Waffle

These stuffed waffles couldn't be easier; you don't even have to make batter! They combine the flakiness and flexibility of puff pastry with the golden brown, crispy exterior of a waffle. Use one of the suggested sweet or savory fillings below, or experiment with your favorite flavor combinations to make the puffles of your dreams.

Top these tender whole-wheat waffles with fresh fruit and slivered almonds for a restaurant-worthy breakfast.

With a cocoa-infused batter and chopped chocolate stirred throughout, these indulgent waffles are just the thing to make any morning feel special.

Coconut oil adds a rich sweetness to the batter; shredded coconut delivers crunch.

Make ahead: Store in a sealed, airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 months.

These sophisticated waffles were originally conceived as the dessert course in a modern Parisian bistro menu, but make this the sweet dish for your next brunch—every good brunch includes at least one dish that could pass for dessert! If salted caramel is just too much before noon, skip it and serve these ethereal waffles with real maple syrup, or fruit and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. And take note—the caramel is a dream drizzled over ice cream.

This waffle recipe is a ham and cheese sandwich disguised as the greatest brunch dish of all time.

With this recipe in your repertoire, you’ll be tempted to start a weekend tradition of serving waffles for a special breakfast treat. Double the recipe when you have guests or so you’ll have waffles to freeze for quick breakfasts later on.

WITH A HANDFUL OF RICH HAZELNUTS and diced apples, these Pacific Northwest waffles make a hearty and tasty weekend breakfast dish. The whole wheat flour adds a deeper flavor and bonus nutrients. Once you taste these waffles, you’ll never use a waffle mix again.

I never really had waffles growing up in Italy, but Todd loves them, so when we got together I knew I had to find a way to incorporate them into our breakfast routine. The result is an impressive-looking brunch dish with all the elements I think a great waffle should have: these are salty, sweet, and crunchy in every bite.

When I was young, we ate pancakes or waffles for breakfast almost every Saturday morning, and my dad was the self-appointed commander of the waffle iron. Dad’s waffles were crispy, light, and puffy, perfect with a drizzle of honey or—his pick—molasses. My version of our old weekend favorite does my dad’s waffles justice. They are wonderfully crispy with a slightly tangy bite imparted by the buttermilk. Serve warm with butter and honey or sweetened cream and fresh fruit.

Nutty cracked wheat (okay, it’s technically bulgur) adds a welcome touch of texture to these waffles. Made with whole wheat flour, the waffles are a bit healthier and heartier than standard ones without being the least bit leaden. Spicy cinnamon and complex allspice lend their flavors to the creamy butter. A sweet blueberry syrup drizzled—or ladled—over the waffles makes the whole dish special. I wouldn’t recommend making the syrup with frozen berries as they are too wet to burst as the fresh berries do. If you have extra berries left over, sprinkle them on top before serving.

If you didn’t think waffles could taste good and be good for you at the same time, these will change your mind. Besides the taste of fresh applesauce, the addition of flaxseed meal, wheat germ, and whole wheat pastry flour imparts a wholesome flavor. If you choose to buy applesauce rather than making it from scratch, the waffles will still be very good, but nothing compares with homemade applesauce made with crisp autumn apples.

In place of maple syrup, try homemade Maple Butter (page 274) with these deliciously nutty waffles. Buttermilk makes these waffles especially crisp and light.

These golden, delicious-smelling waffles are an autumn treat, and they are even better when topped with a fall-fresh Cinnamon Pear Compote (page 277). They’re tender and especially aromatic, thanks to the various spices. Buy plain canned pumpkin purée, not the prepared pumpkin pie filling, which contains sugar and added spices. Serve with Fresh Cranberry Juice (page 240).