This recipe makes a perfect gluten-free waffle. They’re crispy on the outside and tender in the center. Egg-free and dairy-free variations are included.
Ah, waffles—they make breakfast extra special, don’t they? And while they always feel like an indulgence, they’re pretty easy to make. You just whisk all the ingredients together in a large bowl. (There’s no need to fold in whipped egg whites or do anything fancy.) Then you pour the batter into a hot waffle iron. In just a few minutes, breakfast is ready.
If you’ve got the time, make a double batch—these freeze wonderfully and are ideal for a quick “grab and go” breakfast. You can even use them for breakfast sandwiches, swapping out the usual gluten-free bread for waffles.
And speaking of yummy breakfasts, if you love waffles, you probably love pancakes. My recipe makes fluffy gluten-free pancakes.
Ingredients.
- Gluten-Free Flour. This recipe starts with a premade gluten-free flour blend. For the best results, use a gluten-free blend that contains either xanthan gum or guar gum. Without it, the waffles can turn out dense and heavy. If your blend doesn’t contain xanthan or guar gum, add a half teaspoon to the flour before using.
- Milk. Both traditional and dairy-free milk work in this recipe. If you prefer the flavor of buttermilk, use an equal amount to replace the milk.
- Eggs. Two large eggs add protein (think of this as structure) and give the waffles a nice flavor. To make the waffles egg-free, see the note below.
- Melted Butter or Oil. A touch of melted butter or oil adds richness. If you’re using coconut oil, melt it before adding it to the batter.
- Granulated Sugar. One tablespoon of granulated sugar helps the waffles brown.
- Baking Powder. Baking powder gives the batter a rise and gives the waffles a nice texture.
- Salt. Gluten-free waffles made without salt taste bland. This is because salt is a flavor enhancer. A half-teaspoon of salt gives them a nice flavor without tasting salty. Use table salt (fine salt). It mixes evenly throughout the waffle batter.
- Vanilla Extract. A little vanilla extract adds a lovely flavor. You can also add a ¼ teaspoon almond extract for a little extra flavor.
How to Make Gluten-Free Waffles
- This is a one bowl recipe. Stir until the batter is smooth and thick. I like to run a rubber spatula along the sides and bottom of the bowl. If there’s any flour clinging to the bowl, mix it into the batter.
- Let the batter rest for 10 minutes. This gives the gluten-free flour time to absorb the liquid, making the waffles less gritty.
- Spoon the batter into your hot and greased waffle iron. Most use about a half cup of batter per waffle. Since they’re all different, it’s best to check the manual to see how much batter to use. When done, the waffles will be brown and crispy. The cook time varies by waffle maker.
Variations
Dairy-Free Waffles
Use your favorite dairy-free milk and butter. Some brands of dairy-free milk don’t brown as nicely as others. So you’re waffles might not brown much.
Egg-Free Waffles.
Gluten-free and egg-free baking is challenging. I’m happy to report this recipe works without eggs. I tested the recipe with Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer. When made without eggs, the batter is very thick. Don’t add additional liquid or the waffles will turn out gummy. Gluten-free and egg-free waffles tend to be a little heavier than waffles made with eggs.
Tips
- It’s important to cook gluten-free waffles in a hot iron. Preheat it before adding the batter.
- Remember to grease the iron with nonstick cooking spray or brush with oil–even if it’s a nonstick iron.
- If you want to keep waffles warm, put them on a baking pan in a 200℉ oven.
How to Freeze and Reheat Gluten-Free Waffles.
Frozen waffles make a quick gluten-free breakfast. Here’s how to freeze and reheat them.
How to Freeze Waffles
- Make the waffles as directed.
- Cool on a wire rack. This allows steam to escape.
- Place cooled waffles into a freezer bag or container.
- Freeze for up to three months.
How to Reheat Homemade Gluten-Free Frozen Waffles.
- Thaw waffles overnight in the refrigerator or on the thaw/defrost setting of the microwave.
- Heat the thawed waffles in a toaster oven, air-fryer, or oven until crispy.
Recipe Note.
This recipe was first posted in 2015. It’s been updated to include new photos and now uses a gluten-free flour blend. Here is the link to the original recipe for classic gluten-free waffles.
Gluten-Free Waffles
These gluten-free waffles are crispy and light with a delicate interior. To make things easy, this one-bowl recipe uses a gluten-free flour blend. (Egg-free and dairy-free variations are included.)
