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!

close up of a waffle with butter and syrup on it

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, theyโ€™re easy to make, require only 1 main bowl, and use ingredients you likely already have in your pantry!

Iโ€™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 youโ€™re a waffle enthusiast like me, youโ€™ll want to try my pumpkin waffles or my gluten free waffle recipe.

syrup being drizzled on stack of vegan waffles, red towel in background

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
stack of waffles on a white plate with red towel and blueberries on wood backdrop

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”.

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
  2. Next, add in the flax egg, vegan buttermilk, melted butter or oil, and vanilla. Stir until just combined with a large wooden spoon (donโ€™t over mix!). 
  3. 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.
  4. 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!
collage of how to make waffles, step by step in the waffle iron

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 โ€œchickenโ€ 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.
  • Donโ€™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 youโ€™re not ready to serve the waffles immediately, keep them in a warm oven (200ยบF) until youโ€™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 theyโ€™re warmed through and crispy.

syrup drizzling on tall stack of waffles

Want more sweet and simple vegan breakfast recipes?

square image of waffles with butter and syrup, close up
4.95 stars (196 ratings)

Best Ever Vegan Waffles

How to make the Best Ever Vegan Waffles! Nice and crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 large waffles

Ingredients 
 

Flax Eggs (see notes for alternative)

  • 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
  • 1/2 cup water

Vegan Buttermilk

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

  1. 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.
  2. May use coconut, almond, cashew or any other kind of non-dairy milk that you wish in place of the soy milk.ย 
  3. For gluten free waffles, simply substitute an all purpose gluten free flour.
  4. 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.
  5. These waffles freeze beautifully. To reheat, simple pop them in the toaster until warmed through and crispy. I always have waffles in the freezer!
  6. These make 8-9 large Belgian waffles, but if you have a smaller square waffle maker, they make around 22 waffles.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 349mg | Potassium: 604mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 406IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 300mg | Iron: 3mg
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Author: Nora Taylor
Did you make this recipe?Mention @nora_cooks_vegan_ or tag #noracooks!

*This recipe was first published October 2018 and has been updated with improved photos and writing. 

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Read my full disclosure here.

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Comments

  1. Absolutely delicious!! Thank you Nora we love all your recipes even though weโ€™re not eating 100 percent vegan . My family wanted waffles but we were out of eggs , so I knew youโ€™d have a delicious waffle recipe . Yes and they were delicious! The whole family also thought so. Thank you and God bless you and your family.

    1. Hi Tamia. I’m thrilled that your family loved my waffle recipe! Thanks for your terrific feedback and incredible words of kindness!

  2. Hi Nora!

    I made these waffles and they were wonderful! I cut the recipe exactly in half and they turned out great! I have a small, 2 square waffle maker and didn’t have enough time to cook a full batch. I got 8 nice, crispy waffles I topped with blueberries warmed with maple syrup, yummy! The best part is I have enough left for breakfast tomorrow! Thanks for another great recipe, it’s a keeper!

    Diane S.

    1. Hi Diane. I’m thrilled to hear you loved the waffles! I love making toasted waffles with leftovers! Thanks for your upbeat feedback and great review!

  3. My go to waffle recipe – thank you!I’ve tried others and this really is the best.

    I have a question though, today when I added the wet to the dry to combine my flour clumped like crazy – big balls of flour swimming in the flax/oil/milk mixture. I squeezed them out by hand. There’s usually clumps and it’s fine but this time there were so many and so big I wasn’t sure what happened. The only thing I did different was reduce the sugar to just over 1/4 cup & when I poured the wet into the dry I didn’t mix immediately but went to wash a few things. Thanks in advance!

    1. I’m so glad you like the waffle recipe! That’s odd about the clumping, perhaps it had something to do with the flour, or humidity, I’m not sure. But if this happens, you can use a whisk to break up any big clumps, just try not to over mix the batter too much. Hope that helps!

    1. We love using the leftover waffles as toaster waffles! I’m thrilled you guys are loving the waffles! Thanks for your wonderful feedback!

