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Best Ever Healthy Waffle Recipe

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These whole wheat waffles are crisp on the outside, and deliciously light and chewy on the inside. From Sunday morning brunch to quick weekday breakfast, this Healthy Waffle Recipe does it all!

whole wheat waffles topped with whipped cream and fresh berries

Why We Love This Healthy Waffle Recipe

Do you have any recipes in your repertoire that you feel like you couldn’t live without? Recipes that are so essential to the way you feed your family, that you’re not sure how you would manage, day-to-day, without them?

Best-Ever Healthy Waffles are one of those recipes for us. They are healthy and whole, easy to make, crisp, fluffy, and perfectly basic. I can be assured that everyone in the house, even the picky eaters, will love them. And they store beautifully in the freezer.

Thank you, breakfast gods, for these waffles!

Ingredients for Healthy Waffles:

  • whole milk– the extra fat from whole milk helps tenderize and add richness to these waffles, but you can substitute low-fat or dairy free milk.
  • egg– flax eggs work well in waffles if you are looking for an egg-free waffle. Use 1 tbsp flax + 3 tbsp water to replace the egg.
  • vanilla– optional, but delicious!
  • maple syrup– we think this is the perfect sweetener for waffles, but you can easily substitute honey or sugar here.
  • butter– we like using salted butter, but coconut oil or vegetable oil work too!
  • whole wheat flour– white whole wheat flour will produce a lighter waffle. Spoon and level when measuring to avoid adding too much flour which will produce a denser waffle.
  • baking powder– this will help to lighten your waffles.
  • salt
ingredients for whole wheat waffles

How to Make our Healthy Waffle Recipe:

  1. Preheat waffle iron. A nice hot waffle iron is the secret to super crispy waffles.
  2. Whisk together wet ingredients.
  3. Whisk together dry ingredients.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir JUST until combined. Some lumps are okay. Do not over mix!
  5. Cook until golden brown and crispy.
  6. Sit back and enjoy eating the world’s best waffles ever.
process shots of how to make our healthy waffle recipe

How to Serve these Healthy Waffles:

These waffles are also real workhorses in a house with kids. Of course, they make a welcome Sunday breakfast, topped with fresh fruit and a drizzle of pure maple syrup. But they taste just as amazing reheated in the toaster oven for a quick weekday breakfast or a new spin on lunchbox sandwiches.

In fact, making waffle sandwiches is one of my favorite ways to use leftover waffles. Try these tasty and nutritious fillings (that each include a protein to round things out!)

  • Cottage cheese, raisins, and cinnamon
  • Peanut butter and banana slices
  • Ham and cheese
  • Egg and spinach

The biggest reason these wheat waffles are so versatile is that they freeze amazingly well. I like to double the recipe so you can store the leftovers in gallon-sized freezer bags for quick eats.

whole wheat waffles topped with whipped cream, fresh fruit and maple syrup

Which waffle iron should I use?

I love this Cuisinart model. It’s affordable and compact, and it makes thin American waffles. These waffles are easy to freeze and reheat in a toaster, and work great if using your waffles to make a sandwich. The waffle iron is also super easy to clean!

Belgian waffles are thicker, with deep pockets and have that extra-crispy texture. We love these healthy waffles for company or special occasion breakfasts. We love this Belgian Waffle Iron because it cooks two waffles at once!

Rest assured, though: Best-Ever Healthy Waffles will work in any type of waffle iron.

overhead shot of a whole wheat waffle topped with berries and syrup

More Delicious Waffle Recipes to Try:

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3.3 from 404 votes

Best-Ever Healthy Waffle Recipe

These Whole Wheat Waffles are crisp on the outside, and deliciously light and chewy on the inside. From Sunday morning brunch to quick weekday breakfast, these waffles do it all!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 305kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Plug in waffle iron to preheat.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together milk, egg, vanilla, maple syrup, and melted butter.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Dump the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and stir until just combined. Some lumps are OK!
  • Pour batter into the waffle iron, one half cup at a time, and cook until golden brown and crispy.
  • Cool leftover waffles completely before storing in freezer bags in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

Original Recipe: 
  • 2 + 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 11/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Nutrition

Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g | Sodium: 511mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g
Keyword : Waffles, whole wheat

www.superhealthykids.com

Natalie Monson

I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.

Learn More about Natalie

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29 Comments

I love wheat waffles instead of flour waffles because wheat is healthier. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I would try it out.

Hi, Terita! These were wonderful. I made them this morning and my family gobbled them up. I was a little worried with how the ACV would make them taste but they were awesome and no one noticed the ACV as an ingredient. Thanks for sharing! Definitely saving this one.

Can these be made with anything other than whole milk? Nut or plant milk? And if so, how does that change the vinegar addition, if at all?

Hi Mira,
I’ve never tried them with a plant-based milk, or without the vinegar, so I’m not sure. If you try it, please let us know how it turns out!

Thanks for the recipe. Your directions lack when to add the milk and you say to add the vanilla twice. Can you give some
Guidance?

Hi Grace, it’s typically ok to use a waffle recipe as pancakes. The trickier one, I find, is taking a pancake recipe and using it for a waffle. Pop in and let us know how you did!

Thanks for the recipe. I plan on making these in the am for my 1yo. I’m looking for high-calorie, nutrient-rich recipes to help my tot gain weight. I’ve hit the jackpot on this site!

Hi Nicole! Thanks for pointing that out. We actually made some tweaks to this recipe (we live at a higher altitude and our techniques weren’t working for people at lower altitudes!) so you don’t need to use the vinegar anymore. I updated the post to reflect the changes. Enjoy!

Would it be possible to post the old version of this recipe that included the apple cider vinegar along with this new version? We loved it and used it all the time. I just wish I had written it down. I’m not sure why but the new version is just not the same when I make it.

We will try and get the old version added! Here it is:
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups whole milk
6 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

hi, i wonder if you can post the original recipe. this new one isn’t working for me but the first one was great. i live at altitude 4500ft, and that’s probably why i need the original recipe. also the current recipe says 1.5c of flour for 8 people which doesn’t sound right to me. thanks for making this recipe and sharing it!!

We will try and get the old version added! Here it is:
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups whole milk
6 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

I think this recipe has changed a bit since we last made it. We used apple cider vinegar and maybe less butter. Do you still have the older version of this recipe? Thanks!

We will try and get the old version added! Here it is:
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups whole milk
6 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt