11 comments Whole Wheat Buttermilk Waffles
There was a time, a few years ago, when I suddenly became very self-conscious about the fact that I did not own a waffle maker. Despite spending many lazy weekend mornings making waffles as a kid, I had never, in my adult life, sought out a waffle maker. Maybe it was the space they take up (which can be a lot for someone with a kitchen as small as mine!). Maybe it was the fact that they are good for making exactly one thing (how very Alton Brown of me!). Maybe it was simply a desire to leave the complexities of waffle making to the professionals.
Then suddenly, this past summer, something came over me and I needed a waffle maker. It was as if not having a waffle maker was a symbol of all that was wrong in the world and if I had a waffle maker all would be right. I was torn between the fancy, flipping-upside-down Belgian style ones and the classic flat versions. All the reviews I came across basically said that nothing compared to the antique Sunbeam waffle irons that had been in the someone’s family for decades. Well, of course I had to search around Ebay for weeks, ok, months, until a classic Sunbeam showed up that wasn’t going to cost more than the value of the waffle iron in shipping.
I’m happy to report that once I finally managed to acquire this classic waffle iron, I can see why people are so attached to them!! It’s fantastic! I was terribly nervous about the waffles sticking or not knowing when they are done. This old machine doesn’t have a “done indicator” light like the one I grew up with but you can usually tell that they are ready when the top gives a little when you start to open it. I sprayed my waffle iron with nonstick spray before each waffle and had no sticking problems.
This is a pretty basic starter recipe for waffles that can easily be adapted (thanks to the always adaptable, Minimalist Mark Bittman). Next time I will absolutely be adding some cinnamon and chopped pecans. I know that the debate about whether the separately whipped egg whites makes a difference rages on, and I’m certainly not qualified to make any comment on that. All I can say is that these were nutty (due to my use of whole wheat flour) and not-too dense. If you are staying away from sugar, feel free to substitute Splenda for the little bit of sugar called for, and try topping them with agave nectar rather than maple syrup!
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Waffles
Ingredients-
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cup buttermilk*
2 eggs, separated
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Canola oil for brushing the waffle ironOptional Additions: ground cinnamon, chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans would be great)
Directions-
- Combine dry ingredients. Mix together the buttermilk and the egg yolks. Stir in the butter and the vanilla.
- Brush waffle iron lightly with oil and preheat. Stir the wet into the dry ingredients. Beat the egg whites with a whisk or electric mixer until they form soft peaks. Stir them gently into the batter.
- Spread a ladleful or so of batter onto the waffle iron and bake until the waffle is done, usually 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately (with butter and syrup or agave nectar!) or keep warm for a few minutes in low oven.* If you are like me you probably never buy buttermilk and the thought of having to buy buttermilk in order to make waffles is insurmountable, so you can easily make your own! For this recipe, simply use 1 3/4 cup regular milk mixed with 2 TBL white vinegar. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to become nice and tangy.
Adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything
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Looking at you picture I was wondering how you got your waffles to look like that. I am going to have to check out eBay too and see if I can find one of these irons. They look fab!
I just made these this morning and they were delicious. I accidentally left the butter out but they still came out crisp and tasty, not to mention healthier. Thanks for posting the recipe.
These look wonderful! I am always looking for healthy breakfast ideas for my kids. Great photos!
i look foward to trying this recipe. just like you use to as an adult,i still do not own a waffle iron, i plan on changing that now thanks to you. just as the one person commented these look fantastice i too am going to have to search ebbay for a waffle iron like that. Thanks
Hey!
I had the exact same thing happen. I just HAD to have a waffle iron. Failure to get a waffle iron could cause immeasurable amount of disaster.
After combing all the local (and some not so local) thrift stores I found one for $5.99, on sale for half price. $3.00! Wow.
Life is wonderfully wafflicious again.
Praise the mighty power of the waffle iron!
BTW, I also recently purchased a flour mill (L’equip Vitalmill) which I use for milling my own fresh whole wheat flour, corn flour, oat flour and bean flour. I’ve started baking my own fresh bread weekly. Triple bagging the bread leaves it fresh much longer. I also use fresh flour for muffins and cookies, buns, biscuits and pancakes.
There is no comparison between fresh milled flour and store bought. Fresh tastes better and makes better bread.
We made these this morning and they were wonderful. The taste and mouth feel were totally unexpected. We used King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour. We were short 3/4 cup of buttermilk and substituted some 1% milk and heavy cream. We subsequently added a bit more milk to the batter before folding in the egg whites. The batter seemed heavy, but the resulting waffles were heavenly. This has to be the best waffle we’ve ever made. We used our 20 year old inexpensive electric waffle maker that was prepared with a bit of vegetable oil. The hardest part of this recipe is the simple task of separating the egg yolks and whites.
FYI. This week, Macy’s has their Belgian waffle iron for $29.95. Thats $50.0 off. Stainless and nonstick. 10/22/10
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I just made these waffles for my family for the fourth or fifth time…they are always a hit! I like to use half white, half wheat and add a dash of wheat germ too. Thanks for sharing!
Wish I could post a picture to share – I added pecans(from Georgia of course!) and topped these with fresh blueberries and bananas. Looked great, tasted better! Thanks for the recipe.
Boo hoo, I gave away my mother’s Sunbeam waffle maker that she got as a wedding present on August 9, 1939. It makes me sick to think I did this, but I was young and foolish, and this was about 30 years ago, before we all realized how much better made the old appliances were. Hers was really well used and a big mess, but could have cleaned it up!!!