Quick Yeasted Belgian Waffles

You may think that yeast is just for breads and hearty recipes that need long baking times but yeast added into waffles makes the most light and airy waffles. This is my family's favorite way I make them (and I have made many over the years.)

Yeast in waffles gives the waffles lift and helps create a crunchy outside and soft and airy inside to the waffles.

I like to make Belgian yeasted waffles but you could use a regular waffle maker too!

About The Yeast

This recipe uses instant dry yeast which needs a little time to rest (only 1 hour). You can let your yeasted waffle batter rise overnight or give it an hour or so like I did in this recipe before making them. I have tried both ways and they both are delicious and work well.

I like quick recipes so the one-hour rest was perfect for me.

My routine when I make these is I will wake up early on a Sunday morning before anyone else wakes up to get this batter started. I place it in a warm spot in my kitchen (I find my microwave to be a good resting spot) for about an hour while I have my morning coffee.

You can use rapid rise yeast if you prefer which will do its job right away but I find the flavor is better when the batter has had a chance to sit.

Ingredients Overview

(full list with quantities below)

All of the ingredients for these yeast waffles are very simple. It will be all the same ingredients that you would use for regular waffles except it has the addition of yeast.

• All-purpose flour
• yeast (active dry yeast): This type of yeast requires a little resting time which is included in the recipe below.
• sugar
• butter
• baking soda
• large eggs
• milk
• salt
• vanilla extract

Making Homemade Yeast Waffles

(full directions below)

The steps to making yeast waffles are very simple. You will need at least 1 hour of time for the yeast to do its thing but it is passive time so you can be doing other things.

• Mix your yeast with some water.
• Add your yeast mixture to all of the ingredients except the baking soda.
• Mix well.
• Let sit for 1 hour or overnight.

• When ready to cook, add your baking soda and mix well.
• Heat your waffle iron.
• Pour your batter on and cook waffles.

This yeasted waffle recipe is no more complicated than making regular waffles. You are just adding one extra step which is the yeast part. That extra step really makes all the difference in the flavor of the waffles.

Recipe Tips For The Crunchiest Waffles

• Cook the waffles with the lid open for a few seconds: When I ladle the batter into the waffle wells, I like to wait about 5 seconds before closing it. This allows some of the steam (moisture) to escape.
• Preheat the waffle maker on medium high: This is something I tested out, over and over so I can have crisp waffles. You want the waffle maker to be nice and hot and preheated well. For the cooking portion, the hot waffle iron cooks them fast and leaves a crisp outside.

Toppings For Waffles

Sometimes I am in the mood for just these yeast waffles with a little butter, powdered sugar and good-quality maple syrup. If you use all quality ingredients, that is all you really need!

To jazz it up even more, here are some ideas:

• Homemade whipped cream and fresh berries.
• A homemade berry sauce that you can make the day before if you want a sweeter topping than fresh berries.
• blackberry puree
• honey simple syrup instead of maple syrup.
• homemade blueberry sauce

Whatever you like!

Storing

If you end up with more yeast waffles than you can eat, you can let the waffles cool to room temperature and place them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

To reheat, just place your waffles in a toaster oven to warm them and crisp them back up. Wouldn't this make great leftovers to look forward to the next day!