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    Breakfast

    Home > Recipes > Breakfast > Cornmeal Waffles

    Cornmeal Waffles

    By Maike | Published: November 4, 2021 | Modified: November 5, 2021

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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    Get ready to have the most delicious breakfast of your life! These gorgeous CORNMEAL WAFFLES are made with cornmeal, bacon, buttermilk, and maple syrup. What more could you ask for in a wholesome, homemade breakfast? #cheerfulcook #breakfast #waffles #cornmealwaffles #recipe via @cheerfulcook

    Bacon lovers, these Cornmeal Waffles are tailor-made to get your day off to a great start. These sweet and savory waffles are a delicious combination of cornmeal, flour, buttermilk, maple syrup, and bacon.

    Drizzling maple syrup over cornmeal waffles with bacon sitting on a white plate

    A quick breakfast or brunch recipe can easily become a new family favorite!

    Table of Contents show
    1 The Very Best Cornmeal Waffles
    2 Why We Love Cornmeal Waffles
    3 Ingredients
    4 Recipe Variations and Additions
    5 How To Make This Recipe
    6 Recipe Success Tips
    7 More Breakfast Recipe Ideas
    8 How To Store and Keep This Recipe
    9 Freezing and Reheating Cornmeal Waffles
    10 If You Like This Recipe, Try These
    11 Cornmeal Waffles

    The Very Best Cornmeal Waffles

    If you love the taste of cornbread, then you will love this waffle recipe! They have the same mildly sweet and earthy flavor but are lighter and crunchier.

    Aside from adding flavor, yellow cornmeal also imparts a warm amber hue and a coarser texture that you won't get with a classic waffle.

    We might be a household of French Toast and Belgian Waffles lovers. But let me tell you, my waffle maker has been busy making bacon cornmeal waffles!

    My husband thinks these are the best waffles ever, and he loves to take leftovers to work for a Monday lunch.

    This great recipe incorporates bacon bits into the batter to infuse a savory crunch in every bite. Then, I drizzle maple syrup and add more bacon on top is the perfect way to enjoy a decadent full-on sweet, and tasty morning meal!

    Why We Love Cornmeal Waffles

    EASE: Make the batter while the bacon is in the oven. Combine bacon and batter, and let your waffle maker do the rest! You'll have a wholesome breakfast ready in less than 30 minutes.

    PANTRY INGREDIENTS: Making this waffle recipe requires only a handful of pantry ingredients. And if you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can easily substitute (see recipe variations below).

    TEXTURE: This recipe produces a crispy waffle that is light and airy on the inside with delicious bits of bacon.

    CUSTOMIZABLE: These Cornmeal Waffles are a great addition to your morning meal rotation. Add a fried egg, extra slices of bacon, or a side of fresh fruit compote.

    Ingredients

    ingredients needed to make cornmeal waffles

    CORNMEAL: Cornmeal is ground from dried corn and has a sweet, earthy taste and coarser texture than wheat flour.

    BACON: Use thick-cut bacon for best results.

    BUTTERMILK: Using buttermilk is one of the secrets to making fluffy waffles.

    MAPLE SYRUP: We'll add a touch of pure maple syrup to the batter and, of course drizzle more on the finished waffles.

    TIP: For serving, warm the maple syrup in the microwave for 15-30 seconds before drizzling over the finished waffles. Yum!

    EGGS: For this recipe, we use whole, large eggs. Unlike other waffle recipes in which you need to separate egg yolks and egg whites, you don't have to do this for this recipe. So you don't need a separate bowl to beat the egg whites. That means making the batter goes a lot quicker.

    BUTTER: Make sure to use unsalted butter. Melted butter adds richness to the batter and gives the waffles a crisp texture.

    FLOUR: We don't just use coarse cornmeal for this recipe! Instead make a flour mixture by combining all-purpose and corn meal.

    Leaving Agents: For this recipe, we use a combination of baking powder and baking soda to achieve an optimal rise.

    Recipe Variations and Additions

    • If you have folks who do not like bacon (for some reason), you can omit the part where you fold them into the waffle batter and serve them separately for those who want them.
    • If you can't find buttermilk, use milk and mix with a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for five to ten minutes before using it!
    • Make a vegan waffle version using non-dairy milk instead of buttermilk, vegetable oil instead of butter, and applesauce instead of eggs. You can use vegan bacon or omit it entirely.
    • Are you trying to cut out gluten? No problem, substitute the flour with gluten-free all-purpose flour.
    • Serve with sliced strawberries or fresh blueberries.