      1. I love this recipe and have made it so many times I have lost count! Nora’s recipes are always wonderful and tasty ๐Ÿ™‚

        1. Your wonderful words and positive feedback are so encouraging! Thank you for sharing! I’m thrilled that you love the waffles!

  4. Everything she makes is magic!

    We’ve tried two other vegan waffle recipes and they weren’t good. Limp, etc. Then, I was like, “Does Nora have a waffle recipe!?”

    Of course she has a waffle recipe. My husband bit into his and was like “WHY DIDN’T YOU EVER CHECK TO SEE IF NORA HAD A WAFFLE RECIPE?”

    My bad!

    1. Your kind words mean so much to me! I’m thrilled you guys loved the waffles! Thanks for using my recipes! I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes! Thanks for your wonderful feedback and review!

  5. I had been craving waffles so finally broke down and bought a waffle iron and then headed off in search of a good waffle recipe! I guess I did not really search much since I looked on your website first lol. These waffles were perfect! The crispy outside was so good. I stuck with the flax egg as opposed to more oil since I never notice ground flax in things and it is healthier. Regardless if I ever run out of flax it is good to know there are option. On point like always!

    1. Hi Jen. How fun you have a new waffle iron! Waffles are so delicious! I’m glad that you tried, and loved, my waffle recipe! Thanks for sharing your wonderful feedback and review! Wishing you lots of happy and delicious waffle making!

  6. I have made this recipe several times and itโ€™s always a big hit! Delicious.

    I was wondering – would the batter freeze well? Also, could it be used to make pancakes instead of waffles? Thanks!

    1. Hi Joy. I’m thrilled the waffles are a hit! Iโ€™ve never frozen waffle batter, so Iโ€™m not sure if it will work or not. I donโ€™t think the batter will last more than 2-3 days at most in the refrigerator. I have never made pancakes with this batter, so am not sure how it would work! I use my simple vegan pancakes recipe. I hope some of this information helps!

  7. These are our go to for Sunday brunch. We use 2/3-3/4 AP flour to 1/4-1/3 white wheat flour. We use avocado oil or refined coconut oil and usually soy or almond milk. My 3 children absolutely adore these! These are the gold standard for vegan waffles and they toast perfectly the next day too. My 5 year old vegan niece came to visit and was skeptical of my skills until I made these! She ate them up for breakfast raving about how great they were and then asked to have them as her snack. I canโ€™t recommend them enough.

    1. Hi Lena. I’m so thrilled you guys love the waffles! I love having these waffles as leftovers! Thank you for taking time to share your fantastic feedback and ideas! Happy cooking!

  8. These were very good! I followed the recipe to near exact using half AP flour and half white whole wheat flour along with expeller pressed canola oil instead of vegan butter. The only small addition I included was an extra tsp of vanilla (I LOVE vanilla!). The “buttermilk” flavor stands out in the waffles and my husband especially liked that. The whole family really enjoyed these! I will be making your vegan blondies today for our Labor Day get together tomorrow! =)

    1. Hi Lisa. I’m happy that the waffles turned out great and your family loved them! Thank you for sharing your great review! Enjoy the blondies!

  9. Good recipe. I used Almond milk and gluten free flours/4 different.
    I used olive oil. And a little cinnamon. The proportions in the recipe are good except too much salt for me so I divided salt in half,

  10. Another Nora cooks recipe hit! Iโ€™m never disappointed with your recipes. With this one I was skeptical it would work bc I didnโ€™t have everything and substituted a few things (Aquafaba for the flax egg and bread flour instead of AP) but it was delicious!! Thank you

  11. I made these while on vacation and didn’t have vanilla so substituted with fresh blueberries and lemon juice and they were amazing! Even the kids loved them. Thanks so much!

  12. These waffles have great flavor that you don’t find in other recipes. The flax egg in the recipe works very well. And they are the perfect balance of crispy and fluffy! Thanks for sharing.

