For painless weekday breakfasts that don’t come from a box, try this recipe for freezable apple waffles that will put any plain store-bought waffle to shame.
Chunks of fresh apple and warm spices give these waffles plenty of flavor and they will not need to be smothered in syrup or butter to be tasty.
Breakfast has always been my least favorite meal of the day, and despite clear public health advice, I am always very tempted to skip it. For me, the only way breakfast will ever happen if it is fast and portable.
My one-year old seems to be following in my anti-breakfast footsteps, but I certainly have no footing to scold her unwillingness to sit and eat in the morning when I never do it myself. Consequently, I need a handful of quick, tasty, and at least slightly nutritious recipes to get us both through the morning. Look no further than apple waffles.
Waffles are such a lovely breakfast item that I would gladly eat them every morning (likely in my car) if only someone made them for me. Because that is unlikely to ever happen, to the freezer I must turn. Homemade frozen waffles are really a sleeper recipe that we should all be talking about.
For those of us who like crispy waffles, making them ahead and reheating can turn our appealing breakfast into a real pile of unappealing waffles. A good trick to keep your waffles crispy is to bake them in the oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit after you remove them, fully cooked, from the waffle iron. That extra time on low heat helps them crisp up more and hold up better once frozen.
When you are ready to freeze the waffles, wrap each one in a layer of aluminum foil prior to putting it in a freezer bag or container. Then, when you are ready to heat it, you can pull out one waffle at a time.
To keep your waffles crispy when you reheat them, be sure to heat them quickly. Do not let them thaw before heating or put them in a cold pan. Waffles made on a home waffle iron will probably be too thick for the average home toaster. If you want to be able to toast your frozen waffles, make them on a mini waffle iron. The mini irons are great to keep portions small and to accommodate a waffle maker in a kitchen with tight cabinet space.
Any apple that you find tasty will work with this recipe. The waffles do not take long to cook, so even a non-baking apple will not be exposed to heat long enough to turn soft. Â
Apple Waffle Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup apple, finely diced
- ¼ cup chia seeds (optional)
Instructions
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Add the milk, butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Fold in the diced apples and chia seeds (optional).
Add the batter to a preheated waffle iron and cook until crisp. The batter does not spread very much, so fill the iron about three-fourths full to end up with a full waffle.
Serving Suggestions
Rather than topping with maple syrup, try topping these waffles with apple jam, apple butter, or with homemade applesauce.
Check Out These Other Delicious Fruit Recipes:
- Savory Apple Onion Tart Recipe
- Perfect Apple Dumplings
- How to Make Blackberry Wine
- Applesauce Cookie Recipe
Excited for more apple content? Visit my apple trees page to learn more about apple planting, growing, picking, cooking, and more!
Still hungry for more? Then discover our other fruit recipes to stock up your kitchen with nature’s healthy and tasty goodies!