The Best Whole Wheat Waffles – Plus an Easy Berry Sauce
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Looking for a recipe for homemade whole wheat waffles that’s easy, tasty and kid-friendly? You need to try this! It’s great for using up a bit of leftover yogurt, buttermilk or milk kefir, too.
I’ve been making Katie from Kitchen Stewardship’s Soaked 100% Whole Grain Pancakes for over a year now, and they are some of the best pancakes we’ve ever eaten. The cakes are moist and filling, and one batch makes enough pancakes for our family of four for at least two breakfasts. I often freeze extras and reheat them in the toaster oven as needed.
Last Friday night I put my batter to soak for pancakes on Saturday. When morning rolled around and I told the boys I was planning pancakes, my youngest said he really wanted waffles. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, so I tried out the pancake batter in the waffle iron. Success! Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, these waffles were wonderful with organic butter and local maple syrup. Sometimes I make cherry-berry sauce, too.
Here’s the recipe!
Homemade Whole Wheat Waffles
Ingredients
3 cups soft whole wheat flour*
1 c. buttermilk or milk or yogurt or milk kefir**
1 c. water
¼ c. apple cider vinegar
Just before cooking, add:
¼ cup melted coconut oil
4 lightly beaten eggs
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Directions
Whisk together flour, milk product, water, and vinegar in a medium bowl (ceramic or glass preferred, no metal, plastic okay in a pinch – I use my 8 cup Pyrex measuring bowl) and leave on the counter, covered, to soak 12-24 hours. Just before cooking, add coconut oil, eggs, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Place batter on waffle iron and cook for about 3 1/2 minutes for large round waffles.
Makes about 6 1/2 waffles using 1 cup batter each. If you’d prefer to make pancakes, use 1/4 cup to 1/2 batter per pancake. Both are delicious.
*Katie notes: “This recipe works with all regular whole wheat, is much better with half whole wheat/half pastry flour, and is best with all pastry flour. Pastry flour is more expensive, so I like to go 1/2 and 1/2 most of the time.” Freshly ground soft white wheat flour is my default choice, and it gives these whole wheat waffles a great texture.
**Because you’re adding vinegar to the milk, it’s a “fake” buttermilk of sorts and I haven’t had a problem with it sitting on my counter overnight. Raw milk would be safest for this if you choose to use milk. You can also use the dairy choice in place of the water for even richer pancakes. I have tried all three options, and I think the milk is the best one, but I often use homemade yogurt.
PrintBest Whole Wheat Waffles and Cherry Berry Sauce
Easy make ahead whole wheat waffles
Ingredients
The night before
- 3 cups soft whole wheat flour*
- 1 c. buttermilk or milk or yogurt or milk kefir**
- 1 c. water
- 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
Just before cooking, add
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 4 lightly beaten eggs
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
For the sauce
- 4 cups mixed fruit, mashed, or frozen and thawed – I usually use cherries and raspberries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, non-GMO
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
Instructions
For the waffles
- Whisk together flour, milk product, water, and vinegar in a medium bowl (ceramic or glass preferred, no metal, plastic okay in a pinch – I use my 8 cup Pyrex measuring bowl) and leave on the counter, covered, to soak 12-24 hours. Just before cooking, add coconut oil, eggs, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Place batter on waffle iron and cook for about 3 1/2 minutes for large round waffles.
- Makes about 6 1/2 waffles using 1 cup batter each. If you’d prefer to make pancakes, use 1/4 cup to 1/2 batter per pancake. Both are delicious.
For the sauce
- Place fruit in medium heavy bottomed sauce pan. Make sure there is juice from thawing or mashing the fruit. In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cornstarch. Mix into fruit (mixing sugar and cornstarch before adding will prevent lumps). Heat until bubbling, stirring regularly. Cook gently until thickened (mixture should turn glossy). Remove from heat and stir in extract. Serve warm (will thicken as it cools). You can add more sweetener or less as you like.
Notes
- *Katie notes: “This recipe works with all regular whole wheat, is much better with half whole wheat/half pastry flour, and is best with all pastry flour. Pastry flour is more expensive, so I like to go 1/2 and 1/2 most of the time.” Freshly ground soft white wheat flour is my default choice, and it gives these whole wheat waffles a great texture.
- **Because you’re adding vinegar to the milk, it’s a “fake” buttermilk of sorts and I haven’t had a problem with it sitting on my counter overnight. Raw milk would be safest for this if you choose to use milk. You can also use the dairy choice in place of the water for even richer pancakes. I have tried all three options, and I think the milk is the best one, but I often use homemade yogurt.
Cherry-Berry Sauce
- 4 cups mixed fruit, mashed, or frozen and thawed – I usually use cherries and raspberries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, non-GMO
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
Place fruit in medium heavy bottomed sauce pan. Make sure there is juice from thawing or mashing the fruit. In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cornstarch. Mix into fruit (mixing sugar and cornstarch before adding will prevent lumps). Heat until bubbling, stirring regularly. Cook gently until thickened (mixture should turn glossy). Remove from heat and stir in extract. Serve warm (will thicken as it cools). You can add more sweetener or less as you like.
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A Better Homemade Waffle
My family liked these better than the standard white flour waffle recipe that came with the waffle iron. We also thought they were better than the soaked flour waffle recipe from Nourishing Traditions. (I had problems with those burning on the outside while being doughy on the inside.)
I bought my Presto FlipSide Belgian Waffle Maker about a year and half ago, upgrading from a small rectangular iron I used to have, and I’m glad to have made the investment. If you’ve even ordered Belgian waffles at a restaurant, you know they charge an arm and a leg for them. It paid for itself in a couple of breakfasts (plus, of course, I know what’s in my waffles).
My waffles cook much more uniformly, and any spills are much easier to clean up. Yes, it has a non-stick surface, but I don’t rub anything against the surface and it stays at a uniform temperature, so the coating is much less likely to come off than in a frying pan. The iron has a timer, which helps avoid burnt waffles. Waffles are still a bit of a treat, but they are so much easier to make with the right equipment (and the BEST WAFFLE RECIPE EVER ;-).
My sister brought her granddaughters to visit last summer, and they agreed, these were the best waffles they had ever tasted (even better than mom’s – shhhh…).
You may also enjoy:
- Pumpkin Spice Waffles with Maple Cinnamon Whipped Cream
- Breakfast Cookies AKA Soaked Granola Bars
- Gram Irene’s Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Originally published in 2011, updated 2016.