This recipe for fluffy whole wheat waffles proves that a wholesome breakfast can be absolutely delicious. Made with 100% whole wheat flour, these waffles have hearty flavor, lightly crisp edges, and soft centers. They’re a feel-good weekend breakfast the whole family will love. Plus, they freeze and reheat beautifully, making them perfect for quick and easy weekday breakfasts.
I originally published this recipe in 2017, and I’ve since updated it with new photos and extra success tips for consistently excellent results.
I have to admit, I don’t whip out the waffle maker very often. But for special occasions, I love making classic buttermilk waffles, pumpkin waffles or gingerbread waffles.
Sometimes, though, we want something we can feel good about any day of the week. That’s exactly why I was excited to develop this recipe for fluffy whole wheat waffles.
Whole wheat doesn’t have to mean dense or boring. These waffles bake up golden with lightly crisp edges and a soft, tender center… so delicious they feel like an indulgence, even though they’re made with 100% whole wheat flour.
How do we achieve that? The secret to fluffy whole wheat waffles is balancing the whole wheat flour with enough moisture, fat, and leavening so the waffles cook up crisp on the outside and tender inside, not dense or heavy.
One reader, Austin, commented: “These were FANTASTIC. I subbed brown sugar for honey. We topped them with homemade whipped cream. Best breakfast ever! ★★★★★”
Another reader, Paula, commented: “These waffles are truly the best I’ve ever had…. Thanks to this recipe we’ll be having waffles way more frequently. Wow! ★★★★★”
Another reader, Terry, commented: “I’ve made these several times. They are a family favorite. I also freeze them and pop them in the toaster on a busy morning and they work wonderfully. ★★★★★”
Why You’ll Love These Whole Wheat Waffles:
- Naturally wholesome & extra satisfying: Made with 100% whole wheat flour.
- Perfect texture: Buttermilk keeps the waffles tender, while baking powder gives a lift to keep them light.
- A perfect base for toppings: Use your favorite.
- Great for freezing and meal prep: Make a batch ahead of time and freeze for easy breakfasts during busy weeks.
Ingredients You Need & Why
Just like my whole wheat pancakes recipe, the secret to fluffy 100% whole wheat waffles lies within the careful ratio of ingredients.
- Whole Wheat Flour: I use 100% whole wheat flour, but feel free to use white whole wheat flour if you’d prefer a slightly lighter flavor and color.
- Baking Powder: This is the primary leavening that helps the waffles rise and stay light instead of dense.
- Cinnamon + Salt + Vanilla: Flavor enhancers extraordinaire!
- Butter: Key for flavor as well as texture.
- Eggs: Eggs not only bind everything together, they also help make these whole wheat waffles light and fluffy.
- Brown Sugar: Use just a bit of brown sugar for necessary sweetness. If an unrefined sugar sounds better to you, I’ve tried these with coconut sugar, honey, and maple syrup. All very good! Especially the maple syrup—extra maple flavor in your stack!
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds richness and tenderness, but you could also use whole milk or a nondairy milk to make this easy buttermilk substitute.
How to Make Whole Wheat Waffles
These whole wheat waffles come together quickly with a simple two-bowl method—whisk the dry ingredients, whisk the wet ingredients, then combine and cook in your waffle iron. Easy!
Make sure you preheat the waffle iron and grease it before using. The amount of batter per batch depends on the size of your waffle iron, so follow your particular waffle iron’s instructions.
- Here’s the waffle maker I own and love.
- And this waffle maker is another great choice. (It’s what I used for the pictured waffles!)
Close the lid and cook the waffles until golden and crisp. All waffle makers are different, so check your waffle maker’s instructions for suggested cook time.
Then repeat with the remaining batter:
Classic & Creative Topping Ideas
Serve warm with your favorite toppings, like the classic maple syrup or whipped cream, or try something new:
Yes. Let the waffles cool completely, then freeze them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Reheat in a toaster or toaster oven until warm and crisp.
For the crispiest reheated waffles, reheat them in a toaster or toaster oven until warmed through. This helps bring back their crisp edges!
Yes, but I think you’ll enjoy my whole wheat pancakes even more (which are formulated to be pancakes!).
Fluffy Whole Wheat Waffles
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes (includes batches)
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 9 waffles
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Made with 100% whole wheat flour, these waffles bake up golden with crisp edges and a soft, fluffy center. A wholesome breakfast that freezes and reheats perfectly.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260g) whole wheat flour (I use this), spooned & leveled
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) packed light or dark brown sugar*
- 1 and 3/4 cups (420g/ml) buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat waffle maker on medium-high heat. Preheat oven to 200°F (93°C). Place a wire rack on a baking sheet; set aside.
- In a large bowl, preferably with a pour spout, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, and brown sugar. Whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and then whisk gently until combined. Do not over-mix. Some small lumps are OK.
