A few visitors have asked for a basic, easy neutral vegan waffle recipe to accompany the more adventurous ones. While the creative part of my mind rebelled at first, I decided that several good “neutral” recipes are vital for waffle parties with a range of toppings. So without further fanfare, here is your very basic-but still delicious-vegan waffle.
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 cups soymilk
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
Sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix the soymilk, canola oil, and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Pour the soymilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Cook on a waffle iron for 3 to 5 minutes, generously spraying both grills with oil before each waffle. Makes 4 (7-inch) round Belgian waffles.
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thanks so much for the naked recipe. i needed something basic to start with. I added blueberries. hempseed flaxseed dates and raisens and it turned out perfectly . I did it on a proctor and silex 26050 that i got for 2 bucks at a trift store. thanks
kyle
Glad it turned out for you! Sounds like a pretty great set of toppings, and it’s hard to beat blueberries.
Very tasty, BUT no matter how much oil I put on the iron they stuck and pulled apart.
This is a great recipe! Thank you. I made a coconut lime version with this basic recipe by adding the zest and juice of 1 lime and 1 tsp. of coconut extract. I topped it with strawberries, but next time I would use bananas instead. I know there are a lot of variations you can make out of this recipe, so thanks a lot.
Kai,
Thanks for the feedback. How did you apply the oil? I’ve found that results can vary depending upon how you oil the iron. For example, spraying on oil is preferable because brushing on oil can result in an uneven coating.
Dawn,
Glad to hear the variation worked out well!
Good recipe. No sticking. I used a spray olive oil and the waffle iron manufacturer’s recommended heat setting for a golden brown fluffy waffle and they came out fluffy and golden brown. Go figure! Also, I didn’t have WW flour so I used 1 1/2 cup all-purpose and 1 cup garbanzo bean flour.
My one year old daughter is allergic to eggs. This was a wonderful recipe for my family. Her older brother and sister had no idea I changed my usual recipe (it used eggs) .
I defrosted some berries and served them all over the top, YUMMY!
I would have to say the waffles were very ‘heavy’ compared to my normal, non-vegan, recipe. All and all I am for sure going to try this again with maybe some applesauce or banana next time.
Thank you!
Kelly,
I’m glad this provided an option for your daughter! If “heavy” means not quite as fluffy, you can lighten them up slightly by using all all-purpose flour rather than whole wheat flour, although that will take away some of the fiber, texture and nutritional value. Some of the waffles here like the Hot Chocolate Molasses and Dark Chocolate Cake Waffles are a bit fluffier and moister to begin with, but as this is intended to be a very basic recipe I’d certainly encourage you to experiment with it and would love to hear how it turns out! Another tip: adding a tablespoon or two of molasses, which is slightly acidic, will yield a slightly stronger reaction with the baking soda and may thus make them a bit lighter in texture (also darker in color and slightly crispier). Happy waffling!
Great recipe…this sounds delish
I can’t get these to work. They pull apart in the middle and don’t cook on the inside. Have tried different heat settings. What could I be doing wrong??
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Tanya,
Thanks for your inquiry. If waffles simply aren’t cooking on the inside, it’s usually either because there’s too much moisture and more time is needed for the moisture to bake out, or because the iron isn’t providing enough heat. As these waffles have worked for a number of others, I’d need to ask a) whether you used the original or modified version of the recipe–this includes changing the type of flour, as different types of flours absorb different amounts of moisture, and b) whether you’ve recently used the iron successfully with other vegan waffles (to rule out issues with the iron). As for the peeling apart, question a) also applies, as many types of flours have less gluten and therefore less “built-in binding” than wheat flour. (This is why such recipes often incorporate ingredients such as flaxseed, while wheat-based recipes often do not.)
I’ve also seen issues where a bit of build-up on the iron grids can create “cold spots” that result in sticking/peeling issues, so make sure the iron’s clean.
Hope that helps!
I would like to try your waffles but in Italy we don’t have canola oil. Do you know a valid substitute?
Hi, Alessandra.
Most other vegetable oils, such as safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean, or vegetable oil blends, should work, as long as they have a relatively neutral flavor or a flavor that you like. I usually suggest canola because it’s among the healthier oils and is relatively neutral in flavor. I have also made a number of waffles with olive oil, but those are only waffles that are savory (rather than sweet), and ones where I actually want a bit of olive flavor, since olive oil can have a strong flavor. You could also get away with using olive oil in a neutrally flavored waffle if you planned on putting a savory topping on it, like hummus or a tomato-based sauce–but not something sweet like maple syrup. Also, I’ve read that in some locations canola oil is still called rapeseed oil; its name was apparently changed for marketing purposes. Hope that helps!
