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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Jen Kartchner
July 18, 2008 at 10:17 amThese 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!
Melinda Groth
July 18, 2008 at 11:52 amShe 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!
Leigh Anne
July 18, 2008 at 1:46 pmJen 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!
Kristin
July 18, 2008 at 6:41 pmI 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)
Leigh Anne
July 18, 2008 at 8:15 pmKristin »
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!
Kathy
July 19, 2008 at 1:47 pmLeigh 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.
Tamara
July 20, 2008 at 4:24 pmHAPPY 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!!!!!!)
tanyetta
July 20, 2008 at 11:56 pmhappy birthday to your baby girl 😉
i love the tradition!
Kendra
September 12, 2008 at 5:16 pmI 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!
Amy Fielding
May 31, 2010 at 5:47 pmWe tried these today and they are amazing! Thanks for posting 🙂
Brenda
October 17, 2013 at 2:49 amOh 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!
Leigh Anne
October 17, 2013 at 6:10 amI have never tried using buttermilk but it might just make them even more delicious! let me know if you try it.
Suzan @ The Lazy Suzan
October 17, 2013 at 5:54 amThis 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.
Amy
October 17, 2013 at 6:31 amI don’t have a Belgian waffle maker. Do you think it would still be good in a regular ole waffle iron?
Leigh Anne
October 17, 2013 at 6:35 amIt will definitely work. I just prefer them in a Belgian waffle maker
Tiffany
October 17, 2013 at 7:39 amDefinitely 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.
Leigh Anne
October 17, 2013 at 8:17 amIt’s meant to be Tiffany! You must try.
Mariel @ Or so she says...
October 17, 2013 at 7:53 amYay! 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. 🙂
Leigh Anne
October 17, 2013 at 8:17 amCan’t wait to hear how your family likes them Mariel! Have fun with that new waffle maker.
Mique Provost
October 17, 2013 at 7:56 amMy 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 😉
Leigh Anne
October 17, 2013 at 8:17 amLet me know what the family thinks Mique!!
Anne
October 17, 2013 at 8:13 amWe 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.
Leigh Anne
October 17, 2013 at 8:17 amAnne, I have been thinking more and more about your Breakfast on Sunday tradition and seriously thinking about adopting it!!
Tracy
October 17, 2013 at 11:44 amThese 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!
capturing joy with kristen duke
October 17, 2013 at 4:19 pmLOVE this! ANything to make the morning easier!
Dianna Jenkins
October 20, 2013 at 9:49 amAny hints to print this recipe? I hit the print button and nothing.
Thanks
Leigh Anne
October 20, 2013 at 9:57 amDianna, I just tried it and it works for me? Not sure what’s going on?
PJ @ Planned in Pencil
October 22, 2013 at 1:55 pmI 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!
Deborah
October 25, 2013 at 12:02 amWhat a fun tradition! And I’d love to wake up to these waffles!
Kate
November 10, 2013 at 8:48 amHi 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?
Leigh Anne
November 10, 2013 at 1:06 pmThe batter is thin and if you aren’t using a deeper waffle iron try putting less batter in.
Dennea
November 30, 2013 at 5:31 pmThanks for sharing I cannot wait to try this recipe. Since we have no birthdays coming up. I will have to make for Christmas morning.
Tatyana
February 10, 2014 at 6:00 amI don’t usually leave comments but just wanted to say thank you for delicious recipes I use all the time.
Leigh Anne
February 10, 2014 at 11:47 amThanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment! Sure appreciate it. It is so nice to hear that people enjoy the recipes.
Coral
February 21, 2014 at 8:01 amI 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.
Leigh Anne
February 21, 2014 at 8:29 amSo glad they worked well with other flours! Thanks for letting us know.
Lisa
March 2, 2014 at 8:57 amI 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?
Leigh Anne
March 2, 2014 at 3:33 pmThey 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.
Nicole Holmes
March 12, 2014 at 6:16 amMy 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??
Leigh Anne
March 12, 2014 at 6:56 amSprinkles 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
Alyssa
August 27, 2015 at 4:39 pmWe loved these waffles, but they came out a little tart. Any suggestions to make them sweeter? Maybe vanilla or cinnamon?
nicolthepickle
February 21, 2017 at 2:00 pmI 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.
Leigh Anne
February 21, 2017 at 2:40 pmYou’ll never want to any other waffle again! Glad you loved them too.
Marjorie Harrell
December 9, 2017 at 4:47 amGood morning.
Overnight Waffles recipe…
What does “1/2 cup butter 1 cube” mean?
Leigh Anne
December 9, 2017 at 7:04 pmSorry for the confusion – 1/2 cup butter is equal to 1 cube of butter
Ammie
September 2, 2018 at 10:01 pmThe 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.
Leigh Anne
September 3, 2018 at 8:40 amI 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?