These classic vegan waffles will become your go-to recipe for an easy, delicious and healthy breakfast on weekends. They are light and fluffy, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
One of the first breakfast recipes I veganized was one for classic vegan waffles. Desi loves waffles and after going vegan I set out to make the tastiest, easiest, HEALTHIEST vegan waffles ever.
These eggless, dairy-free waffles are all that and more! They are crispy on the outside and tender and fluffy on the inside. They taste so good, in fact, that even if you are not vegan you might find that you prefer these.
These waffles are also really easy to make, and quite foolproof. It takes under 10 minutes to whisk the ingredients together in one bowl. They don't need any added oil (although I advise oiling the waffle maker plates or spraying them with oil before adding the batter, even if your waffler is non-stick).
The great thing about this waffle batter is that it is so versatile. You can add into it all sorts of fruits and flavorings (more on that later) to please every picky eater you are cooking for.
Why you'll love these Vegan Waffles
- Delicious, guaranteed to be the best vegan waffles -- or any waffles -- you've ever eaten.
- Wholegrain, and filled with other good-for-you ingredients like flax meal and vegan yogurt or applesauce.
- One-bowl. No separate mixing of wet ingredients and dry ingredients and you need just nine ingredients. The batter comes together in 10 minutes, and with a good waffle maker you should need no more than 20 more minutes to cook 'em up.
- Foolproof. You don't need any expertise to make these--just mix it all up and you are set. This recipe will work for both regular waffles or for thick Belgian waffles.
- Flavor them as you please! Make these more interesting each time you make them by mixing in different flavors and ingredients (more on that in the additions and substitutions section below).
- Use the waffle batter to make pancakes! If you don't have a waffle maker, you can make pancakes with this same batter! (Although I have a great recipe for classic vegan pancakes here you might want to check out).
Ingredients for Vegan Waffles
- Whole wheat pastry flour (or a mix of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour). Whole wheat pastry flour makes delicious waffles and pancakes that are also good for you, and give you a healthy start to the day. I rarely use white flour anymore to make waffles or pancakes, but if you don't have acccess to whole wheat pastry flour or don't want to use it, you can substitute with a half-half mix of all purpose flour and regular whole wheat flour.
- Baking powder: for leavening and making your waffles all fluffy and crispy. I also use the next ingredient on the list, which is baking soda, for more leavening and lift because we have acidic ingredients--apple cider vinegar and yogurt--on the list.
- Baking soda. You need just a small amount in this recipe but it really helps make these waffles crispy and fluffy.
- Salt
- Nondairy milk: I use oat milk or almond milk usually, but any nondairy milk is great in these vegan waffles.
- Apple cider vinegar: Or use any other vinegar, whatever you have on hand. White vinegar and balsamic vinegar both work.
- Vegan yogurt (or applesauce): Yogurt makes the fluffiest and most tender waffles, and I love stirring some in. But if you don't want to use it, you can substitute an equal quantity of applesauce.
- Flaxmeal: Flaxmeal adds nuttiness and healthfulness to the waffles, and it works as a binder in this recipe, pulling the other ingredients together. You don't have to go to the trouble of making flax eggs separately by mixing the flaxmeal and water beforehand--just dump the flaxmeal along with other ingredients into the bowl. You can also make these vegan waffles without flaxmeal or stir a tablespoon of chia seeds into the batter.
- Cooking spray or vegetable oil: There is no oil in the batter, but I added it here as you need to brush or spray on some oil or cooking spray on the waffle plates to ensure the waffles don't stick.
How to make vegan waffles
- Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl -- this includes the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Dump in the rest of the ingredients and mix them with a whisk or preferably a spatula until everything's moistened and there is no dry flour visible. Don't overmix-- you don't want to encourage gluten to form, which would make the waffles chewy rather than crispy. Some lumps in the batter are fine.
- Heat a waffle iron and just before you bake the waffle spray the waffle plates with a bit of cooking spray. Alternatively you can brush on some oil. This will make it far easier to pop the waffles out of the waffle iron and it will also make for easy cleanup later.
- Add batter according to the size of the waffle maker you have. I use a half cup measure for my regular six-inch waffle maker, and a cup for my Belgian waffle maker. Pour enough batter so it is almost but not quite all the way to the edges. This is because the batter will spread because of the weight of the lid when you close the waffle maker. If you add too much batter it could overflow!
- Choose the right heat setting. Waffle makers of different brands have different settings. I have Cuisinart waffle makers for both regular and Belgian waffles and I set both to level 3 (out of 5) for most waffles. You can choose a higher setting for a crisper waffle and a lower setting for softer waffles.
- Close the lid and wait for the green indicator light to turn on before trying to remove the waffles. If they don't release easily with a slight nudge of a spoon or fork close the lid and let them go a bit longer.
Variations
One of the funnest things about waffles and pancakes is that you can add to them all sorts of ingredients. These include berries or bananas and even veggies like pumpkin and sweet potatoes. The sugar in some fruits might cause the waffles to brown faster or stick, so keep an eye out. Coat the plates with oil or cooking spray before adding the batter. You can also adjust cooking time down if needed so they don't brown excessively.
- Berries: Stir in a cup of any berry (chop larger berries like strawberry)
- Bananas: You can replace the yogurt/applesauce with pureed bananas. Use one banana for one recipe of waffles. The sugars in bananas tend to brown fast so you might want to lower the cooking time.
- Pumpkin or sweet potatoes: One cup of either, cooked and mashed, of course. Canned versions of either veggie will work just fine. You can skip the yogurt and add more milk if needed to get the batter to the right consistency.
- Nuts: Add half a cup of chopped, lightly toasted nuts like pecans or walnuts to the waffle batter.
