Belgian Apple Cinnamon Waffles
These Apple Cinnamon Waffles are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside with notes of warm cinnamon, sweet brown sugar and pops of grated apple. They can be made in advance and freeze beautifully!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
- ¼ Cup Cornstarch
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Nutmeg
- 1 Apple -peeled, grated and squeezed dry (SEE NOTES)
- 2 TBS Light Brown Sugar - packed
- 2 large eggs - separated
- 1 ¼ Cup Buttermilk (SEE NOTES)
- 2 TBS Vegetable Oil (can substitute unsalted butter, melted)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Bourbon Maple Syrup - OPTIONAL (see notes)
Caramelized Apple Topping - OPTIONAL (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat waffle maker and oven: Preheat your waffle iron. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F to keep waffles warm. Place a wire rack insert on a large baking sheet and set aside.
- Prepare waffles - dry ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir together.
- Prepare waffles - wet ingredients: In a separate large mixing bowl combine the egg yolks, buttermilk, oil and vanilla extract. Whisk to incorporate thoroughly.
- Add apples to wet ingredients: In a small bowl toss together the grated apples and sugar. Add apples to the wet ingredients. Gently stir to combine.
- Add wet ingredients to dry: Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients (flour mixture) and add yolk mixture to well. Stir until JUST combined (the mixture should still be lumpy).
- Beat egg whites: In a separate small bowl, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form. Add the egg whites to the waffle batter. Genly fold until the egg whites are barely combined, making sure NOT to overmix.
- Cook waffles: Spoon about 1/3-1/2 cup batter per waffle into preheated waffle iron (SEE NOTES), making sure not to overfill. Cook according to waffle iron manufacturer’s instructions. (Mine took 3-6 minutes) Remove cooked waffles to wire rack and keep warm in the oven while you repeat with remaining batter.
- Serve waffles with bourbon maple syrup, caramelized apples (if using). Or, dust generously with ground cinnamon and powdered sugar! Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use whatever type of apple you would like in this waffle recipe. I typically use a Fuji or Honeycrisp. However, if you use a tart apple, you will want to add an additional tablespoon of brown sugar to the mix.
- When grating the apple, make sure you use the large holes on a box grater. If you do not have a box grater you can finely dice the apple. Make sure you paper towels or a tea towel to gently squeeze out excess moisture from the grated apple. 1 grated apple should yield roughly 3/4 cup.
- If you don't have buttermilk, you can easily make your own! Add 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar or fresh lemon juice to 1 cup of whole milk or heavy cream. Stir well. Let sit at room temperature for 10+ minutes until milk has curdled.
- When you are combining the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, be sure to make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients to the well. Also, be sure to stir until just combined. The batter should still be lumpy.
- Make sure you read the user manual for your waffle iron before using! Spray your waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray before adding batter if manufacture instructs you to do so.
- Do NOT overfill your waffle maker when adding the waffle batter. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
- The caramelized cinnamon apple topping and bourbon maple syrup are both completely optional. I included directions on how to make the topping and syrup in the notes section of the recipe below.
2 TBS Light Brown Sugar, packed
¼ tsp Cinnamon
2 Apples – peeled, cored & cut into wedges
1 tsp Lemon Juice Directions:
1. Melt butter in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add cinnamon and sugar and stir until melted and combined, about 30 seconds.
3. Add apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and tender, about 7-10 minutes
4. Stir in lemon juice and transfer to a clean bowl. Bourbon Maple Syrup: 1 TBS Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
1/2 Cup Bourbon
Pinch of Kosher Salt Directions: 1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
2. Add syrup, bourbon and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Immediately reduce heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer.
3. Let simmer for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and enjoy! Recipe yields: approximately 7-8 waffles. Nutritional Information based on 7 servings and includes waffles only.
Nutrition
Calories: 229kcal Carbohydrates: 35g Protein: 6g Fat: 7g Saturated Fat: 5g Cholesterol: 65mg Sodium: 155mg Potassium: 281mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 8g Vitamin A: 172IU Vitamin C: 1mg Calcium: 132mg Iron: 2mg