The Best Whole Wheat Waffles Ever
A better-for-you whole wheat waffle that is crisp, light and airy, and it’s also almost as easy to make as using a mix.
What’s fun about this waffle recipe is the way the batter changes when you add the apple cider vinegar.
Vinegar is an acid and when combined with the baking powder and soda in the batter you get a chemical reaction and your batter begins to foam which makes the waffles light and airy.
This recipe comes from a fun cookbook, Eat Fresh: Quick and Easy Meals
from Chef Tom Woodbury. Many of you may know Chef Tom from his segments on ABC 4 in Salt Lake City, or you may have seen him on ShopNBC. I met Tom a few years ago when we had the pleasure of judging the Utah’s Own Funeral Potato contest. His goal when writing the cookbook was
to teach you, the viewer, how to make delicious, fresh and easy meals, with a hearty dose of fun, technique, and a little science.
I’ve always been intrigued with the science of cooking as well.
Mixing in a little bit of cornstarch with the flour gives the waffles a great crunch, so you get the best of both worlds, light and airy on the inside and crisp on the outside.
Although I think my Light and Fluffy Whole Wheat Waffle recipe is the best, Chef Tom’s recipe is easier than mine, so maybe that does make it the best ever.
Toppings for Whole Wheat Waffles
Waffles are like a blank canvas. You can get as creative as you want in the toppings department. Here are some traditional toppings for waffles:
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Bananas
- Butter
- Maple syrup
How to Freeze and Reheat Whole Wheat Waffles
These Whole Wheat Waffles freeze and reheat well. Make sure the waffles are completely cool before freezing. Freeze the waffles flat on a baking sheet and then transfer to a freezer Ziploc bag when frozen. Waffles will keep in the freezer for about 3 months.
You can reheat the waffles in a toaster or toaster oven, but because of their crispiness, you can also reheat these whole wheat waffles in the microwave for about 30 seconds. It’s a great way to have delicious waffles on a busy morning.
The Best Whole-Wheat Waffles Ever
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 to 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat waffle iron.
- Combine all dry ingredients and mix well.
- Add milk, egg, oil and vanilla, and mix well to combine. Add enough liquid so that batter makes a small mound or ribbon temporarily before returning to level.
- Right before pouring batter onto waffle iron, add vinegar and mix quickly. Make waffles as per the instructions for your specific waffle maker.
- Place on a cooling rack immediately after removing from waffle iron.
Notes
Source: Eat Fresh: Quick and Easy Meals, by Tom Woodbury
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The Best Whole-Wheat Waffles Ever
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 to 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat waffle iron.
- Combine all dry ingredients and mix well.
- Add milk, egg, oil and vanilla, and mix well to combine. Add enough liquid so that batter makes a small mound or ribbon temporarily before returning to level.
- Right before pouring batter onto waffle iron, add vinegar and mix quickly. Make waffles as per the instructions for your specific waffle maker.
- Place on a cooling rack immediately after removing from waffle iron.
Notes
Source: Eat Fresh: Quick and Easy Meals, by Tom Woodbury
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Whole Wheat Yeast Waffles, Barbara Bakes
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Yeast Waffles, Barbara Bakes
Almond Flour Yogurt Waffles (Low Carb and Gluten Free), All Day I Dream About Food
Pin It:
Thank you for sharing, Barbara.
This was the third recipe I came across, no need to look any further.
Made this morning and I will be making again. The grandkids and I devoured as they came off the Waring Pro Belgian waffle iron (who needs to let them cool).
Made with Argo cornstarch and aluminum free baking powder, Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda, Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar, Sugar In The Raw Turbinado Cane Sugar, Private Selection Mediterranean Sea Salt, Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Stonemill Pure Vanilla Extract, local eggs, Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original and used 1 cup, Bob’s Red Mill 100% whole wheat flour.
They were served with whipped butter (heavy whipping cream) and Log Cabin All Natural Table Syrup. The recipe made four 6″ waffles.
Name brands listed for substitution ideas- do what you want, don’t be afraid to color outside the box.
Thanks for sharing Paul!
Wow the baking soda/powder taste is way too strong for me, and i did use aluminum-free baking powder. Never tasted as strong baking soda before, I even wonder if that much is safe to eat..? Maybe i’m just sensitive or my flour has lighter flavor so the baking soda stands out. The waffle texture is very nice. Maybe i’ll try half of the leavening called for in the recipe next time.
These are the best whole grain waffles I’ve made. The cornstarch makes them crunchy on the outside, they’re slightly sweet, and super easy to make. Thanks for the recipe!
I tried this recipe this morning and WOW! Incredibly delicious! I too was slightly concerned about the amount of liquid, however; whole wheat flour does need more liquid than regular flour.
I have a suggestion for those who complained of a bitter after taste; add orange zest and a bit of juice from an orange. Whole wheat flour can have a bitter after taste in some baked goods and this will counteract that.
I added the zest and juice because that is how I make my French toast. Try it, it’s amazing.
Great tip Kelly – thanks for sharing!