Hi! You may have already realized this, but I’ve been meaning to tell you that I made your naked waffles! They turned out great, so I blogged about it for Vegan MoFo (The Vegan Month of Food.) I love how you guys promote veganism, and your concern for the world and the people and animals in it. Waffleparty is fabulous idea. Thanks for sharing what you do with the rest of the world!
Faith
Faith,
Best wishes!
Many thanks for letting me know! Also, your Vegan Cooking with Soul site looks like it will contain lots of exciting and useful reviews. Love the pics; makes me hungry even though I just ate.
These waffles were pretty good – crisp and fluffy. I changed the flour around to 1.5 c white and 1 c buckwheat.
I think it would be more helpful to give the yield in cups of batter rather than waffles, since waffle iron capacities may vary. I got 5-3/4 cup batter when I did mine.
CS,
Happy waffling!
Glad they worked out with a little modification as well. The point you bring up re: yield is a good one that I’ve actually discussed with a few people. The tricky part is that some batters expand significantly more than others while baking, i.e., a cup of one batter might produce a greater volume (and thus more servings) of finished waffles than a cup of another batter; and people often plan things out according to how many people they wish to serve. From what I can tell, this is why most cookbooks I’ve seen with waffle recipes note # of waffles, along with the diameter. Of course, even that doesn’t account for some factors like the depth of the iron grids, or the fact that a denser waffle will be more filling. Perhaps the world needs two new units of volume measurement, e.g., the “waffle cubic centimeter” and “waffle density factor.” Or maybe some bright Google summer intern will design a tool for converting numbers of waffles among various models.
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This sounds great!
I am becoming the rebel in my meat eating family, and missing waffles and other delicious breakfast foods. :/ I’m not fully committed to being vegan, but i plan on doing so when i get a job and a car, so i can shop for myself, and not have to have my family go out of their way to buy and make special meals for me. And if there are people trying to become vegan, but hard to make the commitment, read The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone. It is very convincing. 
Thankyou, again, wonderful waffle person! ;D haha. 
You’re very welcome, and thanks also for mentioning the book. I recently read about it in VegNews, and it sounds very inspiring and useful. Perhaps someday the meals you wish to enjoy will no longer be considered “out of the way.”
Would a substitute like evaporated cane sugar work instead of brown sugar? I don’t really want to buy the brown sugar just for this recipe, however I do want a high chance of success since I’m making them for a friend’s birthday weekend. Would appreciate your advice, thanks!
Hi, Jill.
I have not yet tried this particular recipe with evaporated cane sugar, but I can say that brown sugar does add a slightly different flavor to waffles along with a bit more darkness and crispiness, and in some cases interacts a bit better with the baking soda. If you have some molasses (or by chance, the less common barley malt syrup) on hand, adding a tablespoon of that alongside the sugar substitution should yield similar results. If not, I’d try the substitution prior to the party to be safe, perhaps with half a recipe.
Thanks for your question, and what a great birthday gift!
thanks, it worked out well. For the record I used only all-purp flour, no whole wheat, and I subbed evaporated cane sugar for brown. I happen to have barley malt syrup, oddly enough, so I added a tablespoon of that. the only issues I had stemmed more from the quirkiness of what is probably a 30+ year old waffle iron that was my grandmother’s.
Jill,
Thanks for letting me know, and I’m glad you had some barley malt syrup on hand. Good stuff. Older irons can be be hit or miss–I recently tried a neighbor’s decades-old iron that worked wonderfully when a thin coat of oil was sprayed on prior to each waffle (which I generally do even with modern “non stick” irons anyway), but I’ve also heard a few not-so-happy stories. Factors include, but aren’t limited to, wattage and condition of the grids, and how evenly the waffle iron’s surfaces heat.
Also, using just all-purpose flour can create a slightly lighter waffle, but when removing some of the texture it becomes especially important to leave the batter slightly lumpy (which is good to do anyway), to avoid a somewhat toughened “cardboardish” consistency in the final product. Hope that helps a bit!
