Learn how to make the Best Ever Vegan Waffles! Nice and crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. Plus, they’re easy to make and use ingredients you likely already have in your pantry!
These truly are the best vegan waffles I’ve ever had. Perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, as a proper waffle should be. Plus, they’re easy to make, require only 1 main bowl, and use ingredients you likely already have in your pantry!
I’ve left plenty of room for substitutions so you can use what you have on hand. Make them fresh for Sunday morning brunch, or freeze a batch and pop them in the toaster for a super quick, delicious breakfast.
If you’re a waffle enthusiast like me, you’ll want to try my pumpkin waffles or my gluten free waffle recipe.
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Ground flaxseeds – To make the flax eggs. Or simply omit the flax eggs and increase the oil. Works perfectly!
- Soy milk – Use coconut, almond, cashew, or any other kind of non-dairy milk in replacement of the soy milk.
- Apple cider vinegar – For perfectly risen, fluffy waffles. You can substitute this for lemon juice or white vinegar.
- Flour – You may make these waffles with all white flour, a mix of whole wheat and white, all whole wheat or even gluten free.
- Baking powder
- Granulated sugar – You could also use cane, raw, coconut, or brown sugar.
- Melted vegan butter or oil – Melted coconut oil, canola oil or vegan butter all work here. For oil free, you can substitute applesauce but they won’t be as crisp.
- Vanilla extract
How to make vegan waffles
Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is simply an overview with photos.
Start by preheating your waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This is the best way to get perfect waffles every time! This waffle iron is my favorite because it makes more shallow waffles (not Belgian waffles) and the batter never sticks. Prepare your flax egg and vegan “buttermilk”.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- Next, add in the flax egg, vegan buttermilk, melted butter or oil, and vanilla. Stir until just combined with a large wooden spoon (don’t over mix!).
- Spray the waffle iron with cooking spray (unless the waffle iron is truly non-stick). Pour some batter onto the hot iron. The amount will vary depending on your waffle iron, I used about 3/4 cup per waffle.
- Cook as directed until the waffle is golden brown on both sides. Don’t try to remove the waffle before it’s cooked, or it will stick!
Can these be made gluten free?
You can use spelt flour or a gluten free mix instead of white flour to make turn this into a gluten free recipe. Alternatively, use my recipe for Vegan Gluten Free Waffles.
Toppings and add ins
Load your waffles with a ton of toppings, if desired. You could drizzle them in maple syrup, whipped cream, vegan butter, lemon curd, fresh berries, sliced bananas, vegan Nutella, slivered almonds, or caramel drizzle. If you really want to make this into a savory meal, make my vegan “chicken” for maple syrup-drenched vegan chicken and waffles!
Customize your waffle batter with tasty add-ins. I recommend using:
- Dairy free chocolate chips
- Sliced bananas or strawberries
- Peanut or almond butter
- Blueberries
- A hint of cinnamon
- Pumpkin spice
Tips for the best waffles
- The batter should be fairly thick. If it’s too runny, add a few tablespoons more of flour. If it’s too thick, add a little more water.
- Don’t over mix the batter. Mix until everything has just combined for the lightest, fluffiest waffles. If there are lots of lumps, just let the batter rest for 10 minutes so they can dissolve.
- If you’re not ready to serve the waffles immediately, keep them in a warm oven (200ºF) until you’re ready to serve. This will keep them crispy and hot.
How to store leftovers
Wrap the leftover waffles individually or seal them in a container. Store them in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
To freeze the waffles, place as many as you can in a freezer-safe bag. They freeze very nicely and will last for up to 3 months.
Pop the frozen or chilled waffles in a toaster until they’re warmed through and crispy.
Want more sweet and simple vegan breakfast recipes?
- Simple Vegan Pancakes
- Vegan French Toast
- 1 Bowl Vegan Blueberry Muffins
- Vegan Chocolate Pancakes
- Vegan Banana Pancakes
Best Ever Vegan Waffles
Ingredients
Flax Eggs (see notes for alternative)
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
- 1/2 cup water
Vegan Buttermilk
- 3 1/2 cups soy milk
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
The Rest
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour* or a mix of whole wheat and white flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup melted vegan butter or coconut oil, or other oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Make the Flax Eggs: In a small bowl, combine the ground flax and water. Stir, and set aside to thicken.
- Make the Vegan Buttermilk: In a large measuring cup or bowl, measure 3 1/2 cups of soy milk. Add the apple cider vinegar, stir a little with a spoon and set aside to curdle.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
- Add the flax eggs, vegan buttermilk, melted vegan butter/oil and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined with a large wooden spoon, being careful not to over mix. The batter should be fairly thick, if it's too runny add a few tablespoons more of flour. If it's too thick, add a little more water.
