The Best Vegan Waffles

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These vegan waffles are crispy, delicious, and can be made in minutes! Super easy to make with a handful of pantry staples, they’re perfect for an indulgent breakfast or brunch.

I take my waffles very seriously. That’s because I LOVE waffles. And that’s why it took me a long time to perfect my recipe for classic vegan waffles.

After lots of tweaking and adjusting, I think I finally have the perfect recipe. And good news: they’re actually really easy to make and you don’t need any weird ingredients. These are made from a handful of pantry staples.

There’s nothing worse than squishy waffles. Waffles need to be crispy. They need to stand up to syrup and butter! And most of the vegan waffles I’ve made over the years were lacking in the crispness department. Until I discovered the magic ingredient to crispy waffles: cornstarch! I learned this trick from Inspired Taste.

This totally makes sense. Cornstarch crisps up beautifully when you fry it (I love using it as a coating for crispy tofu). Replacing some of the flour you’d normally find it waffle batter will give you crispier waffles.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s the complete list of everything you’ll need for these waffles. Hopefully you’ve already got all of the ingredients on hand and can get cooking right away!

• Flour. The recipe calls for regular old all-purpose wheat flour (also known as white flour). Up to half of it can be replaced with whole wheat flour. I haven’t tested the recipe with any other flour varieties, so I can’t say if they’d work.
• Cornstarch.
• Sugar. Make sure to use organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan. Conventional sugar is processed using animal bone char in many regions, including the United States.
• Baking powder.
• Baking soda.
• Salt.
• Cinnamon. You can certainly skip this ingredient if you prefer, but I find that it adds a wonderful flavor to the waffles.
• Vegan milk. Just about any variety of non-dairy milk that’s unflavored and unsweetened will work. Soy milk, almond milk, and cashew milk are all fine choices. See my guide to dairy free-milks if you need help choosing one.
• Oil. The recipe calls for canola oil, but just about any baking oil will work. Vegetable oil, corn oil and melted coconut oil can all be used.
• Apple cider vinegar. This supplies some acid, which is needed to activate the baking soda, just like buttermilk might do in a conventional waffle recipe. Need a substitute? See my guide to apple cider vinegar substitutes.
• Vanilla extract.

Tip: Don’t forget the toppings! Maple syrup, vegan butter, organic powdered sugar, vegan whipped cream and fresh berries are all great waffle toppers, but it’s totally up to you what you use.

How They’re Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!

• Lightly oil and begin heating up your waffle iron before you do anything. I like to use cooking spray, but you could also brush your waffle iron with oil or melted vegan butter.

• Whisk your dry ingredients together in a large bowl: flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking soda and powder, cinnamon and salt.

• Stir your liquid ingredients together: milk, oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla.

Note: The non-dairy milk may separate a bit due to the acidity of the vinegar, particularly if it’s a high-protein variety like soy milk. This is totally fine!

• Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Whisk just until combined. A few lumps in the batter are okay! Avoid overmixing. This will ensure that your waffles have the best possible texture.

• Pour the batter into your preheated waffle iron, close it up, and cook the waffles until they’re set and golden brown.

Tip: Most waffle irons have an indicator light that lets you know when the waffle is finished cooking. You can also watch for steam escaping the iron — the waffles are done when it stops.

Homemade vegan waffles are best served right away. I like to top mine with some vegan butter, maple syrup, fresh fruit, and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Leftovers & Storage

Leftover vegan waffles will keep in an airtight bag or container in the fridge for about 3 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months. My favorite way to reheat them is to pop each individual waffle in the toaster until it’s hot and crispy again.

Tips and Troubleshooting

• Are your waffles falling apart or sticking to the waffle maker? This is usually due to either undercooking the waffles or forgetting to oil and/or preheat the waffle iron. Remember that you might need to reoil it between batches!
• The amount of batter needed for each waffle will vary, depending on the size of your waffle iron. Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions. Also keep in mind that this means the number of waffles this recipe yields will vary.
• Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before you begin. If your non-dairy milk has been in the fridge you might need to warm it up briefly.
• The vegan waffles shown in the photos are Belgian-style (i.e. square). I happen to use a Belgian waffle maker. The recipe and method are exactly the same for round waffles!
• Customize this vegan waffle recipe to make it your own! Try adding in blueberries, raspberries, banana slices, or mini vegan chocolate chips.