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    How To Make This Recipe

    collage of images showing how to make cornmeal waffles
    1. Bake bacon in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 400º Fahrenheit.
    2. In a large bowl, whisk wet ingredients until smooth and well combined. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in chopped bacon.
    3. Ladle a cup of batter into the greased waffle maker and bake until golden brown and crisp.
    drizzling warm maple syrup over the waffles

    Recipe Success Tips

    • Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when using your waffle maker. Different waffle makers have specific methods to be followed for best results. My waffle maker has a buttermilk waffle setting.
    • Use room temperature ingredients. This makes it easier to mix everything. The batter requires gentle mixing only, which will be difficult if your buttermilk, eggs, and butter are chilled.
    • Add some fried chicken, and you've got a version of southern cornmeal waffles.
    • Do not overmix the batter, or you will have flat and chewy waffles instead of light and fluffy ones. The cornmeal batter does not need to be very smooth; small lumps are okay.
    • If your waffle maker does not have a built-in signal, steam is your best indicator for doneness. Once the steam stops, the waffles should be good to go.
    • When making a big batch, transfer waffles to a baking sheet and into a warm oven until you are ready to serve. This will keep them nice and crisp until you are ready to serve.

    More Breakfast Recipe Ideas

    Drizzling maple syrup over the Croissant French Toast.

    Croissant French Toast

    Closeup of a forkful of Kaiserschmarrn.

    Kaiserschmarrn

    A closeup image of a freshly baked blueberry muffin with the liner removed.

    Blueberry Muffins

    How To Store and Keep This Recipe

    Allow the waffles to cool completely before storing them. Place in an airtight container or a resealable ziplock bag and store for up to 3 days in the fridge.

    Freezing and Reheating Cornmeal Waffles

    Place the leftover cornmeal waffles on a baking sheet and freeze for an hour. Transfer the waffles into a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Freeze for up to three months. Don't forget to date the bag!

    When you want to reheat your frozen waffles, place them on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350º Fahrenheit.

    If you need to reheat them in the microwave, place them on a paper towel-covered plate and cook on high for 30 seconds, flip and repeat. They won't be as crispy but are still quite delicious.

    Another way of reheating frozen cornmeal waffles is to use your toaster. Simply put the frozen waffles into the toaster and choose a low setting.

    If You Like This Recipe, Try These

    • Sweet Potato Hash - sweet potatoes, ham, and eggs ... perfect for holiday leftovers
    • Blueberry Muffins - hands down the best muffin recipe in the land
    • Austrian Pancake Bites - known as Kaiserschmarnn, these Austrian pancakes have a royal history
    • German Apple Pancakes - my German Oma's recipe
    • Banana Nut Bread - moist banana bit with crunchy pecan nuts

    Did you try this recipe? Awesome! Please rate the recipe below!

    Click stars to rate now

    Cornmeal Waffles

    You won't believe how delicious these cornmeal waffles are until you try them for yourself. The bacon adds an extra boost of flavor that makes it impossible to stop eating!
    Servings: 6
    homemade cornmeal waffles on a plate with syrup and bacon
    PREP TIME: 10 minutes
    COOK TIME: 5 minutes
    TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
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    Ingredients

    • 7-8 slices bacon thick-cut bacon work best
    • 2 large eggs
    • 2 cups buttermilk
    • 3 tablespoons Maple syrup
    • ¼ cup butter unsalted, melted, cooled
    • 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
    • ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
    • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • Cooking spray to grease the waffle maker

    Instructions

    • Bake the bacon for 15-20 minutes at 400º Fahrenheit . Set aside. Once cool, crumble bacon.
    • Melt butter and set aside.
    • Whisk buttermilk, eggs, maple syrup, and lightly cooled melted butter in a large bowl until well combined.
    • Add cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and baking soda and beat until just combined. Don’t overmix. Fold in the crumbled bacon. If desired reserve some bacon bits for garnish.
    • Ladle the batter into a hot, greased waffle maker and bake until crisp. About 5 minutes.*
    • Transfer cornmeal waffles onto a plate, serve with the remaining bacon bits, and drizzle with maple syrup.
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    Notes

    * Some waffle makers have a "buttermilk waffle" setting. It's perfect for this recipe
    Nutrition
    Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 440mg | Potassium: 467mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 468IU | Calcium: 193mg | Iron: 2mg
    Author: Maike
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    November 05, 2021
    Hi, friends. My name is Maike. Nice to meet you. I am the blogger behind the Cheerful Cook. A Comfort Food blog where we celebrate easy German American recipes all year long
    About the AuthorMaike
    Hi There, I’m Maike! A German girl turned American sharing hundreds of easy, homemade comfort food recipes perfect for everyday cooking.
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    Hi, friends. My name is Maike. Nice to meet you. I am the blogger behind the Cheerful Cook. A Comfort Food blog where we celebrate easy German American recipes all year long

    Hi there, I’m Maike!

    A German girl turned American who loves to share my favorite comfort food recipes. Browse through hundreds of easy, homemade recipes perfect for everyday cooking. LEARN MORE… 

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