Hi, just stumbled across your site… it’s really fun and I can’t wait to try all of your recipes!
I’m rather new to the “science” of cooking and have a lot to learn about veganizing recipes I have. I have a question about the oil… what purpose it serves… I would like to reduce or eliminate it. Knowing what work it does while cooking away in the waffle iron would help me to devise an appropriate sub for it. Or, better yet, if you have a suggestion for me, that would be great. Thanks!
Hi, Carole.
The fat in the oil helps waffles to cook and develop a slightly crispy texture, enhances flavor, and reduces sticking in conjunction with the oil you spray onto the iron. In a recipe that calls for no more than 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil, if you don’t mind experimenting a bit, you may be able to get it down to 1 tablespoon if you’re spraying a decent coat of oil on the iron before each waffle. If you want to eliminate it altogether, you might try the Vegan Coconut-Buckwheat Waffles or (again if you don’t mind experimenting–I’d suggest trying it with half a recipe to begin with) try substituting coconut milk (not the watered-down or low-fat variety) for at least half the liquid in another recipe. Coconut milk has a high fat content, so can do the trick in some cases. If you’re looking to eliminate the fat altogether, the safest recommendation I can make is to eliminate the oil and increase the liquid until you have a slightly thinner batter of desired consistency for vegan pancakes–you’ll still need a bit of oil for your pan or grill, and you will have a somewhat different flavor and texture than you would have had with a waffle, but will have very little oil. Hope that gives you a few ideas!
I came across your site doing a google search for vegan waffles. How cool to find out about waffle parties – I love the idea!
I tried the naked waffle recipe because I had all the ingredients on hand. They turned out great – really puffy, golden & sweet! I added a little agave and some vanilla – delicious! I think they were the best waffles I’ve ever made. Definitely restaurant-worthy!
P.S. I was out of spray oil, so I just oiled my waffle maker with canola oil & a paper towel, and they didn’t stick at all.
Jenna,
Thanks for the feedback, and I’m particularly glad to hear the paper towel/oil trick worked. It seems that some waffle irons like that, and some don’t. If you decide to invite a few friends over in May or June and make it a party, certainly let me know.
I LOVE THESE WAFFLES! I mashed up a banana and added it to the batter, then put organic crunchy peanut butter and organic pure maple syrup on top – so, so delicious! I didn’t really have a problem with it sticking/coming apart – just spray the oil on both parts of the waffle iron each time and they come out wonderfully! So filling and delicious, thank you!
You’re very welcome! You’ve highlighted an easy way to use up any near-overripe bananas that may be sitting around on the counter, and the PB-maple flavor combo is a nice one.
This is awesome! I’ve already tried several times. I LOVE IT!! This is my staple on Sunday morning breakfast. Thank you for the recipe.
Glad to hear it, and you’re very welcome!
I got the recipe to work, but thought they were a bit too plain (and maybe a bit dry.) I picked this recipe because it had the least ingredients that I’d have trouble acquiring. Any tips as to how I can modify without going into overly exotic ingredients?
Kevin,
Thanks for your comment. As for the plain part, you can usually add your favorite spices without altering the cooking properties off the waffle, because they’re generally added in small amounts. For example, if you like cinnamon, you might try a teaspoon (or more) of that, and perhaps 1/4 to 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg. Because this one is intentionally pretty neutral so it will go with a variety of syrups and toppings, so the sky’s the limit in terms of what you want to put on top of it to liven it up. You can add some fruit or finely chopped nuts, but this can impact the moisture level (and other factors) and therefore the cooking properties–if you go that route, I’d probably try adding them just to your first waffle’s worth of batter as an experiment, and if it works, add to the rest of the batter.
As for the dry part, the immediate solution that comes to mind is to cook it for slightly less time, but I recognize that may not result in the desired level of crispiness. If your iron has adjustable heat, you might turn it up slightly so the exterior toasts in a shorter period of time. When experimenting with adjusting the liquid, I advise going in small increments; you can try increasing the oil or soymilk by just 1 or 2 tablespoons to begin with and see if that helps. Alternately, you might try adding a tablespoon or two of molasses. And of course, any type of syrup on top will add some of moisture. Happy waffling!
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Made these on Christmas day in my new “the Boss Grill” the first one stuck bad, but then I made the others leaving them in the full five minutes and they popped right out! I added a dash of vanilla to the batter.They were wonderful, a new Christmas tradition Xmas Waffles! Thanks alot and Merry Christmas,Happy Holidays and have a great New Year.
