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, theyโre easy to make, require only 1 main bowl, and use ingredients you likely already have in your pantry!
Iโve 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 youโre a waffle enthusiast like me, youโll 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 (donโt 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 โchickenโ 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.
- Donโt 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 youโre not ready to serve the waffles immediately, keep them in a warm oven (200ยบF) until youโre 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 theyโre 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.ย
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.ย
- 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.ย
- 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.
Amazing!! Thanks for another delicious recipe!!ย
Iโve made these so many times now, they have become known as our householdโs โweekend wafflesโโฆthey are sooo good! And I freeze the extras to pop in the toaster for my kids on school mornings. Thank you Nora!
I absolutely love having waffles in the freezer for quick breakfasts! Thank you for sharing your review and feedback! I am so thrilled that you guys love the waffles!
I also love the vegan steak i never even thought it was a thing at least it is now haha (:
Iโve been devoted to your gluten free waffle recipe for a while now but finally saw pastry flour at the store so got to give these a try. 100% the best waffles ever. I had to use flax milk because it was all I had and ran out of sugar so subbed w maple syrup and will probably use those replacements again because they just came out so amazing. Thank you!!!!
Thank you for sharing! I’m so glad you are loving the waffles!
Can these be made with Bobs red mill GF flour instead of all the whole wheat and all purpose flour??
A gluten free flour mix works great here, I have done it a few times. I like King Arthur or Bobโs Red Mill brands. Enjoy!
Awesome thank you so much!ย
I’m glad you enjoyed the waffles! You are welcome, and thank you for sharing!
I’m so thrilled to have found this recipe! I tried another one before and it was meh… I got the Cuisinar double Belgian waffle maker for Christmas and can’t stop making these Lol. I followed the recipe exactly and turned the settings between 5 and 6 (highest setting is 6) and they are perfectly crispy with a fluffy pillow texture inside. They may be the best waffles I’ve ever had! Thank you so much for this recipe ๐
Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback and review! I’m so glad you love the waffles! Have fun with your new waffle maker! So fun!
These are the very best! I used them in a new “rotating” waffle maker. They were a huge success!
Thanks for sharing your wonderful review! I’m glad you loved the waffles! Have fun with your new waffle maker!
These waffles are epic. They definitely donโt taste vegan. I replace the flax eggs with Bobโs Red Mill Egg Replacer and halve the sugar. This will be my forever waffle recipe now.ย
Thank you for sharing your great review! Glad you love the waffles!
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So so so yummy. Unfortunately, my milk did not curdle. Gave it a good 10 minutes, added another tablespoon of acv, another 5 minutes, and nothing. Used it as is and the waffles were great but any tips for the future?
I’m glad you enjoyed the waffles! What kind of milk did you use? Some will not curdle. I find that soy actually curdles the best. But I use a variety and the outcome is never affected, so I think it’s fine. Hope that helps!
Was your milk warm? I make sure mine is lukewarm before adding the ACV…
Yes, the milk does need to be warm. Please see step 3 in the instructions.
I made these with a waffle iron that was new to me. It was called “Stuffed Waffle.”
It was a Christmas gift from Target. These were a great hit with the kids and adults. They chose what they wanted their “stuffing” to be. We used vegan chocolate chips and another chose blueberries. Fantastic!
Hi Irene. Stuffed waffles sound amazing! I’m so glad the recipe worked for that! How fun! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and comments!
This is a very tasty recipe!! Nice and crispy on the outside. Nice sweet delicate flavor and Crispiness!! I did end up adding a bit extra flour but I would definitely make this recipe again! Thanks, Nora! I really love a lot of your recipes And consider your site a go to for vegan yumminess!!
Hi Shawna! I am so glad that you loved the waffles! Thank you for using my recipes and my site as a go-to! I appreciate you taking your time to share your terrific review and comments! Happy cooking!
This is a nice large-scale recipe. The waffles do freeze and reheat well. They don’t brown as much as conventional waffles, but that’s typical of vegan ones, ime.
The only thing to be mindful of is that the serving size calculation appears to be for half (!!!) of a waffle (1/16th of the recipe), at least based on my sodium calculation compared to the one listed. If you’re watching calories or sodium, “1 serving” isn’t that helpful and may be misleading given the “8 Belgian waffles” at the top.
Best ever waffles! Thank you for this delicious crunchy recipe. My family loved it so much.ย
Thank you for sharing your review and comments! I’m glad your family loved the waffles!
Have you ever tried freezing the batter for this recipe??
I’ve never tried freezing the batter.
Fantastic! Very easy to make. Fluffy waffles with a nice delicate crunch. Tried making vegan waffles (different recipe) in the past, but the result was lackluster, and have been afraid to try again since. Leave it to Nora to nail it! Will be making this again very soon. Yum!
I’m so glad the waffles turned out fantastic for you! Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful review and comments!
These were awesome! Question, do you think I could freeze the batter for use way later on? Also how long does the batter stay when in the fridge? Just trying to plan my mornings accordingly ๐
I’m glad you enjoyed them! I’ve never frozen waffle batter, so I’m not sure if it will work or not. I don’t think the batter will last more than 2-3 days at most in the refrigerator. Hope that helps! The waffles do freeze very well, so you can just pop them in the toaster.
We have tried a few other vegan waffle recipes before and since Nora’s, but we just keep coming back to this one because it is SO AMAZING! This woman has the King Midas touch of vegan food!
Thank you for your wonderful words, and your great review! I’m thrilled you are loving my waffles!
I love these waffles, simple to make and sooo delicious !ย
Best vegan or any waffle recipe I have made. ย Moist inside; ย crisp outside using a turnover waffle iron. ย Added some agave to less granulated sugar or would use coconut sugar. ย Used all purpose flour having only that flour and still perfect waffles. ย Thank You! ย I look forward to many of your other recipes. ย
Thanks, Carol! I appreciate you taking time to share your review and comments!
Wow Nora delicious! I added some protein and subbed coconut oil for olive oil, soy for almond, and regular whole wheat flour because I didnโt have the pastry WWF. They turned out perfect! Super crispy must try! But highly encourage you follow Noras care instructions for keeping warm after making because I did let them sit out as I finished cooking the rest and they lost their crisp but still good! Wish I didnโt have to use so much oil but we really like the crisp or we would of used applesauce per sub Rec. THA K YOU NORA!
I am so glad you loved the waffles! Thanks for sharing your review and wonderful comments!
Very delicious creamy and soft
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Thank you for sharing your review!
Indeed, hands down, THE BEST vegan waffle recipe out there! I used Bob Red Mills Egg Replaces (3 tbsps + 6 tbpns water as per the package direction) cause I don’t have flax seeds. Since the recipe makes a ton, I store the batter in the refrigerator and every morning, I heat up my waffle maker and make a small batch for 2- 3 people. We love topping it with Miyoko’s butter, then instead of maple syrup we sprinkle sugar and cinnamon, so we could eat it by hand. It’s a perfect work from home breakfast and it’s vegan! I sometimes mash an overriped banana with a bit of cinnamon and mix it with the batter before putting in the waffle maker. I want to try this with other fruits and nuts. I can’t thank you enough Nora for this great recipe!
I am so glad that you guys are enjoying the recipe! Fresh waffles every morning…YUM!! Thank you for sharing your review and comments!
Best vegan waffle recipe I’ve found!!
I have made this recipe a few times now, and today I made apple pie waffles! So good!! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Your apple pie waffles sound delicious! I’m glad you are enjoying the recipe! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
BEST WAFFLES!!
Thank you! I’m glad you love them!