- Grease the preheated waffle maker (I use nonstick spray). Pour about 1/3 cup of the batter into each well of the waffle maker (could be more or less, depending on the size of your waffle maker) and close the lid. Cook the waffles until crisp, about 4–5 minutes. (Follow the cooking instructions for your waffle maker.) Transfer the cooked waffles to the wire rack and keep warm in the preheated oven as you cook the rest. Repeat to cook the remaining batter.
- Serve the waffles immediately with your choice of toppings.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Waffles are best enjoyed freshly made. I recommend freezing any leftover waffles. To freeze, let the waffles cool completely, then freeze them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Reheat in a toaster or toaster oven until warm and crisp.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Waffle Maker or Round Waffle Maker
- Sugar: Instead of brown sugar, try coconut sugar, maple syrup, granulated sugar, or honey. Do not skip the sugar; the waffles will taste bland and dry.
- Buttermilk: You can substitute whole milk for buttermilk if desired. Acidic buttermilk isn’t needed in order for the waffles to rise since we’re using baking powder. However, if you’d like the tangy flavor, which I highly recommend, you can make your own buttermilk substitute. Add 1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 1 and 3/4 cups. Whisk together, then let sit for 5 minutes before using in the recipe. Whole milk is best for the DIY sour milk substitute because you’ll get the best, fluffiest, richest tasting waffles. However, lower-fat or nondairy milks can work in a pinch.
- Waffle Maker: You can use this recipe in either a Belgian or traditional waffle maker or iron. The batter amount to use for each waffle and cooking time in the recipe are just suggestions. Follow the cooking instructions for your specific waffle maker.
- Can I make these as pancakes? Yes, but I think you’ll enjoy my whole wheat pancakes even more (which are formulated to be pancakes!).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 waffle
- Calories: 207
- Sugar: 5.2 g
- Sodium: 173.9 mg
- Fat: 9.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.1 g
- Protein: 6.6 g
- Cholesterol: 63.6 mg
Reader Comments and Reviews
Easy and tasty! Almost doesn’t seem like whole wheat, they’re so fluffy. Crisped nicely around the edges. My kids were waiting at the waffle iron for seconds before I could finish cooking them!
For me it was “love at first bite” when I first tasted a Belgian waffle more than a decade ago… I dream to make them myself, though I don’t have a waffle maker yet. Have you ever tried to “bake” them in the oven using a silicone waffle mold? If so, how long would you recommend to bake them and at what temperature?
Can’t wait to try your recipe, as I’m sure it will be delicious!!!
Hi Gabrielle, we haven’t tried baking these waffles in a silicone mold, but we’d love to know if you give it a try. We’d recommend baking them at 350 degrees, and keeping a close eye on them for time. Let us know how it goes!
Why do I like these better than waffles made with all purpose flour??
These are so delicious. Thanks for another amazing recipe Sally
These are so good! I’ve never made waffles before and they turned out great. Toddler approved too, my 3 year old couldn’t get enough of them. Thank you for an easy and delicious recipe!
These were bomb!! Will definitely make again! I added two tablespoons of ground flaxseed too to make it even more nutritious.
Love this recipe! I blended the flour with 2/3 whole wheat, 1/3 all-Purpose, just to cut a bit of the texture. I love vanilla, so I added a tablespoon of vanilla bean paste, and left out the sugar. Topped with warm apple spiced compote…. Oh my!!
Have you tried adding peanut butter or a peanut butter powder for added protein? I am searching for a unicorn.
Hi Jennifer, we haven’t tried it, but you can certainly experiment with adding peanut butter powder. They’re also delicious topped with warm peanut butter instead of syrup!
Yesterday I passed waffle mix at the grocery store, thinking ‘I have all the ingredients at home.’ So glad I did and even happier to have found this recipe. Absolutely delicious – light, fluffy & delish. I love cinnamon , so that was a great addition. I used all recommended ingredients and halved the recipe for two of us (used raw sugar & dressed them afterward with Kerry Gold butter And Trader Joe’s pure maple syrup. So Yum. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
I made these tonight according to the recipe. They were very simple compared with other recipes I’ve tried and they turned out really, really good. Definitely a keeper.
can this recipe be halved?
I halved this recipe and it still came out great! Very easy to do so.
Better than I expected. This batter is thin and when it rises in the waffle maker, edges rise without a center leaving delightful crunchy bits around the circumference. Full disclosure, I used 3 eggs and 1 full stick (8 Tbs) of butter. These waffles are light (again, thin batter) and the total opposite from the dense oat flour ones I often make. Hard to tell they were made with 100% whole wheat flour. Served with generous portion of (defrosted) frozen berries and plain greek yoghurt. Overall very pleased with this ever-so-slightly healthier version of a morning treat. Thanks to the author sharing recipe.
I doubled the recipe and didn’t have enough butter so substituted with a bit of coconut oil and the waffles were delicious.
Such a quick and easy recipe! It was so nice to not have to separate and whip egg whites. Thank you for the simple and delicious recipe!
Thank you so much for this whole wheat waffle recipe
I made this today using honey and white whole wheat flour and it was so fluffy and delicious! Best waffles I’ve ever made- they were filling, healthy, but didn’t taste wheaty at all.