- Spray waffle iron with non-stick spray. Pour the recommended amount of batter onto hot waffle iron, and cook until the waffle is golden brown on both sides.
- Serve immediately, or keep in a warm oven (200 degrees F) until ready to serve. Top with fresh berries, coconut whip, vegan butter, maple syrup and anything else you desire!
Video
Notes
- I recently discovered that you can make these waffles without flax seeds. Omit the flax eggs and increase the oil to 3/4 cup. Works really well, but they are slightly less crispy.
- May use coconut, almond, cashew or any other kind of non-dairy milk that you wish in place of the soy milk.
- For gluten free waffles, simply substitute an all purpose gluten free flour.
- For oil free, you can use applesauce instead of oil, but they won’t be as crispy. Melted vegan butter, melted coconut oil or a neutral flavored oil all work.
- These waffles freeze beautifully. To reheat, simple pop them in the toaster until warmed through and crispy. I always have waffles in the freezer!
- These make 8-9 large Belgian waffles, but if you have a smaller square waffle maker, they make around 22 waffles.
Nutrition
*This recipe was first published October 2018 and has been updated with improved photos and writing.
Excellent recipe, as always. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. A hit with everyone in the family, including my 2 year-old son (who enjoyed measuring out and mixing the dry ingredients with me). Have lots leftover to freeze, so we’ll be having waffle Sundays for a while. Yum! Thanks!
This made a nice big batch of waffles. Great to have extras for busy mornings! I followed the recipe with the exception of using maple extract vs vanilla extract (we had just run out). Smelled & tasted delicious!
Thanks for a great recipe!
You bet! Thanks for your wonderful review!
These were delicious! I froze the extras and reheated they in the oven for the next use. They tasted great each time.
These are so delicious, thank you for sharing! I did want to see if you are able to store the wet ingredients or if they are only to use immediately?
Thank you! I’ve never tried to store the batter for a while, so I’m not sure. I think the batter would thicken too much though.
Hi Nora! Can I sub almond milk for soy milk? Will it have the same effect?
Yes! You can actually use any milk you like, I use a variety: oat milk, almond, soy, cashew… Whatever I have on hand. Soy is actually my personal favorite these days for adding some protein to the waffles. 🙂
I’ve been trying to figure out waffles for a LONG time. We have allergies and sensitivities ( wheat allergy, dairy, soy and egg) so we are definitely not vegan by choice, but we aren’t the “typical vegans” either. 🙈 Anyway, I was skeptical when reading it at first but felt good about trying this one. O my goodness!! HUGE hit at our house! Only things I did different was GF flour, and because olive oil is so expensive right now, I did a 1/4 cup canola and 1/4 cup olive. I also used almond milk. I also used the suggestion from MKGF by using an ice cream scoop to measure out batter. THANK YOU SO MUCH, Nora! I have been doing pancakes for years even though we preferred waffles because we never figured it out. We did run into the issue of pockets of flour still, but we will take that any day to have waffles that I never thought we’d be able to have again.Thank you!! Better than Eggo! No consequences! 😄🙌
I’m so glad you finally found your waffle recipe! 🙂 My family loves these waffles as well, and I’m happy to hear GF flour worked well. Thank you!
I made this this morning and omg delicious. For readers who are curious, I used Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer 1:1 with the flax and water suggested (so, for one recipe, 1/4c replacer and 1/2c water) and it worked perfectly!
I made this the other day using the gluten free option using King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour blend. I made a 1/2 recipe and it made 7 waffles in my 6” waffle maker. They turned out really good with a nice crispy texture.
Hi Karen. Thanks for sharing your cooking experience and great review! I’m so glad the waffles turned out great for you!
Second time making this in a week! We love it! Thank you for a great recipe! We pair it with our homemade seitan fried chicken for an awesome dinner 🥰
You are welcome, Carrie! I love your meal idea, and am thrilled you are loving the waffle recipe! I appreciate your wonderful review and feedback! Happy cooking!
Amazing recipe!!! The waffles turned out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, as if they have eggs in them it’s insane!! 10/10 and can’t wait to make them again.
If I want to pair these waffles with savory toppings, do you think I can omit the vanilla and slightly reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe or would that affect the texture?
Thanks Dee, I’m so glad you enjoyed the waffles! Yes, you can omit the vanilla and reduce the sugar for savory waffles.
I substituted 2/3 of white flour with wwflour, sugar with monkfruit sugar, and the oil with applesauce. They were delicious. no-crispy but soft and fluffy, not gooey. Topped with strawberries and maple syrup. Kid tested and kid approved.
Hi Nanette. I’m glad the waffles turned out delicious for you. How awesome the kids loved them! Thanks for your wonderful review!