermilk Waffles
BATTER. In a medium bowl, whisk 2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt.
In another medium bowl, whisk 2 cups buttermilk and ⅓ cup melted butter. Add 2 eggs and stir until combined.
Add the flour mixture to wet ingredients and whisk until just combined (there were still lumps). Fold in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
COOK. Preheat the waffle iron and grease. Pour about ⅓-½ cup of batter into the waffle iron (or until the batter reaches about ½ inch to the edge of the iron). Cook until ready. Top with syrup and berries.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Do not over-mix, whisk just until combined and leave small lumps so the crumb stays tender.
- Rest the batter 10 minutes as written, this hydrates flour and boosts browning.
- Preheat the waffle iron fully and grease lightly, hot plates give the best crisp edges.
- Keep finished waffles warm and crisp on a rack set over a sheet pan in a 225°F oven until serving.
- Check out our Homemade Waffle Mix to have on hand to whip these up even faster.
Buttermilk Waffle Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups buttermilk, warm
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another medium bowl, whisk buttermilk and butter. Add eggs and stir until combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk until just combined (there were still lumps). Fold in vanilla. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the waffle iron and grease. Pour about ⅓-½ cup of batter into the waffle iron (or until the batter reaches about ½ inch to the edge of the iron). Cook until ready. Top with syrup and berries.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
The batter can be made the night before and kept covered in the fridge. Allow it to come to room temperature and give it a gentle stir before pouring it into the waffle iron.
Let the waffles cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or wrap each waffle in plastic and store together in a container in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Complete The Meal
Sides
Scrambled Eggs
9 mins
Bacon in the Oven
23 mins
Breakfast Potatoes Recipe
30 mins
Easy Fruit Salad Recipe
1 hr 20 mins
Drinks
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This recipe was originally published July 2019.
This waffle batter recipe is fantastic! Light and crispy. Made them for my toddler classroom and they loved them. I used a dash mini waffle maker and a round Belgian waffle maker. We compared small and large circles and ate our curriculum afterwards 🙂 Bonus…making these waffles used up the buttermilk we had left over from making cinnamon friendship bread last week 👍🏻
Oh thank you! What a fun lesson plan and a great way to compare small and large. So glad this recipe could come in handy!
Can you keep the batter in the fridge
Yes! The batter can be made the night before and kept covered in the fridge. Allow it to come to room temperature and give it a gentle stir before pouring onto the waffle iron.
I haven’t made waffles in many years, and then it was only with mixes. Good mixes, King Arthur, Bob’s Red Mill, but still a mix.
I wanted to make real buttermilk waffles as a treat for my husband, whose birthday is tomorrow. So I searched the internet for recipes, and finally decided to make this one.
Only difference is I tried to whip the egg whites and added them last for extra fluffiness. Mine didn’t whip up right, I got a little yolk in it. But I figured it whipped up enough, and gently folding them in the batter.
These waffles were outstanding, if I say so myself, lol! They were delicious with a crispy crust and tender texture inside. I’ll be making this recipe for waffles again, no more mixes for me!
Yay!! I’m so happy the recipe was a hit. The mixes are great, but there’s something about homemade waffles! 😉 I’m glad you gave these a try and enjoyed them!
I love the taste of these waffles but there seems to be an error on my end!! I can’t for the life of me make these tasty waffles come out light and fluffy! 🙁 what am I doing wrong?
It helps a lot if your eggs and milk are brought to room temp first!
Yes, that could help! Another tip is to make sure not to over-mix the batter- the less you fuss with the batter the fluffier your waffles will be! I always let my batter sit for a few minutes to thicken before I make the waffles. This helps them to be extra fluffy too!
This recipe is perfect. Light, fluffy, crispy (right out of the waffle iron) … It’s the only waffle recipe we use.
This is the best waffle recipe we have found ever!!!
My husband said these were some of the best waffles he’s ever had. I added some chocolate chips to the batter as well. Definitely would recommend giving this recipe a try!!
Incredible- I’m currently doing undergraduate research for my college, and let me tell you, I’m head over heels in love with these. Thanks for the y amazing recipe!!
(I have a mini-waffle maker and freeze them in batches… right out of the toaster, they’re an easy breakfast!)
So good! Perfectly crispy and delicious! I used egg replacer and they still came out fluffy and crisp. I added a teaspoon of cinnamon and a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg for an extra bit of flavor. These would go perfectly with butter pecan syrup as well. Definitely the best waffle recipe I’ve tried. Next time I’ll make a double batch so I can freeze some.
Oh my goodness! The BEST waffle recipe I have ever tasted. Huge game changer is using White Lily all purpose flour and very little folding of wet to dry ingredients. Oh my!