This is our favorite whole wheat waffles recipe and it's in weekly rotation in our house. Whole grain whole-wheat flour make these waffles hearty yet light -- an enduring family classic.
Why You'll Love This Whole Wheat Waffles Recipe
This whole wheat waffles recipe is hands down my favorite waffle recipe and it turns out gorgeously light and fluffy waffles every time. It calls for two cups of whole wheat flour and once you start using whole grain flour or pastry flour in place of all-purpose flour you probably won't go back.
These whole grain waffles are light, a little buttery, and a lot wholesome. You'll get a hit of protein from creamy Greek yogurt and a nice helping of whole grains in the whole wheat flour. Cook your waffles a tiny bit longer than you think you should -- just 10-20 seconds -- and they will turn out lightly crisp and perfect. Serve them immediately to hungry children who, though they've probably just eaten an hour ago, will be famished and may finish their first before you've had time to cook the second round. And repeat repeat repeat.
What You'll Need to Make Whole Wheat Waffles
Simple ingredients come together to make the fluffiest, tenderest waffles. You are seriously going to love these. Here's a glance at everything you'll need to make them. The full ingredient amounts and detailed instructions will be the recipe card lower down.
- Whole wheat pastry flour - Use spelt flour or whole wheat flour as well.
- Baking powder - Just enough baking powder to make light and fluffy waffles.
- Salt - I always use fine grain sea salt in my recipes.
- Greek yogurt - Use low-fat or whole-fat Greek yogurt.
- Egg
- Butter - Use unsalted butter, or swap coconut oil.
- Vanilla extract - This is optional - if you do use it, try to use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Milk - You can use whole milk or 2% milk interchangeably.
How to Make Whole Wheat Waffles
- Mix dry: Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Combine: Whisk together the wet ingredients, then combine with the dry mix.
- Cook: Warm the waffle iron and cook the waffles in ¼-cup scoops.
Tips & Substitution Suggestions
- The flour - I suggest using whole wheat pastry flour, but you can interchangeably use whole wheat flour or spelt flour and the waffles will turn out just right. I often just grab a bag of whatever is on sale or available at my local store - sometimes it's whole wheat pastry flour (which has a slightly finer grind) and sometimes it's whole wheat flour. Spelt flour is another whole grain flour that is wonderful for baking and I'll use it often as well.
- Make dairy-free - You can easily make these waffles dairy-free by substituting non-dairy butter for the butter, your favorite non-dairy milk for the milk, and non-dairy yogurt for the yogurt.
- Swap coconut oil - Often, I will substitute the butter with unrefined or refined coconut oil for a change. The waffles are just as buttery and tender.
- Make egg-free - Subsitute a flax egg for the egg in the batter.
- Make gluten-free - I prefer to use a single origin gluten-free flour in these waffles rather than use a 1:1 all-purpose mix; of course, I choose oat flour! You can substitute 280 grams of oat flour for the flour, or if you can't do oats you could try sorghum flour.
- How long to cook the waffles? Cook the waffles until the light changes to green and there's no more steam coming off the top of the machine. This might mean you need to cook the waffles slightly longer after the light has changed.
Serving Suggestions
Waffles need not much more than a bit of butter and maple syrup, but of course, it's fun to do more! Here are a few of my favorite ways to serve whole wheat waffles:
- Butter and syrup. Go all in and melt a little salted butter to drizzle over your waffles, then follow it with a generous pour of maple syrup.
- Fruit. All kinds of fruit are welcome atop a stack of waffles! I love a mix of blueberries and raspberries, or sliced strawberries, juicy slices of peach or nectarine, and ripe pears.
- Make it dessert. Serve waffles for dessert! My dad makes a stellar dessert waffle: Serve the waffles warm and topped with a scoop of your favorite ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
- Add whipped cream. For dessert or a more decadent breakfast, top your waffles with lightly sweetened, softly whipped cream.
- Add nut butter. I love a whole wheat waffle spread with almond or peanut butter. You could finish with a smear of honey or your favorite jam.
Storage Options
Whole grain waffles are so sturdy and they keep well for another time. Here's what to do with leftover waffles:
- Fridge - Place waffles in a sealable bag or airtight container with a piece of parchment paper separating each one so that they don't stick, and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer - Store waffles with a piece of parchment in between each one in a freezer-safe, sealable bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat - You can pop waffles straight from the fridge or freezer into a toaster or toaster oven and heat until lightly crisp.
More Waffle Recipes
Whole Wheat Waffles
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour or spelt flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup low fat Greek yogurt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups milk I use 2% plus a few more tablespoons to thin the batter if needed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, egg, melted butter, vanilla and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir thoroughly to combine.
- Warm the waffle iron and when it is ready, scoop ¼ cup of the batter and place in the center of the waffle iron. Close lid and cook until done.
- Repeat with the remaining batter to finish the batch; you may need to add a bit of milk if the batter becomes very thick. Waffles may be frozen or stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Helen says
Very comprehensive recipe. Tastes great also… cook away!
Helen spiridakis says
My mouth is watering for your waffles.. sounds like a good routine. Lucky kids!