Im Makin’ Waffles!

I don’t know what’s better… hot off the griddle, light n’ fluffy waffles, or Donkey’s heartfelt proclamation in the movie Shrek. It’s a hard call. Perhaps the solution is to whip up a batch of these and then hunker down on the couch and watch our beloved Ogre and Donkey duo as you dig in.

I made these in celebration of Mothers’ Day this year. We usually do pancakes— its always just seemed easier. We have a waffle iron tucked away in a garage-like cupboard where we store toasting bread, but its been a long time since we used it. I was so excited when we first bought it, but after a few too many batches of just mediocre waffles, it stopped feeling worth the effort.

It seemed whatever recipe I tried, the waffles always fell short of the thick, fluffy, just-sweet-enough creations that brunch dreams are made off. They were either too thin, too heavy, or stuck to the pan as I opened the iron. So I surrendered and stuck with pancakes for awhile.

However, enough time has passed that I felt ready to give my waffle-thumb another try. I didn’t jump into it as blindly. This time, I did some research, not only reading some different recipes, but searching up some tips and seeking out notes and reviews of what to do and what NOT to do in pursuit of the perfect waffle.

In the process, these are the main takeways I gathered:

Tips For Perfect Waffles:

Read the instructions on your waffle-iron: different appliances have different settings. Medium heat on one waffle maker may result in a runny, undercooked waffle on one iron, while medium heat on another may produce waffles that are burned to a crisp. Also, some waffle-makers must be oiled before every batch of batter, while others are coated with a nonstick substance that may actually deteriorate id oil is used. If you happen to be like me, and have long ago lost track of the manual that came with your waffle-iron, try looking up the brand online. And if you can’t find it, just tread carefully as you go, making a small “test batch” filling maybe just 1/4 of the griddle with batter to see how it goes, and then adjust your settings from there.
Be a Lazy Cook. Do NOT overmix your batter! Think less about stirring, and more about folding the wet ingredients into the dry. Overmixing will make the batter tough, and the waffles heavy instead of airy. Its better to have a couple lumps of flour than a baby-food like batter with no air bubbles. Less is more! ALSO, be lazy by not cooking your waffles right away. A lot of recipes call for you to preheat the iron before making the batter. If you have the time,make the batter FIRST and then let it sit as the iron preheats. This will give more time to allow the leavening agents to do their work, making the fluffiest and airiest waffles. It will be worth the wait, I promise!
Don’t skimp the oil. Whether or not your iron requires the griddle to be oiled, follow the recipe’s instructions to add some kind of fat to the batter itself. This was a major pitfall in many of my past attempts at waffles. I assumed that the couple of tablespoons a recipe called for was minimal enough to be omitted. However, as I mentioned above, so many of these past attempts got stuck or didn’t turn out. It seems even that seemingly small amount makes a huge difference in preventing stickage (and yes, stickage is a word).
Exercise patience. Resist the temptation to open the maker to early, even if its just to “check” for doneness. This can result in the waffles being split in half as you raise the lid. Even if you close it quickly, you may find yourself with some strange open-faced waffles. Even if your waffle-iron beeps or signals a batch is “done,” make sure you see lots of steam coming out of the iron before opening it slowly and carefully, a more accurate and realistic sign that the batter has been cooked through.
Keep cooked waffles hot. Keep a plate on hand to place cooked waffles on, overlapping rather than stacked, to keep warm in the oven on a low heat (think under 250 degrees). Unless you are keeping them in the oven for a long time, don;t cover them with anything, or they will lose the toasty crispness that makes each bite so satisfying. The only thing worse than cold waffles are flaccid, floppy waffles.

These tips can be applied to any waffle recipe. I decided to take another stab at vegan waffles—largely to save my pride, and prove that waffles CAN in fact be successfully and deliciously veganized. I refused to let my last lousy attempts be the last chapter on that. I have managed to make so many traditional baked goods, brimming of eggs and cream and butter into equally delicious vegan versions since then, so I knew it could be done.

Looking at both traditional, non-vegan recipes, and taking inspiration form highly rated vegan recipes on other blogs, I came up with this winner. Light, fluffy, easy to make, no stickage issues, and versatile to eat and dress however your heart desires.

The Key to Veganizing Waffles? I did 3 Things:

Aquafaba. That now almost-famous magic egg replacer that is taking the vegan world by storm. It is simply the liquid that you drain out of a can of chickpeas. And yes, it really does matter that you use chickpeas over other kids of beans. See my my other recipes (like these muffins) that use aquafaba for more on its magical qualities!
Souring the “Milk.” Adding a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to the nondairy milk being used adds acidity to the batter, and increases the reactivity of the baking powder to maximize rising power for extra light and fluffy waffles. Buttermilk does something similar in traditional recipes.
LOTS of baking powder. Without eggs, a little extra baking powder allows that extra oomph and lightness to come through the rising process.

My family went to town on these babies at our Mothers’ Day Brunch. We served them like a DIY waffle bar, with bowls of topping from whipped cream (coconut and regular), maple syrup, melted chocolate sauce, sliced strawberries, stewed fruit, sliced banana, and my personal favourite, peanut butter.

It was fun seeing everyone’s creation… and spotting who had the secret sweet tooth in the bunch!

How do you like your waffles? Team Peanut Butter for life.

Cheers!

Jordan

xoxo

Perfect Waffles

Makes 14-18 3 inch waffles — Vegan

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups non-dairy milk

2 teaspoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon lemon zest (optional)

1/2 cup aquafaba

3 cups flour (all purpose or sub half whole wheat)

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a medium size bowl, stir lemon juice into non-dairy milk to sour. In a small bowl, use a hand beater or whisk to whip the aquafaba until it is frothing and stiff, similar to the consistency of egg white. Let both of these ingredients sit as you prepare the rest of the batter.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
To the bowl with the soured milk, add the oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and lemon zest (if using). Stir until well combined.
Pour the contents of this wet mixture into the large bowl of dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to gently stir it together. Before it is fully combined, finally add in the aquafaba. Give it a final few stirs, taking care not to overmix (remember, less is more!).
Preheat your waffle iron following the maker instructions and let your batter sit for at least twenty minutes for the fluffiest of waffles. Also, preheat your oven to no more than 275 degrees and have a plate ready that you can use to keep cooked waffles warm as soon as they are out of the iron.
In the meantime, you can prepare any and all toppings your heart desires! Banana, coconut whipped cream, microwaved frozen berries made into a sauce, and WARM maple syrup are my family's favourites.
Bon Apetit!

Additional Notes

You can include add-ins to these waffles, such as chocolate chips. nuts, berries etc.. HOWEVER, I prefer using these as toppings, largely because I find most of these end up sticking to the waffle iron during the cooking process, leaving less in the actual waffle. Think of the plain waffle as a blank slate that you can decorate however you desire. The sky is the limit!

Find a printable version of this recipe here: https://www.kulinarian.com/recipes/perfect-vegan-wafffles/

How would you top your waffles?

Bon Apetit!