    1. Hello! My daughter can’t have flaxseed so I’d love to make these with a bit of added oil instead, as mentioned it the notes – I can’t really tell how *MUCH* extra oil I should add, though? Thanks for any suggestions you might have so I don’t accidentally add the wrong amount to make up for omitting the flax egg! Thank you! ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. Hi Kathryn. You can omit the flax eggs and increase the oil to 3/4 cup. Works really well, but they are slightly less crispy. FYI: The specific oil measurement is contained in the ‘notes’ section at the bottom of the recipe. Enjoy!

  13. I love all your recipes but have yet to try this one, and Iโ€™m hoping you might have some input about adding sourdough starter to it? I am having a hard time finding a vegan waffle recipe that uses my starter/discard. Do you think I could just add some into your recipe or would it change ratios etc? Thank you!

    1. I haven’t tried it or really worked much with sourdough, so I’m truly not sure, sorry! Thank you for loving my recipes, if you do try it let me know how it goes. ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. Just wanted to follow up with using the sourdough discardโ€” they turned out fantastic!! I added 100g of my discard to the recipe when mixing in wet ingredients and didnโ€™t change anything about the originalย flour and liquid. I also omitted the flax egg and used extra oil as per your notes, and added an extra 2 tbsps of sugar just as a taste preference. They were crisp on the outside and so fluffy inside! Absolutely delicious, thank you for another 5 star recipe!ย 

  14. My daughter is actually allergic to flax but we ended up substituting one egg, as well as adding enjoy life dark chocolate chips and mini marshmallows, and these were so so so delicious. Won’t go for another waffle recipe after this!

    1. So glad the waffles were a hit with your family! Your waffles sound so delicious! Thanks for sharing your great feedback an ideas!

  15. Hi Nora!
    Love your recipes. You make them very simple and delicious. I love this waffle recipe. I love that you came up with a substitute for the flax eggs. I also took from another recipe the aquafaba eggs. I whipped 3 up like egg whites and folded in the batter. Made the waffles even more light and airy. Thank you for all your recipes and the notes and tips you provide!

    1. Hi Brenda. You are welcome! I sure appreciate your positive feedback, as well as information about what is helpful for you in my recipes! Thank you! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!

  16. So good!ย 
    Thanks for creating this recipe.ย 
    I used 1/2 cup semolina flour and some crispy quinoa for fun!!ย 

  17. So delicious! I sometimes add a little cinnamon to the mix. Our favourite is to have these with vegan chicken tenders and drown them in maple syrupย 

  18. I love these but I need to learn how to swap buckwheat flour. I put in 3 1/2 cups thinking I could swap the same amount. I was wrong! Now I want to fix the batter so I don’t have to throw it away! Any help would be appreciated! Thank you!

  19. For fun I’m calculating my daily fiber intake. I make these with a Belgian waffle maker. If I cut them into fours, about 20-24 squares total per recipe, is the nutrition information quoted per square?

    1. I’m sorry, I really don’t know the answer to that, I don’t pay that close of attention to serving sizes! You’d have to make them all, then divide them up into 8 sections to know for sure.

  20. Made these for Mother’s Day brunch and followed the recipe exactly as written. Hands down a favorite! We will definitely keep this recipe in the “make again” file!

    1. Thanks for your great feedback on the waffles! I am so glad you loved them, and will be making them often! Happy cooking!

  21. Hi Nora! This has been my family’s go-to waffle recipe every weekend for ages and it’s a hit every time! I believe you had previously noted the measurements of whole wheat flour and all purpose that you used, but I don’t see it there now. Could you please let me know what it said previously for the combination of flours? Thanks, Nora! ?

    1. I forgot to rate the recipe! Your recipe always produces light and crisp waffles that are perfect with blueberries and maple syrup! Love them!!

    2. Hi there! Sure, I found that any mix of flour works well in these waffles. The original recipe called for 2 cups of white flour and 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour. Hope that helps and you keep enjoying the waffles!

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