Food Recipes Breakfast & Brunch Waffles Light and Crispy Waffles 5.0 (3,927) 39 Reviews Follow this buttermilk waffle recipe and breakfast bliss will be yours in just over half an hour. Stick with classic maple syrup or get creative with a fruit topping. By Pam Anderson Pam Anderson Pam Anderson is a New York Times bestselling author who has published nine cookbooks over two decades, including the award-winning The Perfect Recipe and James Beard Award-nominated How to Cook Without a Book. In addition to Cook’s Illustrated, where she served as executive editor, Pam’s work has appeared in such publications as AARP, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Redbook, and Woman’s Day. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 6, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 35 mins Yield: Makes about 7 (3 3/4-inch-square) waffles When we made these simple waffles from Pam Anderson's cookbook CookSmart, their rich buttermilk flavor and crisp yet light texture won over even longtime fans of yeast-based waffles. The variation owes its tender crunch in part to the addition of cornstarch in the batter. A combination of leavening agents is responsible for the airy lightness — not only does the recipe include both baking soda and baking powder, but also a beaten egg white folded in at the very end to maximize volume. To achieve the ultimate light, crispy waffles rather than dense and chewy ones, take care not to overwork the batter to avoid activating the gluten. You'll also want to make sure your waffle iron is thoroughly preheated before adding the batter. If your iron is a different size than the 8-inch-square one specified here, follow the manufacturer's instructions for how much batter to use per batch. This recipe can be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled. Just don't stack the waffles — they'll become moist and limp. If necessary, re-crisp the waffles directly on a rack in a 200°F oven. Ingredients 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 cup buttermilk 6 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/4 cup whole milk 1 large egg, separated 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Pure maple syrup, for serving Directions Gather ingredients. Cara Cormack Preheat the oven to 200°F. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a glass measuring cup, blend the buttermilk, vegetable oil, and milk. Beat in the egg yolk. Cara Cormack In a medium bowl, beat the egg white to soft peaks. Cara Cormack Gradually add the sugar and beat until firm and glossy. Beat in the vanilla. Cara Cormack Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just blended. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the beaten egg white until just incorporated. Cara Cormack Preheat an 8-inch square waffle iron and oil it lightly. Pour about 1 1/2 cups of the waffle batter into the preheated waffle iron and gently smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake for 4 minutes, or until browned and crisp. Cara Cormack Transfer the waffles to the oven to keep warm and repeat with the remaining batter. Serve at once with maple syrup. Cara Cormack Cara Cormack Originally appeared: September 2003 Rate It Print