Cornbread Waffles Recipe
on Jul 16, 2019, Updated Jun 21, 2024
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These Cornbread Waffles are such an easy “breakfast for dinner” idea! They have a nice crunch on the outside with a soft, slightly crumbly inside. These waffles are a fun remix of the traditional savory cornbread that goes great with chili, barbecue, or just a swipe of simple honey butter.
You know that feeling when you put two random things together and suddenly realize a genius new creation? You know what I’m talking about… Maybe for you it was dipping French fries in a milkshake, or putting peanut butter on Oreo cookies. It’s those unexpected combinations that are often the most fun — and delicious! Well, friends, these cornbread waffles might just be your new favorite creative combo. They are so delicious, so easy, and so versatile.
You can make them to go along with a comfort food dinner, topping them with your favorite chili and cheese, pulled pork with slaw and beans, or a slew of taco ingredients. They pretty much go with all the things and hold up super well to bold flavors. You can also treat them like traditional waffles and dress them with a simple spread of honey butter or maple syrup. Basically, these guys can do it all, and you are going to love making (and eating) them!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Versatile: You can eat them for breakfast with maple syrup or honey, or you can serve them with all kinds of savory toppings like chili, pulled pork, taco toppings. You could even eat them as a side dish.
- Texture: Anyone else just love the texture of cornbread? And as waffles, they have a satisfyingly crisp exterior with the crumbly interior with all that yummy cornmeal goodness.
- Quick and Easy: This waffle batter comes together in no time and cooking them takes only a few minutes in the waffle iron. And, honestly, they freeze well so you could pull some frozen cornbread waffles and chili or pulled pork or taco meat and have a yummy, filling meal in no time.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour
- Yellow Cornmeal
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Buttermilk
- Eggs
- Light Oil: Something neutral tasting such as canola, avocado, or vegetable
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How to Make Cornbread Waffles
Step #1. Heat up your waffles iron. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, then make a well in the middle.
Step #3. Add batter to the waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer instructions. When the waffles are done cooking, place them on a cooling rack. (Make sure they don’t overlap or they will steam and get soggy.)
Step #2. Into the well, add the buttermilk, eggs, and oil. Whisk to combine.
Step #4. Serve them topped with your favorite toppings – savory or sweet!
Recipe FAQs
Melted butter burns a lot easier than oil does, so I wouldn’t recommend using it to make waffles. I like using a nice, light oil, like avocado, canola, or vegetable. They’re not overpowering, but they keep the insides of the waffles moist.
When you’re done making a batch of cornbread waffles, let them cool completely on a wire rack (being careful to not stack them, which makes them soggy). After they’ve cooled, keep them in a plastic sealable bag or airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, put them on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree F. oven for 7 to 10 minutes, or until hot.
Every waffle iron is a little different and has its own way to signify that the waffles are done. Many have a light that turns on or a beep that sounds when the batter is done cooking. If you have an older waffle maker that doesn’t have a way to communicate it’s done cooking, keep an eye on the steam. When steam stops coming out the sides of the maker, it’s generally done cooking.
Expert Tips
- Even if your waffle iron is non-stick, it’s really helpful to use a little non-stick spray or brush it with a little oil in between each waffle to keep them from sticking.
- If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a 1 cup measuring cup then fill the rest of it with milk.
- If you’re cooking multiple batches of waffles, keep the cooked ones warm in a low oven (around 200°F or 95°C) while you finish cooking the rest. You can place them right on the rack, just make sure not to overlap them so they stay crisp.
- Try not to open the waffle iron too soon. Watch for the steam to stop coming out of the side so you know they are done.
More Waffle Recipes to Consider
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Cornbread Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup light oil, such as canola, avocado, or vegetable
Instructions
- Plug in your waffle iron, and get it heating (I have found that the deep wells of a Belgian-style waffle maker work great for this recipe).
- In a large bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Make a well in the center of the dry mixture, and add the buttermilk, eggs, and oil. Whisk to combine well.
- Cook the batter according to the manufacture’s directions of your waffle iron.
- Repeat with remaining batter.
- When one waffle is done, let it rest on a wire wrack, taking care not to stack the waffles (the steam they produce makes them soggy if you stack them on a plate).
- Serve hot with your favorite chili and cheese, pulled pork with coleslaw and beans, or taco toppings on top. It also makes a great option to go with a bowl of chili for a fun change. You can serve them as sweet waffles, too, and they are great with honey butter on top.
Notes
- You can use store-bought buttermilk or homemade buttermilk. To make homemade buttermilk, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to a 2-cup measuring cup. Fill the rest of the measuring cup up with milk to the 2-cup line, since that’s how much you need. Let the buttermilk mixture rest for 5 minutes before using.
- Store the waffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to one month.
- To reheat them, put them in the toaster, toaster oven, oven, or air fryer until they are warmed through.
- You can double up on the whole grains by using whole wheat pastry flour instead of the all-purpose flour. If you’ve never used whole wheat pastry flour before, it’s a great choice because it’s finely ground and light tasting. You probably won’t even notice the difference.
This is my go-to cornbread waffle recipe! It’s got a nice crispy crust and is great in both sweet and savory preparations. I’ve made it about 5 times now both on its own and with some additions. I’ve added frozen corn, jalapeños, onions and cheddar; double the sugar, almond extract and blueberries; bacon, pepperjack & green onions. I like to make different kinds of waffles to take to work and reheat in the toaster for a quick breakfast and this is one of my favorite recipes for that.
I love cornbread waffles too! I use this recipe for it as well. Those additions sound amazing!