Sweet Cherry Waffles – Fruity & Fluffy
Updated Feb 19, 2025
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Fruity and fluffy, this cherry waffles recipe is a delicious twist on the classic breakfast food — and a great way to use up a batch of ripe cherries. A drizzle of maple syrup turns them into the kind of breakfast that makes you excited to get out of bed!
Cherries are one of my favorite seasonal produce items! They just remind me of long, sunshiny days and snacking on fresh fruit outside in the warm air. I LOVE sweet cherries through and through. And they make an unexpected, divine addition to waffles – when people think of fruity waffles, they might expect blueberry, strawberry, or even banana.
They’re moist, fluffy, and have a tinge of sweetness that’s not over the top. The addition of applesauce ups the fruitiness just a tad, and makes these ultra soft and airy! I can’t wait for you to give these lovely breakfast beauties a go… You’ll be blown away by how simple and amazing they are!
Don’t have cherries to make this delicious recipe right now? Don’t worry! You can make these Classic Fluffy Buttermilk Waffles or these Extra Light and Fluffy Homemade Waffles recipes without fruit, or try this Blueberry Topping for Waffles for a different fruity flavor. They are just as yummy and easy to make.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Making Cherry Waffles
- Fresh and Seasonal: This recipe is perfect for when cherries are in season, and gives you a great way to incorporate all that seasonal goodness into your menu.
- Special Occasion Ready: These waffles are ideal for special occasions like Mother’s Day, a birthday breakfast, or a special brunch. The cherries just add a little something special.
- Delicious Flavor: The little bursts of sweet cherries go beautifully with the natural sweetness and crispiness of the waffles.
- Versatile: You can serve these waffles up with whipped cream and extra cherries for dessert, or keep them simple with just maple syrup for breakfast. They’re delicious either way.
🧇 I am known for my banana waffles, and let’s just say… once you taste them, you might start showing up at my place unannounced!
Recipe Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Butter
- Applesauce
- Milk
- Sweet Cherries — I use fresh cherries, and they definitely need to be pitted!
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
Popular Substitutions and Variations
- Substitute other fruit such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries for the cherries.
- Use dried cherries in place of fresh – but be sure to soak them in warm water for a few minutes to rehydrate them and then dry them off so they don’t change the thickness of the batter.
- Add mini chocolate chips to the batter for cherry chocolate waffles. These would be super fun topped with whipped cream.
- You can substitute half or all of the flour for whole wheat flour. This would also be a great place to use whole wheat pastry flour since it has a finer texture like regular flour.
How to Make Sweet Cherry Waffles
Step 1: Place all the dry waffle ingredients into a medium bowl and mix together. Make a well in the center.
Step 3: Cook according to your waffle iron’s instructions.
Step 2: Place all the wet waffle ingredients into the well (except the fruit) and whisk to combine. Gently fold in the cherries.
Step 4: Serve with hot with desired toppings.
Recipe FAQs
Not at all! The key is to fold the cherries in gently just before cooking and make sure your waffle iron is properly preheated. This ensures crispy edges and fluffy centers.
These are delicious and just sweet enough on their own, or you can put cherry syrup, maple syrup, or powdered sugar on top! If you want a little extra to munch on, you can have bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, or fresh fruit on the side.
While it’s best to cook waffles immediately after making the batter, you can prepare the dry and wet ingredients separately the night before and mix them in the morning. Once the wet and dry ingredients are mixed, avoid letting the batter sit for too long, as the baking powder may lose its effectiveness, resulting in less fluffy waffles.
Expert Tips
- Fresh or Frozen: If you decide to use frozen cherries, make sure to thaw them completely, drain any liquid, and pat them dry before adding them to the batter.
- Prevent Sinking: Toss your cherries in a tablespoon of flour before adding them to the batter to prevent sinking.
- Thick or Thin: Waffle batter should be thick but pourable. If it’s too thick, add a little milk. If it’s too thin, add a touch more flour.
- Waffle Iron Heat: Preheat your waffle iron completely before starting – this ensures even cooking and crispy edges. For extra crispiness, let your waffles cook for about 30 seconds after the steam stops coming out of the iron.
- Batter Amount: Be careful not to use too much batter. It’s better to use a little bit less than use too much and end up with a mess dripping down the side of your waffle iron.
How To Store Leftover Cherry Waffles
Don’t let those leftover waffles go to waste! Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months. For freezing, place wax paper between each waffle to prevent sticking, then store in a freezer-safe bag or container.
When you’re ready to enjoy them again, pop them straight into your toaster or reheat in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes until crispy. Don’t microwave them unless you want soggy waffles – the toaster or oven is your best bet for maintaining that perfect crispy exterior and fluffy interior.
More Delicious Waffle Recipes To Try
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Sweet Cherry Waffles – Fruity & Fluffy
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1 3/4 cups milk
- 1 cup pitted chopped sweet cherries
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, use a whisk to combine all of the dry ingredients, and then make a large well in the center.
- Add the eggs, melted butter, apple sauce, and milk to the well, and then start whisking the dry and wet ingredients together. Whisk from the middle of the bowl out, slowly making your way out to the dry ingredients. (You are slowly incorporating the dry so that it doesn’t get clumpy).
- When everything has come together into a smooth batter, fold in the chopped cherries.
- Cook according to your waffle iron directions.
- Serve with fresh cherry syrup, powdered sugar, or maple syrup.
- Freeze the extras for a quick breakfast, and reheat in the toaster.
Notes
-
The cherries sink to the bottom of the batter, so give the batter a stir each time you scoop some out to put in your waffle iron to make sure some cherries make it into each waffle.
- For fresh cherries, remove pits carefully and chop them into bite-sized pieces for even distribution.
- Don’t stack hot waffles – this traps steam and makes them soggy.
- If you decide to use frozen cherries, make sure to thaw them completely, drain any liquid, and pat them dry before adding them to the batter.
Hi Melissa
Can you use frozen cherries in this recipe. If so, thawed or unthawed.
Hhhm. In my mind it would be like throwing in frozen blueberries into the batter. I think you could… I think thawed and drained or frozen would both work though I generally prefer thawed and drained when it comes to blueberries. What do you think?! Let me know if you try it!
Fucking DELICIOUS!! FIVE STARS 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Best waffles I’ve made
Thank you for the recipe 🫶
i read somewhere to keep chocolate chips from sinking- chop them & mix w/some flour. wonder if it would work w/cherries. could you make this from your canned cherries, or do you only eat this during cherry season?
I just use fresh cherries, but canned would be delicious! Just adjust the sugar to taste and I’d think you’d be good to go. I’ll have to try the flour!
Beautiful photos! I love that you cook with whole wheat flour. It makes things easier for me 🙂
And you’ve sure made a lot more money with your blog so far than I have with mine! You’re lovely Melissa, don’t change 🙂
looks yummy! I’ll have to try making them. hope you keep up the blog because I enjoy reading.