Weekend mornings call for a stack of the Best Ever Vegan Waffles! They’re perfectly golden and crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. Plus, they’re easy to make with pantry staple ingredients!
If you’re a waffle enthusiast like me, you’ll want to try my Vegan Pumpkin Waffles and my Gluten Free Waffle Recipe as well!
These are seriously the Best Vegan Waffles Ever! They’re golden and crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, as proper waffles should be. No one in my family can resist a stack (including me!).
As a bonus, these easy vegan waffles are a breeze to make in one large bowl using a handful of ingredients that may already be in your pantry. You can even turn to the substitution options in the recipe card if you’re missing one or two of the ingredients.
Make it a brunch to remember by pairing these fluffy waffles with my Simple Vegan Pancakes, a batch of The Best Tofu Scramble, and Vegan Strawberries and Cream Scones on the side!
Why this is literally the best vegan waffle recipe
- You won’t believe they’re vegan – You’ll be too distracted by the fluffy, buttermilk goodness! Trust me, one bite of a crispy on the outside and soft on the inside waffle and you won’t be able to stop.
- Pantry staple ingredients – These vegan waffles are easy to make with a handful of vegan baking staples, like flour, ground flaxseed, sugar, and oil.
- A 5-star recipe – This waffle recipe has over 200 5-star reviews from happy readers! Here’s what some of them are saying:
“These are literally the best waffles I have ever had – vegan or otherwise!! I changed nothing – it was perfect.” – Tory
“Amazing recipe!!! The waffles turned out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, as if they have eggs in them it’s insane!! 10/10 and can’t wait to make them again.” – Dee
“I love these waffles! They are exactly as described: the best ever.” – Nancy
How to make vegan waffles
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
While you preheat the waffle iron, make the flax egg by whisking the ground flax and water together in a small bowl. Set aside to thicken.
Next, combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl to make the vegan buttermilk. Set aside to curdle.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a separate large bowl.
Add the flax eggs, vegan buttermilk, melted vegan butter/oil, and vanilla to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
Don’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.
Spray the preheated waffle iron with non-stick spray and pour some of the batter onto the iron. Cook until the waffle is golden brown.
Serve the waffles right away with fresh berries, coconut whip, vegan butter, maple syrup, and anything else you desire!
If you’re not ready to serve the cooked waffles right away, keep them in a warm oven (200ºF) until you’re ready to serve. This will keep them crispy and hot.
Topping ideas and add-ins
Now for the fun part… decorating your vegan waffles with ALL of the toppings! Other than a classic drizzle of maple syrup, you can top your waffles with:
- Vegan whipped cream
- Pats of vegan butter
- A dollop of lemon curd
- Fresh berries
- Sliced bananas
- Strawberry sauce
- A drizzle of vegan Nutella
- Slivered almonds
- A caramel drizzle
Or, if you’re a savory person, top the waffles with a few pieces of my Vegan Fried Chicken and some maple syrup for vegan chicken and waffles.
It’s also easy to customize your waffles with add-ins. I recommend using:
- Chocolate chips – Fold up to 1 cup of dairy-free chocolate chips into the batter at the end.
- Fresh fruit – Fold up to 1 cup of sliced bananas, strawberries, or blueberries into the batter.
- Nut butter – Whisk in a heaping spoonful of almond or peanut butter when you add the wet ingredients.
- Spices – Add a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin spice to the dry ingredients to make the waffles extra cozy.
- Protein powder – Add 1 scoop of your favorite vegan protein powder to the dry ingredients and an extra splash of milk to the wet ingredients if you’re craving vegan protein waffles.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can make this recipe gluten-free by substituting all-purpose flour with an equal amount of spelt flour or a gluten-free flour blend. Or, make my Vegan Gluten Free Waffles recipe instead.
You should be able to refrigerate the waffle batter overnight. Remember to take it out of the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before cooking the waffles to allow it to come to room temperature. If the batter thickens overnight, gently stir in a little water to help thin it out.
Wrap the leftover waffles individually or seal them in a container. Store them in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Yes, these waffles freeze beautifully! Transfer the cooled waffles to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat them from frozen in a toaster until they’re warmed through and crispy.
Best Ever Vegan Waffles
Ingredients
Flax Eggs (see notes for alternative)
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
- 1/2 cup water
Vegan Buttermilk
- 3 1/2 cups soy milk
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
The Rest
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour* or a mix of whole wheat and white flour
- 1 tablespoon 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.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
- 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
- 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.
- May use coconut, almond, cashew or any other kind of non-dairy milk that you wish in place of the soy milk.
- For gluten free waffles, simply substitute an all purpose gluten free flour.
- 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.
- These waffles freeze beautifully. To reheat, simple pop them in the toaster until warmed through and crispy. I always have waffles in the freezer!
- These make 8-9 large Belgian waffles, but if you have a smaller square waffle maker, they make around 22 waffles.
Nutrition
*This recipe was first published October 2018 and has been updated with improved photos and writing.
I love these waffles!! In fact, I love all your recipes that I’ve tried.
Question though, I’ve made these many times and they’ve always turned out perfect. But the last two times I’ve made them, they come apart in the waffle iron … as in the top stays stuck to the top and bottom to the bottom. I’ve followed the recipe every time so I’m not sure what this could mean. As in oh you need more “egg” or oil or … ?? Thoughts?
Thanks for loving these waffles and my recipes! If the waffles are sticking, it has more to do with your waffle iron than the recipe. It’s likely that whatever nonstick coating it had has worn off somewhat, causing the waffles to stick. You may need a new waffle maker. You can also try spraying all the crevices very well with oil before putting the waffle batter in it. And make sure you let the waffle cook long enough before opening it.
I make these almost every weekend for me and my family of five. I first discovered this recipe when I was vegan a few years ago. Although I am not any longer I come back to this nonstop. The beautiful seeds you can see in the bater(which I use either chia or flax whatever I have on hand) whatever milk I have on hand. And it just works. Flavor is amazing. My waffle maker broke so I’ve been making pancakes. 10000000/10