The Best Buttermilk Waffles

Whip up The Best Buttermilk Waffles for fluffy, golden brunch perfection—quick, tasty, and endlessly customizable.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, (scooped and leveled)
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup butter, (melted and cooled)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients together

In a large mixing bowl, add the scooped-and-leveled all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a dry whisk to break up any small clumps and make an even, pale powdery mixture with a faint, sandy texture; you want the dry base to look light and aerated and free of lumps before the wet ingredients arrive.

Step 2: Combine the wet ingredients until smooth

In a separate medium bowl, combine the cold-buttermilk, large eggs, melted and cooled butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk briskly until the mixture is cohesive, glossy, and slightly frothy where the eggs have been fully incorporated — the wet mix should appear silky and homogenous with tiny streams of butter folded in.

Step 3: Fold wet into dry, rest the batter, and preheat

Pour the wet mixture into the dry bowl and gently whisk just until combined; stop while there are still a few soft lumps and the batter reads thick but pourable, with visible ribbons and small air pockets forming. Let the batter rest for about ten minutes to hydrate the flour and relax the gluten while you preheat your waffle iron (the appliance itself will not be shown). The resting batter should look slightly puffed, glossy on top, with occasional tiny bubbles and a pale, creamy color.

Step 4: Cook to golden crispness and plate to serve

Spoon the recommended amount of batter for your waffle iron (for example, ~1/3 cup for an 8" round iron) and cook each waffle until the exterior is a deep golden-brown and the interior remains tender and airy; cook to your preferred crispness and repeat until all batter is used. Stack warm waffles on a shallow plate, dust with powdered sugar, scatter raspberries and blueberries across the stack, and drizzle warm maple syrup so it pools slightly at the base. Serve immediately while the pockets are glossy with syrup and the crumb is soft and steaming.

Notes

• Let the batter rest for at least 10 minutes for optimal fluffiness.
• Use a hot waffle iron for a crisp exterior.
• Keep cooked waffles warm in a low oven to retain texture.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container; reheat in a toaster oven.
• For a vegan version, replace butter with plant‑based oil and use flax eggs.