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups gluten-free flour blend (8 ¾ ounces; 248 grams.)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (½ ounce; 14 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups milk (10 ounces; 283 grams)
- 2 large eggs (about 3 ½ ounces; 100 grams)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (1 ¾ ounces; 50 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
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Whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, granulated sugar, and salt. Add milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Mix until the batter is smooth. Let batter rest for 10 minutes.
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Heat waffle iron according to manufactuer’s directions. Grease with oil and cook waffles until crispy.
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Serve with butter and maple syrup or other toppings of your choice.
Recipe Notes
Gluten-Free Flour. This recipe was created with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend. Use a gluten-free flour that contains xanthan or guar gum. If it doesn’t, whisk ½ teaspoon xanthan gum into the flour and then make the recipe as directed.
Variations
Dairy-free. Replace the milk with an equal amount of dairy-free milk.
Egg-Free. Replace the eggs with 2 tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer and 4 tablespoons warm water. Whisk the mixture together until smooth. Allow to rest until thick, about five minutes. When made without eggs, the batter will be very thick. Don’t add additional liquid or the waffles will turn out gummy and heavy.
Negrita says
Baking powder contains wheat flour, so this recipe is not truly gluten-free, therefore should not be fed to people with celiac disease. If you’re going to label something “gluten-free”, please make sure that it really is.
Elizabeth says
In the United States, most baking powders are totally gluten-free and are labeled as such. I hope that helps!
Negrito says
If you’re going to criticize something, you should probably make sure you know what you’re talking about first.
Anastasia says
Whoa. You literally came back 5 years later to say THAT?
Excellent recipe. I use it all the time. I carefully read labels.
EclecticCeliac says
I have Celiac’s and I love this recipe. I buy my ingredients reading the label and if it has wheat, I won’t buy it.
This recipe is a direction on how to make something. It’s on us to use judgement and not use ingredients that are not good for us.
I suggest you ask how to replace the ingredient that in your country contains wheat or gluten so you can use this recipe.
Andrea says
Excellent recipe!! Approved by all 4 kids and husband! Thank you 🙂
Holly says
Hi Elizabeth, I’m a huge fan of yours both here and at Serious Eats. I read the entire post about replacing the fours but is there a suitable replacement for the cornstarch? I know often times people substitute arrowroot or tapioca but I definitely want to keep the crunchiness of these waffles. Any suggestions? Thanks so much.
Elizabeth says
For these, I’d use tapioca starch. I think it would keep the crunch while replacing the cornstarch nicely. Enjoy!
Brendon says
This is a really solid foundational recipe for waffles. At some point I started substituting tapioca for the cornstarch and Topo Chico for the milk and it works really well.
Holly says
Hello…I left a comment asking a question here about this recipe and it’s now gone. It was waiting moderation for 2 weeks now it disappeared…What’s up with that? Help!
Elizabeth says
Hi Holly! Your first comment went to my spam folder. Sorry about that! Thanks for letting me know it wasn’t approved. I found a few other comments in there.
Pamela says
Hi! I love this recipe, but I changed it a bit – used raw buckwheat flour and arrowroot starch. Other ingredients are the same – everything seems to work.
Lilia says
Absolutely delicious!!!
Patricia Peters says
These waffles are so light and airy. This is a great recipe that will be my go to waffle recipe for a long time.
Rosebel says
what can I substitute the sweet rice flour with?
Elizabeth says
You can replace the sweet rice flour with an equal amount of white rice flour.The texture will be slightly different but it works great!
Charlotte says
So delicious!! The best waffles we’ve had! My son is gluten, dairy and egg free so I used soy milk and nuttelex instead. I didn’t have sweet rice flour so just used extra rice flour. It turned out perfectly and was so crispy! Thank you for this recipe!
Hilary Davis says
This was my first time trying to bake/cook with gluten free flour. I’m on a dairy free, gluten free, low Fodmap diet. I was really skeptical about how these would turn out. They were AMAZING, better than I could have imagined! Very fluffy and can be cooked to get crispy edges if that’s preferred. I subbed sweet rice flour with more white rice flour and subbed the milk with coconut milk (carton not canned). These waffles will be added to my breakfast rotation!! Thank you for the recipe!