How to make light & fluffy homemade strawberry waffles with frozen strawberries, an optional cream cheese topping and perfectly crisp edges. Quick and easy breakfast or lazy weekend brunch recipe that’s packed full of sweet berry flavor in every bite. You can double, triple or even quadruple the recipe to feed a crowd!
Does it honestly get any better than a tall stack of American pancakes or waffles for the ultimate Sunday brunch? I’m not the type of person that likes to eat just plain pancakes or waffles either. My go-to pancake recipe is for blueberry buttermilk pancakes, and lately I’ve really been loving this homemade strawberry waffles recipe!
A lot of people have asked me if they can just use pancake batter to make breakfast waffles, but unfortunately pancake and waffle batters are not the same. For one, waffle batter is usually thicker so that it can hold up to the waffle iron. Waffle batter also contains higher amounts of sugar, oil and eggs for a richer flavor and higher fat content, which is largely responsible for that extra light and fluffy texture that we all know and love!
Ingredients & Substitutions Notes
- All-Purpose Flour – Plain all-purpose flour works best for waffles. You can also make this recipe gluten free by using a good cup for cup gluten free all-purpose flour instead. I recommend adding a little xanthan gum according to the package instructions for better texture and rise. If you go this route, just be sure to check all of the other ingredients in the recipe to ensure that they are truly gluten free.
- Cornstarch – The secret to making crispy waffles is cornstarch. Cornstarch reduces the gluten in the recipe, and the little cornstarch molecules absorb excess moisture. This creates a better structure, and a little bit of cornstarch mixed into the flour pretty much guarantees perfectly crispy strawberry waffles!
- Cane Sugar – You can use plain old granulated sugar, but I prefer pure cane sugar.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda – This recipe uses both baking powder and baking soda as the sole leavening agents. Just be sure to check the expiration date on your baking powder before using it– I have found out the hard way that baking powder can and does go bad if it’s past the expiration date.
- Sea Salt – Of course regular table salt will work fine for this recipe, but I prefer the “real” of this Redmond sea salt…
- Milk – I always recommend whole milk for homemade waffles, but you can also use 2% milk or even skim milk if that’s all you have on hand.
- Vegetable Oil – I almost always use vegetable oil or canola oil in my strawberry waffles batter, although you can also substitute unsalted butter in a pinch.
- Eggs – Waffles just wouldn’t be the same without the added richness from whole eggs!
- Vanilla Extract – I always recommend a 100% pure vanilla extract for best flavor. Otherwise, you can just use imitation vanilla instead.
- Frozen Strawberries – For the sake of ease, I use thawed and chopped frozen strawberries for this recipe. You can always swap out the frozen berries with fresh strawberries or even freeze-dried strawberries if preferred.
- Cream Cheese & Heavy Cream – I use a full fat cream cheese and heavy cream for the optional whipped cream cheese topping. If you’re not making the topping, then you won’t need these ingredients.
How to Make Strawberry Waffles Recipe
Before getting started, you’ll want to preheat your waffle iron. Also be sure to get a can of nonstick cooking spray out and ready to go. If you’re using frozen strawberries, let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and then chop them up before mixing up your waffle batter.
Mixing Up the Waffle Batter
- Start by whisking together the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Create a well in the middle.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract ’til well combined.
- Once everything is mixed together, pour the milk mixture into the well that you created in the top of the dry mixture. Add the chopped strawberries, and use a spatula to gently fold everything together until just incorporated.
Don’t be tempted to over-mix the batter. It’s okay if everything is a little bit lumpy!
How to Cook Homemade Strawberry Waffles
- Spray your preheated waffle iron with cooking spray, and add about a 1/2 cup of waffle batter to the iron. Close the lid and bake until cooked through.
- Remove waffles and serve right away. If you’re making a large batch, you can transfer them to a large baking sheet and into the oven at 200ºF to keep warm until you’re ready to serve.
How to Serve Strawberry Waffles
I like to serve my breakfast waffles with a whipped cream cheese topping. I make it by creaming 4 ounces cream cheese, 2 tablespoons cane sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a medium mixing bowl ’til well combined. Then add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and whip for about 2 minutes, ’til fluffy and smooth. I use an electric hand mixer for this step.