I found the texture to be great but the bitter aftertaste was quite off putting… The initial flavour is good and they smell great while cooking but I just can’t get past that aftertaste unfortunately…
Thanks for the feedback Byron. I’ve never noticed an aftertaste. Do you think it was the vinegar that you didn’t like, or sometimes if you use a baking powder that has aluminum in it, you can sometimes taste that in pancakes and waffles. I always buy aluminum free baking powder. Here’s an article about it http://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/why-aluminum-free-baking-powder-is-better-article
Strange texture with the finished product. They are very light and dry, an almost pork rind-like texture? Not the typical waffle, probably wouldn’t make again.
Horrifying experience. Followed the recipe exactly for every single step and thought the watery batter would turn out fine. Waffles ended up sticking to the waffle iron even though I oiled the iron thoroughly. Ended up with no breakfast and a grimy waffle iron to clean
I had the exact same experience. Way too watery and stuck really bad. I added more flour and it helped a little with the sticking, but they didn’t taste so good. None of the family like them. Very disappointed considering the title. There is definitely something wrong with the liquid amounts.
Hi Sheri – sorry you had troubles with the recipe. I made them again recently and it worked perfectly for me.
We LOVE this recipe! I make it every weekend! I cut this recipe in half bc their are only 2 of us. I spray the waffle iron with non sticking spray and I add dark chocolate chips! Never have any problems! Maybe let the mixture set for a few minutes to thicken a tad.
Thanks for sharing Rachel – how fun to have chocolate chip waffles every weekend.
My batter was initially really soupy too. I just added more whole wheat flour to thicken it up as well as another tablespoon of cornstarch. I also used honey instead of sugar because I’m on a sugar free diet unless its natural like honey or maple syrup. They cooked beautifully and tasted great from there.
I was concerned at first because the batter seemed very thin. Then, I became even more concerned when the waffles didn’t fall right off the waffle iron like my waffles usually do. But, I got them off the waffle iron without much effort, and they tasted great. A different, but delicious, texture.
Is there a typo with the amount of milk? Batter is way too watery, had to add more flour. I used whole grain spelt flour.
Hi Corinne – no it’s not a typo. The batter is very thin but it worked just fine for me. I don’t have much experience with whole grain spelt flour, so don’t know if it tends to absorb less liquid then regular whole wheat flour which absorbs a lot. But now that you know how it reacts in this recipe, you can reduce the liquid or increase the flour to begin with. Hope you enjoyed them.
I made these & think they would be awesome if it wasn’t for the strong baking soda taste. Otherwise, great recipe!
Hi Leslie – glad you liked the waffles. Have you tried using baking powder without aluminum? I find it tastes better.
I used coconut oil and added some cinnamon…delicious!! Best whole wheat waffle recipe yet!
Hi Amy – so glad you loved the recipe. Sounds like delicious substitutions.
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This whole-wheat waffles recipe is great. I did add about 1 cup more flour. Thought maybe the amount on the recipe was an error. Also, I used whole-wheat pastry flour. They were nice, crispy and light.
Great recipe! I used coconut oil and YUM!
This recipie is amazing!!!! I multiplied it x’s 4 (plus on extra cup of flour) and they turned out perfect!!! Made 30 waffles using a square waffle maker. I don’t have a Belgium one. 🙂
Oh, why x’s4? I have 3 grown teenage boys I cook for. I am introducing whole wheat to them for healthier diet. I can not get 2 of them to make the change to whole wheat bread. Problem solved they loved these waffles. So, waffles it is for breakfast now instead of toast!…
How smart to make so many at once instead of cooking every day. Glad the recipe was a hit!
These waffles are absolutely delicious. Couldn’t even tell they were fully whole wheat, even with Gold Medal which has a heartier texture and taste. Lighter and fluffier than any other whole wheat waffle I’ve ever had. Barbara, you are a magician. Can’t thank you enough.
What a great review – thanks Christina!
Hi Lauren. would the apple cider vinegar make the batter bitter
No it doesn’t make them bitter, it causes a chemical reaction that makes them lighter and fluffy.
Hi! I made this two days in a row. Yesterday they were perfect! Today we doubled the recipe and I don’t know what happened… is this recipe not good for doubling?? They fell apart and tasted funny. Next time I will make them in two individual batches.
Hi Lauren – so nice that you love the waffles enough to make them two days in a row. Sorry the second batch didn’t turn out well. I’ve doubled the recipe with no problem. It’s easy to forget to double one ingredient, or do something differently, so maybe that’s what happened.
Really enjoyed these with added blueberries! How many calories per waffle? Thanks!
Thanks Marissa – blueberries is a great addition. I use this website to calculate calories http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php
These were perfect. Absolutely incredible. My four years olds each gobbled up a huge waffle. No one would ever suspect these are so nutritious!
I added two blended bananas and an extra 1/4″ cup of whole wheat flour because I wanted to use up some bananas. It worked perfectly.
I’m going to pre-measure the dry ingredients for several batches worth and store them in ziploc bags so this is ready to rock in my pantry. We are going to be making these a LOT. Thank you!
Thanks Heather – great idea to have them stocked and ready to make. The addition of bananas sounds delicious.