The Best Waffle Mix

The best waffle mix doesn’t come from a box. Instead, you can make it from your pantry staples!

My kids love waffles. But then, who doesn’t? There was a time when I purchased boxed waffle and pancake mixes. That was a long time ago before I understood that you can recreate what’s in those boxes with some simple baking staples. Not only is it cheaper to do that, but it’s also healthier. The boxed mixes contain ingredients that are not healthy for you, such as seed oils, flavorings, highly processed additives, multiple kinds of processed sugars and unnecessary food colors. We don’t need these things in our diets.

I haven’t purchased boxed mix in at least ten years now. We are happier and healthier because of it. In fact, this recipe for waffles is better than any boxed mix you could buy.

Here’s another reason to create your own mix at home: you get to be in control of what goes into it! If you’re gluten-free just add gluten free cup for cup flour. For dairy free, sub out the butter for a vegan variety, or use a healthy oil like avocado or coconut. Like berries and nuts? Just add them! Live your best life on your terms!

I prefer Organic ingredients, so those are what I use. The Case for Organic Produce However, even if you don’t use Organic ingredients, there is no doubt that the dry mix you make will be healthier because it won’t contain unhealthy additives.

The secret to baking healthier at home is to make sure you have a well-stocked baking pantry. This means that instead of spending your time in the aisles of the store that contain the processed foods, focus on buying staples. Baking staples include flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, eggs, milk, vanilla extract and spices. You will also want a good quality oil to use, such as avocado. If you have this short list of main ingredients, you can make cakes, pies, breads and more.

My kids ask me to make them waffles almost every weekend, and we’ve added them to most of our holiday line-ups. It’s so easy to make a waffle bar. Just add little bowls of toppers. We always have pecans, chocolate chips, and berries. We also use real maple syrup, butter and whipped cream.

You could also do what I do for holidays—pre-make a couple of batches of dry mix and store in either a plastic bag or container of your choice. Then it’s as quick and easy as pulling that box from the pantry shelf.

This is also a fun way for kids to learn to become comfortable in the kitchen. The ingredients are basic and they love mixing up a bowl of batter. My daughter likes to use her Dash Waffle Maker to make her own waffles. Then she enjoys her tiny waffles in a high stack!

I have also been known to travel with my waffle iron. We took it on our last trip to Florida when we were renting a house near our son for Christmas. I simply pre-made several batches of waffle dry mix for morning waffles. This meant my kids got their favorite waffles for breakfast, and they also got to sleep in instead of waking up to go out for breakfast. It was a win-win for them, and for me too, because it definitely saves money to cook at home.

Oh, and don’t be afraid to experiment. You can add different spices to the dry mix to change the flavor profile. I’ve been known to make this recipe into pumpkin spice, lemon blueberry and banana walnut. Sometimes I will add a scoop of my sourdough discard to it as well.

So toss the box and enjoy this best waffle mix to make your own waffle creations!