If you are looking for a light, crispy, and delicious waffle, these overnight yeast waffles are the recipe for you. Whip up the yeast batter the night before and the next day you will have the best breakfast. This is our families favorite waffle recipe!
Years ago family friend, Merill Watts, shared his overnight waffle recipe with us and it has truly been a family favorite ever since. It is our go to waffle recipe and is always requested for birthday breakfast. It is a family tradition.
The only trick with it is you have to remember to make it the night before. These are yeast waffles and that times allows the yeast to work its magic. And the best part is you get all the prep work done and cleaned up the night before. This makes the morning go smoothly! And the result is a perfectly light and crispy waffle.
How to Make Yeast Waffles
You will want to start with a large mixing bowl. The yeast waffle batter will double in size. Start by letting the yeast dissolve in warm water sit in the bowl for 5 minutes. While it is dissolving, warm the milk on the stove, but don’t let it boil you don’t want to kill the yeast!
Once the milk is warm, add the milk, butter, salt, sugar, and flour and stir until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit overnight at room temperature. Easy peasy.
In the morning, all you have to do is add in some eggs and baking soda and you are ready to go!
Yeast waffles are best cooked in a Belgian waffle maker – it is deeper than a regular one.
We love overnight waffles covered in fresh berries, whip cream and homemade cinnamon syrup, but they are great just with plain old maple syrup too!!
Every time my kids come home for a visit I will text them and ask them what they want me to fix when they are home. The first response I almost always get is “Overnight Waffles!”
They are a light and crisp waffle and the tang of the yeast gives them a great flavor.
We love them, and I know you will too!
Check out more of our family’s favorite breakfast recipes:
Overnight Waffle Recipe
Yeast Waffles
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 package dry yeast
- 2 cups milk warmed
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. granulated sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
Instructions
- Use a big mixing bowl (the batter will rise to double its original volume.)
- Put the water in the mixing bowl and sprinkle in the yeast
- Let stand to dissolve for 5 minutes
- Warm the milk on the stove (I just add in the butter so it is melting as the milk warms)
- Be careful not to let the milk boil or get too hot
- You don't want it to kill the yeast when you add it into the yeast mixture
- Add the milk, butter, salt, sugar and flour to the yeast mixture and stir until smooth and blended (can use a hand beater to get rid of the lumps if needed, I usually don't need to.)
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand overnight at room temperature
- Just before cooking the waffles, beat in the eggs, add the baking soda, and stir until well mixed The batter will be very thin
- Pour about 1/2 to 3/4 cup batter into a very hot waffle iron
- Bake the waffles until they are golden and crisp
- This batter will keep well for several days in the refrigerator
- Depending on the size of your waffle iron this makes about 6-8 waffles
Nutrition
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Hi Leigh Anne,
Could I use Instant yeast as that’s all I have & finding any yeast right now is impossible? If so how much, 1 packet?
Thank you,
Noreen
PS …. I recently bought your Holiday Slow Cooker recipe book. I’m making your Spicy Mexican Beef for Cinco De Mayo.
The first time a made this waffle recipe it was delicious light and fluffy.
The second attempt was completely unsuccessful although the waffles were light and fluffy they were incredibly sour.
What do you think would cause this to spoil. I was wondering if I should have refidgerated the batter instead of leaving on the counter.
I have been making these waffles for 30 years and have never refrigerated the batter. I’m not sure why the sour taste, especially if you followed the directions exactly? was there a variation in any of your ingredients?
Good morning.
Overnight Waffles recipe…
What does “1/2 cup butter 1 cube” mean?
Sorry for the confusion – 1/2 cup butter is equal to 1 cube of butter
I made these and they were a waffle revelation to me. I loved how light and crisp they were.
I thought they had a tad much salt and I love salt in everything sweet/baked.
Thank you very much for the recipe.
You’ll never want to any other waffle again! Glad you loved them too.
We loved these waffles, but they came out a little tart. Any suggestions to make them sweeter? Maybe vanilla or cinnamon?
My twin boys are turning 4 this week! I love this recipe but do you think I could modify it to add sprinkles? Have you ever tried it? May sprinkle over the wet batter just before cooking? I’m thinking funfetti style. Any suggestions??
Sprinkles sound fun! Have never tried it before but would try sprinkling them after you pour the batter into the waffle iron. Happy Birthday to your boys
I mixed these up last night, but woke up this morning & it didn’t rise at all. I assume I messed something up with the yeast? I would think it’s probably not ok to finish them up?
They don’t rise like bread does so don’t expect to see a big bowl full of batter. It will just get bubbly on top – it is probably fine and you should go ahead and cook it. If it doesn’t get bubbly your water might have been either too hot or too cold and the yeast didn’t activate or you killed it with too hot water.
I mixed these up last night for today’s breakfast and they were yummy—-very light and crispy. Just an FYI for those who like to incorporate other flours beside white. I used a half cup of buckwheat and a half cup of oat flour with the balance being white and they were still very good. I am always trying to cut down on white flour and some sugar in my recipes.