- Chocolate chips: Miniature chocolate chips would work best. Stir in half a cup. Or stir in ¼ cup cocoa powder into the batter.
- Lemon zest and juice: Replace a quarter of a cup of the milk with lemon juice and add the zest of a lemon for lemony waffles.
- Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, all make great additions to the waffles, especially in winter. You can combine more than one spice--cinnamon and nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger, cardamom and nutmeg--it's all good. Add no more than a teaspoon to two teaspoons, no other adjustments needed.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, absolutely. Mix the dry ingredients and you can store them in a jar for weeks. You can also make a large batch and pull out whatever you need when the mood for waffles strikes!
Because we are adding baking soda and baking powder to this recipe as the leavening, you do need to bake your waffles soon after making the batter. What you can do is bake the remaning waffles you will not eat now and freeze them.
If you want to make the waffles ahead of time, bake them according to instructions, then flash freeze them by placing them side by side on a baking sheet and leaving in the freezer. Once they are frozen, place them in a freezer bag of freezer-safe air-tight container and freeze for up to three months.
This recipe should be a cinch, especially if you remember to spray or oil the waffle maker plates before adding the batter and cook until the indicator light goes off. If your waffles stuck to the plates however, it could be because you did not give them enough time to cook. Or try turning the heat up.
You also need to make sure that there are no debris in your waffle maker from the last time you made waffles. Most waffle makers plates can't be washed under running water, so you need to make sure, each time you use your waffle maker, to wipe it out thoroughly once its cool and before you store it away. Old debris will cause your new waffle to stick, and as helpful as cooking spray is, it does build up on the plates.
A thinner waffle batter is also more likely to cause waffles to stick. This recipe should give you the perfect consistency, but weather and other atmospheric factors can always mess around with the moisture level in baked goods. If you find the batter is too runny, try adding in ¼ cup more flour, or use less liquid the next time.
All you really need with these vegan waffles is a drizzle of maple syrup. But if you want to be extra indulgent, add a dollop of vegan whipped cream and/or sliced bananas or berries.
Related recipes
- Vegan Sourdough Waffles
- Vegan Sourdough Pumpkin Spice Waffles
- Vegan Gluten-Free Waffles with Brown Rice and Buckwheat
- Vegan Gluten-Free Sourdough Waffles
- Vegan Raspberry White Chocolate Waffles
Vegan Waffles
Equipment
- Waffle maker
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour (unbleached all purpose flour is a fine substitute. Or use half whole wheat flour and half APF)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups nondairy milk (or any nondairy milk)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon flaxmeal
- ½ cup vegan yogurt (replace with ¼ cup applesauce and ¼ cup more milk)
- Cooking spray or vegetable oil (for spraying on the wafflemaker plates)
For serving
- Fruit (berries, bananas, peaches, plums are all great toppings for waffles)
- Maple syrup
Instructions
- Whisk the dry ingredients -- flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt -- in a large bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix until everything's moistened and there is no dry flour visible, but don't overmix. Some lumps are fine.
- Heat a waffle iron and spray with cooking spray or brush on oil.
- Add batter according to the size of the waffle maker you have. I use a half cup measure for my regular six-inch waffle maker, and a cup for my Belgian waffle maker. Pour enough batter so it is almost but not quite all the way to the edges. This is because the batter will spread because of the weight of the lid when you close the waffle maker. If you add too much batter it could overflow!
- Choose the right heat setting. Waffle makers of different brands have different settings. I have Cuisinart waffle makers for both regular and Belgian waffles and I set both to level 3 (out of 5) for most waffles. You can choose a higher setting for a crisper waffle and a lower setting for softer waffles.
- Close the lid and wait for the green indicator light to turn on before trying to remove the waffles. If they don't release easily with a slight nudge of a spoon or fork close the lid and let them go a bit longer.
Recipe notes
- All purpose flour will yield lighter color waffles. The whole wheat pastry flour gives waffles that are just as crispy and fluffy as the ones you'd get with all purpose flour, but with a nuttier taste.
- To cut down on prep time, you can make the dry mix ahead of time and add the wet ingredients when you are ready to make waffles.
- If you choose to make all of your waffles at once and have leftovers, just refrigerate or freeze them and reheat before eating.
- Always spray the waffle iron plates with cooking spray to make unmolding the waffles--and cleanup--easier.
- Add berries, bananas, chocolate chips and lemon or orange juice to flavor your waffles, among other additions. Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom are lovely in waffles too.
Maria
These are the most amazing waffles ever. I make them at least a couple of times each month and we always gobble them down. Love the healthy option.
Vaishali
Aww, so lovely to hear!
Liz Taylor
There is no baking soda in the recipe as written. Can you please correct that and add the amount of baking soda.
Vaishali
Oops, prob dropped it during a revision. Thanks for pointing out and added--1/2 teaspoon!
Merv
Wow, I am so glad I found your website and your recipe. Delicious, easy, light, fluffy, and so delicious. I doubled the recipe and made 8 Belgian waffles in my new maker. Used applesauce instead of vegan yogurt. Wow. Couldn't wait to make them and so I didn't read further in your post about add-ins. Now, I can't wait to make a new batch with some extra goodness.
Vaishali
So happy to hear you enjoyed them!
Kristina
Would recommend making a mix in advance to speed the prep and cooking effort on a busy morning. Would make in a food processor with addition of oatmeal ground to a fine tiny flake. All the make a cup at a time as the King Arthur recipe does. I am not vegan but easy enough to leave out the egg, subst other liquids. I keep a bag of the mix in the freezer with simple instructions for 1 cup of the mix. Nothing wrong with adding sunflower oil/1Tb/ cup of mix
Vaishali
Thanks for the tips, Kristina.