I just used this for Xmas morning for 6 of us. Doubled everything and used vanilla soy milk + plus two mashed bananas. Turned out fine. A few years ago my 1927 waffle iron bit the dust, so I opened it to re-wire it (I’d re-wired the cord years before) and found it had asbestos… So I bought a big new one at the box store and found that it didn’t hold enough heat to cook well. So I’ve been hitting garage sales and collecting. Now I have three, one with no stick that tends to cook well but doesn’t get hot enough to make a crispy crust, and two made in America, ones that work just fine.
My latest favorite waffle recipe is oatmeal. Two cups water, two cups rolled oats, two bananas and a little baking powder and salt/sugar/oil – it’s not exactly the same, but your recipe would give a good idea of proportions. It all goes into my blender and pored right out onto the iron.
For toppings this morning we had maple syrup, almond and peanut butters, and everything else was home canned – apricot nectar, apricot jam, plum jam, peach jam, applesauce…
Great recipe! I have had much distress with vegan waffle recipes in the past. This one caused me no displeasure. I used 2 cups all purpose flour and 1/2 a cup chickpea flour. I also used only 2 teaspoons brown sugar, but added a teaspoon of vanilla, molasses, and 2 teaspoons flax meal. A perfect basic recipe that is easily adjusted. Thanks for curing my waffle woes!
Emily, Glad to hear it worked out, and it’s great that you’re taking the liberty to experiment a bit! I also love molasses (esp. blackstrap, if you haven’t already discovered it), and flax is esp. great w/ lower-gluten, gluten-free, and filling-heavy waffles to help with binding. Wonderful gifts from nature.
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maybe you should look up what and where canola oil comes from and what the real health of this oil is, Id replace it with something like coconut oil or olive oil.
Canola oil is not healthy, its just been pushed by a wealthy industry.
Thanks, Bruce.
I have addressed questions/comments similar to this elsewhere on this blog. Opinions vary greatly on this topic, ranging from individuals who believe that foods should not incorporate any added oils, to others who believe in one or more specific oil(s) over others. If you substitute a particular oil for a recipe on this site, and it works well, please feel free to leave a comment.
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These were great! I woke up this morning to make waffles for my mom’s birthday – one of her favorite breakfast foods, but we hadn’t had any since I went vegan. I ran out of normal soy milk after less than a cup, and had to substitute chocolate soy milk, so I decreased the brown sugar just a bit. I didn’t have proper measuring spoons or any whole wheat flour (AP substituted fine), but they still came out great! Maple syrup, fresh cherries and peaches on the side, eggs (for the non-vegans) – overall, a great birthday breakfast! Thanks so much!
Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe and your amazing site. We just found out that our youngest is allergic to eggs, dairy and nuts so we have spent the summer transitioning the family to a vegan diet and trying to adapt our already vegetarian diet to satisfy all of our kids dietary needs. Needless to say our older children have been struggling a bit with the change. However, there were no complaints when these waffles were served today. In fact it was an all out race to see who could finish their first waffle so that they could grab another from the stack. We were wondering if you have any advice when it comes to substituting coconut oil for the canola oil. Are there problems with the waffles sticking or binding if we make the substitution? Again thanks for such a great resource we will definitely be ordering a copy of your cookbook.
Erin,
Thanks for visiting, and I’m glad to hear the site has been helpful! While I’ve had good luck w/ coconut *milk* w/ some recipes (replacing much of the soymilk as well as the oil, to bring the total fat content back up to a desired level), I personally haven’t tried substituting coconut oil for the canola oil yet. I don’t know of any reason a direct substitution shouldn’t work, and would love to hear what results you get. Sometimes different oils can yield different results when you’re doing things like frying at high temps due to the different “smoke points” of some oils, but I haven’t yet heard of significant differences for waffle baking. You’ll still want to spray the iron grids w/ some type of oil (pressurized can works best for good even coating) prior to each waffle.
Dave
Davi,
You can use any type of non-dairy milk, reducing the amount by 1 to 2 tablespoons to start with if you’re using milk that is a bit thinner than store bought soymilk. As many store bought milks use thickeners, my hunch is that your homemade nutmilk will be slightly thinner. Happy vegan waffling! Also, homemade hazelnut milk sounds very delicious.