So glad they worked well with other flours! Thanks for letting us know.
I don’t usually leave comments but just wanted to say thank you for delicious recipes I use all the time.
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment! Sure appreciate it. It is so nice to hear that people enjoy the recipes.
Thanks for sharing I cannot wait to try this recipe. Since we have no birthdays coming up. I will have to make for Christmas morning.
Hi I tried these but the batter was too thin for my waffle iron one side cooked but not the other. Can I add more flour either in the beginning or at the end step?
The batter is thin and if you aren’t using a deeper waffle iron try putting less batter in.
What a fun tradition! And I’d love to wake up to these waffles!
I love waffles, my uncles makes us the most amazing waffles everytime we visit. I’m going to have to try this immediately. Thanks for sharing at the Pinworthy Project Party! I’ll be featuring this on Thursday morning if you’d like to stop by for a button!
Any hints to print this recipe? I hit the print button and nothing.
Thanks
Dianna, I just tried it and it works for me? Not sure what’s going on?
LOVE this! ANything to make the morning easier!
These look heavenly! I’m wondering if you’ve mastered a gluten free version of these yet? I would LOVE the replacement recipe if you have one!
We love these (or the variation I make). I make them with half wheat flour and this is often our after-church meal when we want food ready as soon as we walk in the door.
Anne, I have been thinking more and more about your Breakfast on Sunday tradition and seriously thinking about adopting it!!
My family LOVES waffles. We’ll have to give this a try this weekend. They’ll be in heaven. I loved hearing about your traditions too. So fun!! Traditions are my favorite. (that’s supposedly a strong thing with oldest children 😉
Let me know what the family thinks Mique!!
Yay! I’ve been needing a waffle recipe. I just got a new waffle maker and every day my husband is begging me to use it… but, I didn’t want to until I found a great recipe. Thanks, LA! Trying this. 🙂
Can’t wait to hear how your family likes them Mariel! Have fun with that new waffle maker.
Definitely giving these a try. I actually just saw a recipe for overnight waffles while going through my stack of “recipes to try.” Obviously, this one needs to be at the top of my list.
It’s meant to be Tiffany! You must try.
I don’t have a Belgian waffle maker. Do you think it would still be good in a regular ole waffle iron?
It will definitely work. I just prefer them in a Belgian waffle maker
This is a perfect birthday tradition! I have never heard of overnight waffles before this, and I will definitely be trying them! My college roommates visit every couple of years and I think this would be a great recipe for when they are staying with me.
Oh my, these look delicious! As our grandson #2 is a waffle lover to the core, these will be the perfect addition to Christmas morning. Love the overnight part for that. I was wondering if you have used buttermilk for some or all of the milk….grandson #1 loves it!
I have never tried using buttermilk but it might just make them even more delicious! let me know if you try it.
We tried these today and they are amazing! Thanks for posting 🙂
I love the crepe paper idea! What a great way to start the day. I may steal that one!
I have a Tessa, too! Mine is just getting ready to celebrate her 1st b-day, though. Only really great girls can have that name, right?
Thanks for sharing the waffle recipe! Sounds divine!
happy birthday to your baby girl 😉
i love the tradition!
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TESS! Thanks for sharing your favorite waffle recipe with us. CONGRATS on turning into a wonderful, responsible, dependable 15 year old. Hope you enjoyed your BD present in Salt Lake. Hugs! Aunt Tamara (Leigh Anne you are awesome and I love your blog!!!!!!)
Leigh Anne,
I found your site recently and really enjoy it. I am trying your recipes and have your Sour Cream Banana Bread in the oven right now. :]
I loved reading about the birthday traditions in your house and think the crepe paper idea is great. Very clever idea.
Tessa’s birthday cake looks wonderful–from a magazine almost. I have not had good luck with layer cakes and don’t make them often. Your picture has given me inspiration. Do you have any tips in putting them together and the recipe for that chocolate cake? Thank you.
Kristin »
Honestly, I don’t remember how or why we started the crepe paper on the door birthday tradition but it has stuck! My kids love it. You do all kinds of crazy things when you have kids!
I love the crepe paper idea. How fun to have a family tradition when it comes to birthdays. I would have never thought of such a thing (But then again, I don’t have any children)
Jen Kartchner »
Actually the original recipe Merrill gave me used whole wheat flour – I have only ever used white flour though – it should work fine, especially since there is yeast in it and it will make them lighter. Let me know how it works!
She is a graceful ballerina, even when crashing though crepe paper first thing in the morning! Amazing!
I plan to give the waffle recipe a go.
Happy birthday lovely Tessa!
These look delicious!! Have you ever tried making these with whole wheat flour? We use white wheat and grind our own flour for our pancakes and waffles and I just wondered if you have had any success with this.
Thanks!