Yummy strawberry waffles that are light and fluffy inside with a delicately crispy exterior and bursting with strawberry flavor. It's a perfect way to start a weekend morning, fresh from the waffle iron or straight out of the freezer and into the toaster oven for a fast, delicious, homemade breakfast on a weekday morning!
Waffles hold a special place on the weekend breakfast table in our home. The best waffles I've ever eaten were on a vacation I took with my mom to Costa Rica. Every morning, looking out over beautiful mountains, we ate light and fluffy waffles with golden crisp edges, covered in fresh strawberries, drizzled in chocolate sauce, and topped with freshly made whipped cream. They were decadent and delicious and it was vacation so eating waffles every day felt indulgent and totally acceptable. Waffles have since become my mom's signature breakfast dish and my kids' #1 request every time we see her.
Why strawberry waffles?
Waffles feel like they should be a lot of work to make. In reality, whipping up waffle batter is pretty quick and easy. Hauling out the waffle iron and cooking them is the only time consuming part. I make a big batch of waffles on Sunday mornings and freeze them for fast school-morning breakfasts.
There is an almost unimaginable number of flavor combinations for waffles. But my son's love of waffles, my daughter's love of all things strawberry, and my strong desire not to listen to them fight over who wants what for breakfast led me to these! For an extra punch of strawberry, I make a very simple jam to pour over the top. I have one kid who wants powdered sugar on top and one that likes whipped cream. There are no wrong answers here. Just eat waffles any way you want until your heart is happy!!
Ingredients & Equipment
- Flour - All-purpose and sift it for the lightest, fluffiest waffles. You can also use gluten-free flour.
- Brown sugar - or granulated white sugar, whatever floats your boat. I like the deeper flavor of brown sugar.
- Baking powder & baking soda - you need both for the best lift.
- Eggs - you'll need 2 at room temperature.
- Butter - 1 stick unsalted butter, melted.
- Buttermilk - if you don't have buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk and let it sit for ten minutes.
- Strawberries - fresh chopped to medium size pieces. Frozen strawberries, thawed and chopped can absolutely work in a pinch.
- Vanilla extract - use a high-quality pure vanilla extract.
- Lemon zest - zest from half a lemon.
- Waffle Iron - Heat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer's directions. Every waffle iron is different. The waffle iron I use takes about 3.5 minutes for perfect browning and a delicately crispy crust. This is also a great waffle maker and double-sided for speedier cooking! (*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
How to make strawberry waffles
- Dry ingredients - in a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients; flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Wet ingredients - in a separate bowl combine melted and cooled butter with eggs, buttermilk, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
- Combine ingredients - whisk together the wet and dry ingredients until just combined. Don't overmix the batter or the waffles won't be as light and fluffy.
- Fold in the strawberries- (I'm not the only one having a Schitt's Creek moment, right?) Gently fold in the chopped strawberries.
- Pour and bake - According to the manufacturer's recommendation, pour batter into the waffle iron and bake until lightly golden brown and crispy.
- Serve - Keep waffles warm in a 200-degree oven until you've made enough and are ready to serve. Or, if your children are weekend breakfast animals, just watch them disappear one at a time as they come out of the waffle iron. Top with butter, strawberry jam, whipped cream, and powdered sugar!
Tips & Variations
- Gluten-Free - Gluten-free flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour. I also add one teaspoon of xantham gum to help the texture.
- Sugar alternatives - 1 tablespoon of honey or maple syrup can be substituted for sugar.
- Toppings - In my kids' perfect world, chocolate chips would be added to every waffle or pancake I make. But don't stop with just chocolate chips! Try maple syrup, banana slices, fresh berries, strawberry jam, lemon curd, chocolate sauce, powdered sugar, or whipped cream.
- Freeze - Place in a freezer bag after cooling and freeze for up to 3 months. Good luck getting them to make it 3 months. Ours are gone within days. Warm them in a toaster oven to crisp the outside.
Recipe
Strawberry Waffles
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 stick melted butter cooled
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat: preheat the waffle iron to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Melt: melt one stick of butter and let it cool.
- Mix: In a medium bowl mix together dry ingredients; flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add: Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla to the butter and whisk.
- Combine: Combine dry and wet ingredients and whisk until just combined.
- Fold: Gently fold in the chopped strawberries.
- Scoop: Scoop batter into the waffle iron and cook according to the manufacturer's directions until the outside is golden brown.
- Serve: Serve warm with butter, strawberry jam, maple syrup, chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, powdered sugar and/or whipped cream!
Notes
- Storage - After cooling to room temperature, place in a freezer storage bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat waffles in the oven or a toaster oven for a crisp exterior.
Taster1 says
Anonymous says
Delicious
Lets Make It! says
Easy and delicious.
Anonymous says
So fresh and easy - no preservatives? I am in!