Make a stack of classic, homemade vegan waffles effortlessly with this easy, one-bowl recipe. They are crispy, fluffy and divine with a drizzle of maple syrup.
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Delicious, homemade vegan waffles in minutes
These vegan waffles are absolutely the best! They are crispy on the outside, tender and fluffy on the inside, and they taste so good that even if you are not vegan you might find that you prefer these.
My recipe (which I came up with shortly after going vegan because Desi loves waffles so) makes classic waffles that are also quite foolproof and very healthy. They are wholegrain and 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). These waffles also have applesauce, flax meal and yogurt, all healthy ingredients to get your day started right. And if you don't have a waffle maker, you can use the batter to make pancakes!
The great thing about the vegan waffle batter is that it is so versatile. You can add into it all sorts of fruits and flavorings to please every picky eater you are cooking for. Stir in bananas or blueberries or any fruit you love.
Recipe FAQs
You can make the dry mix for the waffles days or even weeks earlier and store it in a jar in the pantry. Use it when the mood for waffles strikes!
Don't refrigerate waffle batter because the baking soda and baking powder will lose strength the longer the batter sits around. Instead bake the waffles and store them in the fridge up to five days. Reheat in a toaster or toaster oven before eating. To freeze the waffles, first flash freeze them by placing them side by side on a baking sheet and leaving in the freezer. Once they are frozen solid, in about an hour or two, place them in a freezer bag of freezer-safe air-tight container and freeze for up to three months.
Did you remember to spray or oil the waffle maker plates before adding the batter? Also be sure to cook the waffles until the indicator light tells you they are ready. 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 wipe the waffle maker plates thoroughly with paper towels after they have cooled down. That way the waffle maker is ready for use the next time you make waffles.
Vegan waffles are divine with just a drizzle of maple syrup. You can also top them with berries, bananas, peaches or other seasonal fruit. For an extra indulgent breakfast or brunch top the waffles with vegan vanilla ice cream!
Recipe card
Vegan Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup flour (unbleached all purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour. You can also use a 50-50 mix of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour).
- 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.
Notes
- All purpose flour will yield lighter color waffles. Whole wheat flour yields waffles that are just as crispy and fluffy as the ones you'd get with all purpose flour, but with a nuttier, more wholesome taste.
- Add berries, bananas, chocolate chips and lemon or orange juice to flavor the waffles. Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom are lovely in waffles too.
Nutrition Information
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SS says
Hello. Your whole wheat pancake recipe is already a staple in my house and now I'm going to try this waffle recipe! What can I substitute for apple cider vinegar?
Vaishali says
So happy you love the pancakes! Use lemon juice instead of the vinegar.
Jane says
Not vegan but with the high cost of eggs now I was looking for a waffle recipe without them. For flour I used a mix of oat flour and whole wheat flour. They turned out GREAT! Will definitely be making them again.
Marjorie says
Hi. Thank you for posting your recipe as I plan to try it this week ! Quick question: Could I substitute the wheat flour for almond flour and could I skip putting salt? Thanks as I'm new to vegan cooking. 🙂
Vaishali says
Hi Marjorie, almond flour by itself won't hold together. You can substitute an all purpose gluten-free flour or use a mix of millet and brown rice flours, such as in my mango waffles recipe. They are gluten-free.
Maria says
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 says
Aww, so lovely to hear!
Liz Taylor says
There is no baking soda in the recipe as written. Can you please correct that and add the amount of baking soda.
Vaishali says
Oops, prob dropped it during a revision. Thanks for pointing out and added--1/2 teaspoon!
Merv says
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 says
So happy to hear you enjoyed them!
Kristina says
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 says
Thanks for the tips, Kristina.
Shobhana says
Hi Vaishali, can I use ‘atta’ fir whole wheat pastry flour in this recipe?
Vaishali says
Yes, absolutely!
Jenna says
I realize this is an old post, but I wanted to ask if you've ever tried freezing extras and reheating? My daughters love Eggos and I'd like to wean them off with something like this 🙂 Thanks!
Vaishali says
Hi Jenna, you can certainly freeze the extras and reheat.
Pranitha Kalasa says
hi vaishali this recipe is brilliant. Just wanted to know is it ok to skip apple sauce. i don't want fruit taste in my waffle would u suggest for the same. Thanks in advance
Vaishali Honawar says
Hi Pranitha, the applesauce makes the waffles tender, which is great. If it helps, you can't taste the fruit at all. You might substitute with an equal amount of vegan yogurt if you'd rather not use it.
