German Waffles (Less Sweet)

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: German

Keyword: best waffle recipe, breakfast, brunch, german waffle, sweet

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 25

Servings: waffles

Calories: 426kcal

Waffle lovers unite! Breakfast, brunch, dessert....midnight snack, you decide! These usually sweet waffles are made with only a third cup of sugar to compensate for sweet toppings you want to add such as fruit, icing sugar, whipped cream or maple syrup.

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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
⅓ cup white sugar (or 1 cup sugar for sweeter waffles)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract or 1 envelope (9 g) vanilla sugar
1 tsp lemon zest optional
4 large eggs room temperature
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup 3.25% M.F. homogenized milk or 33% M.F. heavy cream for richer flavour
1 cup water room temperature

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Instructions

Preheat your waffle maker to desired temperature (ie. light, medium, dark)
In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar and salt for 5 minutes on medium speed. Add vanilla extract, lemon zest and continue mixing on medium speed until well combined.
On low speed, add 1 egg at a time into creamed butter and mix well for 1 minute before adding the next egg (scrape down bowl in between additions). Add 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 cup of flour and mix well on low speed. In a large measuring cup, combine milk with water, then pour in a splash of this into the the mixer bowl and continue to mix on low speed. Repeat this alternation until all of the flour and milk water are combined into the creamed butter (scrape down bowl in between additions).
Spray waffle iron with light oil (if needed). Pour in 1/3 cup of batter to waffle iron, spread batter with a spatula if needed and bake according to manufacturer instructions until desired doneness is reached. Allow baked waffle to cool on a wire rack for 1 minute. Serve with any toppings of choice. Enjoy!

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Notes

What other types of sugar can I use?

You can use brown or cane sugar. Honey or Maple syrup is a great sugar substitute and stevia is a healthier option.

What's the difference between German vs. Belgian waffles?

German waffles are usually made in a heart shaped waffle maker and the batter is made with more sugar (including vanilla sugar) to create a little crisp on the waffles. The waffle texture is a little more dense and thinner than standard waffles.

Belgian waffles are made in a regular square or round waffle maker (I used this Breville waffle maker) and the batter has whipped egg whites folded in to create a fluffy, soft waffle and is thicker than German waffles.

How do I prevent an overflow of batter while making waffles?

Since there are different waffle makers that vary in size, to prevent an overflow, test your first batch with a small measured amount of batter. For example, make your first waffle with a 1/4 cup batter. Increase it to 1/3 cup and even to 1/2 cup until you reach the perfect waffle size (without an overflow). You can also follow the recommended amount by your waffle maker manufacturer's instructions.

How long can you keep waffle batter in the fridge?

You can make your waffle batter and refrigerate it in an airtight container up to 2 days. When ready to cook, gently combine the batter with a spatula or whisk to re-integrate some liquids that may have separated.

How do you store leftover waffles?

In an airtight container, waffles will last between 2 to 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer (wrap individual waffles with wax paper before freezing in airtight container for easy removal later). To reheat, you can microwave them. If you want a little crisp, you can reheat them in the oven, in a nonstick pan on the stove on medium low heat or pop them into a toaster (best and easiest way).

Nutrition