Hi Sally,
I’m thinking I must have done something wrong. I followed the recipe by weight but I did use oat milk & vinegar as a substitute for buttermilk, also my whole wheat flower was very old. The end result had good flavour and were fluffy but the waffles seemed very dense and a tad dry. Do you have any thoughts as to why mine didn’t turn out as “light” as others? I know this is a problem with whole wheat flower. Thanks!
These are the best waffles I’ve ever made, and they’re whole wheat! Score!
The first time I made these, I used wheat flour I ground myself in a wheat grinder…it made these little crunchy bits in the waffles and I LOVED the texture. I’ve just used regular store-bought whole wheat flour every other time I’ve made them (which has been many times) and they still turn out amazing, just without that crunchy texture that I loved the first time. This is my go-to waffle recipe!
I made these as written except I added the brown sugar to the melted butter which cooled the butter. When I mixed everything together I thought about adding more buttermilk because it looked a little thick and gloppy. Glad I didn’t; they were delicious and light. The three of us enjoyed them; hubby, Lucy Dog and me. Will definitely make these again. Thanks from the Adirondacks. Love all your recipes!
These waffles are amazing, whole wheat or not!!!
Hi Sally, thanks for this fantastic recipe! My family isn’t a big fan of waffles or pancakes normally (shocker! I know!) because we tend to like our main dishes savoury but waffles with these recipes are the only ones they’ll ever eat – including my grandad. I’ve made this a few times now- the only thing I’ve changed is put in 3/4 milk and 1/4 water otherwise my batter is too thick and chewy. With that slight change, it’s a quick breakfast or dinner for the whole family.
so far this is the only waffle recipe i’ve used and i’m done searching. it’s 100% fantastic. except i’d like a make-ahead yeasted waffle with these same proportions of ingredients. you think i can swap yeast (say one packet worth) for the baking powder and not change anything else? i plan to try it tonight for tomorrow.
My waffle batter was thick almost like a muffin batter. (I did half the recipe but was very precise about it) I almost added more buttermilk but decided to try it as it was. The waffles were great! To make a whole waffle took more than a third of a cup for me. But I am curious to know if the batter was supposed to be that thick.
This recipe sounds AMAZING! I have leftover pumpkin puree that I’d love to add to this recipe for pumpkin waffles!
Question: Do you have any advice for adjusting the other ingredients so the batter isn’t too wet? Thanks so much!
Hi Kate, You can use the recipe for these pumpkin pancakes and see the note in the post about how to use it in a waffle maker. Enjoy!
1/2’d the recipe and it fit perfectly in my square stove top waffle maker. These were crisp and fluffy, my son thought they were AP flour! In did double the cinnamon as we are fans. Perfect recipe!
I love, love, love your recipe. I’ve been on a mission to find the perfect whole wheat waffle. I’ve tried about a dozen recipes and the waffles all basically taste the same…heavy, bland, tough and chewy. Your waffles are light and delicious. I added in a mashed banana for a little extra pop. Thanks!
Hello Sally! I was wondering if I could use coconut oil instead of butter. Thank you!
Hi Sophie, we haven’t tested these waffles using coconut oil instead of butter but let us know if you do!
Hi Sally, can I sub some of the whole wheat flour for oat flour in this recipe? Thank you
Farah
Hi Farah, I haven’t tested this recipe with oat flour, but I fear the waffles will be too wet unless you adjust a wet ingredient. Let me know if you test it!
I tried the recipe exactly as written, even double-checked it, and I just can’t figure out why my waffles turned out firm and dry. My batter was quite stiff, almost a dough consistency. No one else seems to have had the same issue. I used Kind Arthur organic whole wheat flour, real buttermilk, two large eggs, 3 full teaspoons of baking powder, 90 grams of butter, and all the rest. My waffles were definitely not fluffy or soft in any way. That’s odd right? Any ideas as to why?
If your batter was very thick you might have had too much flour. Be sure to spoon and level your flour when measuring instead of scooping or or you will end up with too much. Also double check to make sure that your baking powder is fresh.
Sally something seems off. We also made it exactly and we got dough consistency that wouldn’t cook all the way through. I looked at 6 other recipes for wheat waffles and they all for at least equal to or more portions of the flour. Are you sure these portions are correct? Shouldn’t the milk be equal to the flour at least? Love your site and we’ve made lots of recipes with no issue. Thanks for all you do.
Hello, This is a thicker batter but it should not be the consistency of a dough (see photo above). Did you make any ingredient substitutions and double check that you measured correctly? Be sure you are spooning and leveling (or weighing) your flour and not scooping or you could end up with 50% more than you need. Thank you for trying this recipe!
I forgot to add sugar and theyre still good!
Hi I love your recipes they are the best!!!!!!!!!
We love these. I make a triple or quadruple batch once a week and then freeze what we don’t eat that morning. It then is our breakfast for two adults and my 3 year old. She wakes up and asks for THESE waffles. I use maple syrup for the sweetener instead and they’re DELIGHTFUL