You can also top off your strawberry infused waffles with a big dollop of butter, homemade whipped cream, maple syrup, chopped strawberries or even powdered sugar. Serve your strawberry waffles with a piping hot cup of coffee or tea and enjoy!
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, you can make dairy free strawberry waffles. Most of the ingredients in this recipe are naturally dairy free, but you will need to swap out the milk for a dairy free alternative, like unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, oat milk or cashew milk. If you’re making the cream cheese topping, you’ll also need to use a dairy free cream cheese. I recommend making a quick batch of cashew cream to replace the heavy cream in the topping. As always, be sure to check all of the other ingredients over to ensure that they are truly dairy free!
You can store your homemade waffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. When you’re ready to eat, just pop them in the toaster for a few minutes, add your toppings and enjoy!
You can also freeze leftover strawberry waffles. Stored in an airtight container or freezer bag, most waffles will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. In fact, sometimes we like to make a large batch of homemade waffles just to put them back in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat, just pop them out of the freezer and into the toaster for a few minutes before adding your toppings and enjoying an easy breakfast on the go!
Recipe Variations
- Make pink strawberry waffles for Valentine’s Day by adding a few drops of food coloring. If you’re not a fan of artificial food coloring, there are lots of tutorials online on how to make your own natural dyes and food colorings!
- You don’t have to use strawberries. In fact, you can swap out the frozen strawberries with frozen peaches, blueberries, raspberries or even mashed bananas. I make homemade peaches and cream waffles all the time!
- For a healthier, more complete and nutritious breakfast, some people like to add a little bit of protein powder to their waffle batter before cooking.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes
- You can’t go wrong with these easy drop biscuits, although I am partial to my homemade biscuit mix for busy mornings on the go!
- This recipe takes a little bit more time to make, but I don’t think you can beat homemade glazed donuts fresh out of the fryer with a piping hot cup of coffee!
- If you like pancakes, you’ll love this homemade pancake mix!
- These homemade French toast sticks are so easy to make, and they’re one of my kids’ favorite breakfasts…
- This homemade blueberry sauce makes a delicious topping for all your favorite breakfasts!
- This blueberry coffee cake recipe with a brown sugar cinnamon streusel topping pairs perfectly with a piping hot cup of coffee or tea.
- My family loves French Toast Casserole, and sometimes I make Crock Pot French toast casserole for a really easy breakfast!
- These blackberry and strawberry muffins are so good with a thick lathering of melted butter…
- Looking for more breakfast muffins? You’ll love these banana muffins with a Nutella swirl!
- Both banana bread and zucchini bread make a great breakfast sweet treat.
- If you’re looking for a more wholesome, nutritious breakfast, check out this easy strawberry oatmeal recipe!
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Strawberry Waffles
Equipment
- Large Baking Sheet optional
- Electric Stand Mixer optional
Ingredients
Strawberry Waffles
- 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/3 cup Cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons Cane Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 1/2 cups Milk
- 6 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Frozen Strawberries thawed & chopped
Optional Cream Cheese Topping
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons Cane Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 tablespoons Heavy Cream
Instructions
How to Make Strawberry Waffles
- Before getting started, you'll want to preheat your waffle iron. Also be sure to get a can of nonstick cooking spray out and ready to go.
- Start by whisking together the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Create a well in the middle.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract 'til well combined.
- Once everything is mixed together, pour the milk mixture into the well that you created in the top of the dry mixture. Use a spatula to gently fold everything together until just incorporated. Don't be tempted to over-mix the batter; it's okay if everything is a little bit lumpy.
- Last but not least, use the same spatula to fold in the thawed strawberries, just until evenly distributed.
- Spray your preheated waffle iron with cooking spray, and add about a 1/2 cup of waffle batter to the iron. Close the lid and bake until cooked through.
- Remove waffles and serve right away. If you're making a large batch, you can transfer them to a large baking sheet and into the oven at 200ºF to keep warm until you're ready to serve.
Optional Cream Cheese Topping
- In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract 'til well combined. Then add heavy cream, and whip with an electric hand mixer for about 2 minutes, or 'til smooth and fluffy.
- Add a dollop of your cream cheese topping to your homemade strawberry waffles. Serve with a piping hot cup of coffee or tea, and enjoy!