Lakshmi Udhaya Kumar says
Hi Vaishali..We r a pure vegetarian. Today i saw ur website and was very happy. I will try ur recipes for sure. I have a doubt. I have 3 yr old daughter and she loves pancakes. Iam not sure whether i can give her baking powder or baking soda. Is there any substitue for that? Thanks in advance. Keep going
Vaishali Honawar says
Hi Lakshmi, welcome to Holy Cow! I know baking soda in large quantities can be toxic to toddlers, and there isn't a whole lot in these waffles once you divide it among the various servings, but even so, this is not something I can safely advise on since I'm not an expert. As for a substitute, I am not aware of anything that can replace these ingredients and have the same leavening effect, but you could just leave it out? The waffles will likely be dense though. Another possibility is to use yeast, in a recipe like this one. Leave out the baking soda.
Prema says
Vaishali,
I want to try this. Any substitute for applesauce?
Enjoying your recipes. Will try all of them
One be one.
Vaishali Honawar says
Hi Prema, you can mash up bananas and use instead-- use the same quantity as the applesauce. In fact, any fruit puree might work, but they will also add their own flavor to the waffles. Banana waffles would taste great. Cheers.
Prema says
Oh, great!
Thank you. Your website is a god-send!
Anusha says
Made it today with almond chocolate milk instead of soy, light olive oil and some chocolate chips thrown in. Yum ! My son loved it ! Thanks for a great recipe !!!
Vaishali says
Hi Anusha, chocolate would makes these even more amazing. Great idea, and so glad your son loved these waffles! 🙂
Unknown says
OMG! This was absolutely delicious! I used the applesauce/sugar trick and since I was using sweeter apples, i used a scant 3/4 cup sugar in the raw. This is a keeper. Thank you!
Thamarai says
Hi Vaishali, how many waffles does this quantity make?
Vaishali says
Depends on the size of your waffle-maker. If you use the regular-sized waffle-maker that makes two square four-inch waffles, it'd make around 10. If you used a Belgian waffle maker that makes thick waffles, you'd get around six or eight at best.
Yes!SunglassesOnBabies says
I love adding bananas to my waffles in lieu of apple sauce...I LOVE bananas, so this makes them tasty and filling for me 🙂
nsanfro says
This was delicious! My daughter is vegan and my sons not, so I've been searching for a recipe that would please all. This one definitely lived up to its promise. (I didn't have pastry flour so I substituted for 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 bread flour.)
YUMM!
Anonymous says
Great recipe! I didn't have apple sauce, so I used a banana. It worked great! Esp. with the chocolate chips. Thanks!
Another Gluten Free Vegan says
Thanks for your site, a real pleasure!
I recently acquired a waffle iron after years of hankering and started making GF waffles. Had excellent luck till I tried fermenting the batter overnight. And then they stuck and I spent an hour cleaning the iron. I used the remaining mixture to make pancakes, and in a greased cast-iron pan they cooked just fine and could be flipped easily.
To the commenter who had no joy making her pancakes GF and egg free, I can only suggest trying out different recipes and if possible always cook them in a greased cast-iron frypan. (Spray-on oil works well on the cast iron)
If you want them to be lighter, try adding a bit more raising agent and using a GF flour mix which is a mix of 1/2 starches and 1/2 flours and has some good binding agents such as guar gum (or xanthum) and egg replacers. Using soaked ground flax seed will make them heavier though they'll hold together well. I prefer to make up my own GF flour mixes rather than purchase commercial readymade.
There are some very good recipes for GF flour mixes.... worth Googling for.
Hope this helps.
Anonymous says
Thanks for the recipe, It came out very well . YUMMY
I Am Gluten Free says
I've had very little luck with gluten free egg-free pancakes. Do you have any suggestions?
zerbert says
I have had a really hard time with vegan waffles, as they always stick to the pan, usually on both sides, splitting completely apart. I've finally bought some applesauce and can't wait to try these!
Anonymous says
These were absolutely delicious! 🙂 My kids actually said they tasted way better than "regular" waffles (and I didn't tell them that I was trying a better recipe!) Thank you, thank you!!! 🙂