Food Recipes Breakfast & Brunch 12 Next-Level Waffle Recipes By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 7, 2022 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Sweet or savory, syrup-drenched or caviar-topped, starting your morning with waffles practically guarantees a great day ahead. Here, find our absolute favorite recipes for light, crispy, flavorful waffles. 01 of 12 Cornmeal and Ricotta Waffles © Frances Janisch When chef Michael Mina was a boy, his parents used to take him to the now-defunct Four Seasons hotel in Seattle for Christmas brunch, where he always ordered waffles. "They were dynamite," he recalls. This recipe is as close to the one of his childhood as he could get it. Cornmeal makes the waffles crispy; ricotta keeps them moist. Get the Recipe 02 of 12 Classic Belgian Waffles © Tina Rupp Wafels & Dinges founder Thomas DeGeest went to Belgium to learn from master waffle-makers and perfect his own recipes. He came back with ideas for two styles of waffle, including this light, crispy Brussels version. Toppings can include dulce de leche, maple syrup, and fudge sauce. Get the Recipe 03 of 12 Tater Tot Waffles with Smoked Salmon and Caviar © Eva Kolenko Jen Pelka, co-founder and CEO of Une Femme Wines in San Francisco, makes super-crunchy and delicious waffles using Tater Tots. Here she tops the waffles with caviar and smoked salmon, creating a delicious and decadent dish that’s ideal with Champagne. Get the Recipe 04 of 12 Yeasty Waffles © Kate Mathis Food scientist Jeff Potter offers a waffle recipe made with yeast instead of baking powder in his book Cooking for Geeks. A yeast enzyme called zymase helps make the waffles rich and sweet. Get the Recipe 05 of 12 Banana Waffles with Pecans © Tina Rupp A generous amount of butter in the batter makes these waffles extra crisp. As a general rule, adding less butter to a batter results in a fluffier waffle. Get the Recipe 06 of 12 Loaded Potato Waffles © Nicole Franzen Shredded potatoes are cooked in a waffle iron until crisp, then topped with cheddar, bacon, sour cream, and chives. Get the Recipe 07 of 12 Liège Waffles © Ailine Liefeld Cookbook author Malin Elmlid bartered her bread for Belgian pearl sugar, the key ingredient in these Liège-style waffles: The smooth balls of sugar add pops of sweetness and caramelize to make the exterior crisp. Elmlid sometimes flavors her waffles with saffron, but the vanilla-scented ones here are more traditional. Get the Recipe 08 of 12 Belgian Waffles Abby Hocking Chef Ludo Lefebvre’s Belgian waffles are light and crispy, with plenty of deep, large squares for butter, syrup, whipped cream, and fresh berries. Get the Recipe 09 of 12 Caviar Waffle Bites Greg DuPree Instead of serving blini alongside a tin of caviar, F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple makes these adorable handheld snacks. Waffles are cut into strips, and the pockets are filled with caviar, crème fraîche, and snipped chives to form the perfect pop-in-your-mouth morsel. Get the Recipe 10 of 12 Light and Crispy Waffles © Daria Khoroshavina When we made these dead-simple waffles from cookbook author Pam Anderson's Cook Smart, their rich buttermilk flavor and crisp yet light texture won over even longtime yeasted waffle fans. Get the Recipe 11 of 12 Basil and Corn Cornmeal Waffles Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Christina Daley These loaded cornmeal waffles are your next brunch showstopper, balancing savory, salty, and sweet flavors all in one dish. Fresh corn kernels and honey lend their sweetness, while cornmeal provides a pleasant bite. Basil and chives are then blended into both the batter and the silky crème fraîche topping, which gets piled on each waffle along with smoked salmon and poached eggs. A sprinkle of chives adds a final pop of brightness. Get the Recipe 12 of 12 Sourdough Buttermilk Waffles Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland If you can't find full-fat buttermilk at the market, you're better off substituting a mix of milk and sour cream instead. Collect your sourdough discard in a bowl in the fridge, adding to it until you have enough for the recipe. The sourdough discard can keep for up to five days before using. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit