How to Keep Waffles Warm Until You Serve Them | America's Test Kitchen (2024)

Cooking Tips

The worst part about making waffles for a crowd? They get cold before all of them are ready. Not anymore.

How to Keep Waffles Warm Until You Serve Them | America's Test Kitchen (1)By

Published Aug. 8, 2022.

Waffles are a weekend luxury. Slightly sweet, with lots of nooks and crannies for syrup and butter to gather—there’s nothing like a hot, crispy waffle fresh off the iron.

But you know what’s not a luxury? Cold waffles. And unless you have an arsenal of waffle makers, you can only make one (or two at the most!) at a time, leaving the early waffles to get cold before you can finish the rest.

Or the other alternative is for you, the Chief Waffle Officer, to let your family, friends, and guests eat before you, leaving you to take a lonely shift with the final warm waffle. Or even worse, one of the cold ones that’s been sitting out for twenty minutes.

After all the work you put in? You deserve better. Here’s how to make sure everyone get to enjoy warm waffles at the same time.

Sign up for the Notes from the Test Kitchen newsletter

Our favorite tips and recipes, enjoyed by 2 million+ subscribers!

America's Test Kitchen will not sell, rent, or disclose your email address to third parties unless otherwise notified. Your email address is required to identify you for free access to content on the site. You will also receive free newsletters and notification of America's Test Kitchen specials.

All you need to do is use your oven. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. But here's the key: place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and put it on the middle rack. As you are cooking, simply transfer each finished waffle from your waffle maker to the wire rack. That’s it!

The low temperature of the oven will keep the waffles warm and crispy without burning them and the the elevation of the rack in the baking sheet helps keep away sogginess. The result? Hot, still-crispy waffles that taste as fresh as they did the moment you took them off of the waffle iron.

Never again will you have to eat your waffle alone. Join the group. You’ve earned it.

How to Keep Waffles Warm Until You Serve Them | America's Test Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

How to Keep Waffles Warm Until You Serve Them | America's Test Kitchen? ›

All you need to do is use your oven. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. But here's the key: place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and put it on the middle rack. As you are cooking, simply transfer each finished waffle from your waffle maker to the wire rack.

How to keep waffles warm until serving? ›

To keep a cooked batch of waffles warm, place them in a low oven directly on the oven rack, or on a wire rack where the air can circulate—never on a sheet pan, where they'll trap that steam and go soggy on the bottom. Conventional wisdom says to set your oven to 200°F, but Marzalek-Kelly turns hers as high as 300°F.

How to keep waffles warm for a picnic? ›

If you are trying to keep batches of pancakes, waffles, fritters, or any deep-fried items warm, place them in a single layer on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet to prevent them from getting soggy or soft. You may also want to loosely cover with foil to prevent the outside from browning any further.

How to warm a waffle? ›

Simply remove the waffle from its packaging, and place directly into your toaster or toaster oven. Set the temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and heat for 4 minutes**. Remove the waffle onto a plate and allow to cool for 30-60 seconds. This allows re-crisping of the outside of the waffle to occur.

How do you keep waffles from going soggy? ›

3 Tips for Making Crispy Waffles
  1. Make Sure Your Waffle Iron Is Hot.
  2. Swap Half the Buttermilk for Milk.
  3. Bake the Finished Waffles in the Oven.

How do you keep waffles warm without an oven? ›

I would keep them wrapped in foil to keep them warm. Let them in a foil lined pan, then cover the pan with tightly packed foil. If a few start to cool, I would have a toaster around to pop them in and give a quick reheat and they will stay crsip too.

Are waffles served warm? ›

Waffles are generally served hot and fresh and are best enjoyed straight away after cooking. Not to be confused with the Belgian Waffle, which is typically of a heavier, more cakey consistency. These types of dessert are sweet as they have large sugar lumps within them and are not generally made fresh.

How to warm up waffles without a toaster? ›

All you have to do is butter both sides of the waffle, then place them on the heated skillet. You can start with low-medium heat and adjust from there, then cook for about 45 seconds on each side.

Should waffles be eaten hot or cold? ›

Eat them warm, but they are equally very good cold. Reheating cold waffles in a hot waffle iron revives them beautifully and gives them a little crisp exterior. Keep leftover waffles in an airtight container for up to 1 week (2 weeks is fine too) as they only get better; they also freeze very well.

What is the secret to making good waffles? ›

Here are some tips:
  • Strike while the iron's hot. If your waffles come out pale and soft, it could be because the appliance isn't hot enough. ...
  • Whip your whites. ...
  • Opt for oil instead of butter. ...
  • Try a yeasted-waffle recipe. ...
  • Add cornstarch. ...
  • Finish them in the oven.
Apr 9, 2022

How do you keep waffles from falling apart? ›

After turning off the waffle iron, we always lubricate it with oil to prevent it from drying out, and every day before work we scrub the plates with a slotted wire brush for a few minutes to remove the softened deposits of baked batter from the previous day, then wipe dry with a cotton towel and only lubricate the ...

How do you make Eggo waffles not soggy? ›

  1. Heat them up quickly to avoid soggy waffles. ...
  2. Cook frozen waffles on the stove for perfectly crispy edges. ...
  3. Don't wait more than three months after opening the box to eat your frozen waffles. ...
  4. Pop your waffles in an air fryer for a foolproof breakfast. ...
  5. Always keep your waffles at the back of the freezer.
Aug 24, 2021

Can you keep pancakes warm in a crockpot? ›

Brunch. Keep your pancakes warm in your slow cooker at the warm setting.. They keep the fresh made texture!!

Can you make waffle batter ahead of time? ›

Yes! We recommend making the batter ahead of time and cooking the waffles just before serving. For make-ahead waffle batter, simply prepare the batter according to the recipe and cover. Refrigerate for up to one week and whisk before using.

Why do waffles get cold so fast? ›

Unlike pancakes, most waffles don't have much interior to keep them warm; as soon as they're out of the iron, they cool quickly. Using room temperature or even slightly warmed butter will give you a better melting-butter-and-syrup eating experience.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Nicola Considine CPA

Last Updated:

Views: 5421

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Nicola Considine CPA

Birthday: 1993-02-26

Address: 3809 Clinton Inlet, East Aleisha, UT 46318-2392

Phone: +2681424145499

Job: Government Technician

Hobby: Calligraphy, Lego building, Worldbuilding, Shooting, Bird watching, Shopping, Cooking

Introduction: My name is Nicola Considine CPA, I am a determined, witty, powerful, brainy, open, smiling, proud person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.