Love peanut butter with breakfast? These Peanut Butter Waffles highlight the creamy, salty deliciousness of peanut butter. With a crispy golden exterior and a fluffy center that tastes lightly of peanut butter, this homemade waffle recipe is a great breakfast or brunch treat that is ready in 30 minutes.
The Year of the Waffle continues today with peanut butter!
My children have informed me that they are so over waffles… except, well, we just have dessert waffles left, and I have a feeling they are going to change their tunes.
These Peanut Butter Waffles were a massive hit for me because they reminded me of smothering a stack of pancakes in peanut butter when traveling in Arizona on choir tour as a teenager, something I’d never tried before, and something I’ll still do occasionally.
Also, I love the addition of bonus protein to these waffles because protein with breakfast is always a good idea. If you’re a peanut butter lover, you’re gonna adore these crispy peanut butter waffles!
Why we love this recipe:
Like many of our other waffle recipes this year, these Peanut Butter Waffles start out with a Buttermilk Waffle base and make the PERFECT breakfast for any occasion.
Not only does buttermilk add an awesome gentle tanginess to waffles, but it is acidic. So when you combine that with baking soda, it gives the batter a little extra lift and fluff. (YAY, kitchen chemistry!)
Then we add natural (and unsweetened) peanut butter to the waffle batter, too. Because to have a peanut butter waffle, you need peanut butter.
I’m obsessed with these waffles and their texture. The exterior is crispy and the interior is tender, moist and fluffy. And you also get hints of the vanilla in the batter paired with the sweet, nutty flavor of the peanut butter. The peanut isn’t overwhelming, but it adds a nice base flavor to the waffles.
Much like all my other waffle recipes, we use pantry ingredients as the base for this, plus a few refrigerated ones. While you might need to make a special trip to the store for buttermilk, you will not need to whip egg whites to provide extra fluff to these waffles. The buttermilk does that heavy lifting for us.
My girls love mixing and making waffles in our kitchen, so I highly encourage involving the kids in your life in the making of this recipe.
Other waffle recipes you might enjoy: Banana Waffles | Strawberry Waffles | Blueberry Waffles | Chocolate Chip Waffles | The Best Waffles
What you need to make this recipe:
The Speckled Palate participates in affiliate programs. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my disclosure page for more information about these affiliate programs.
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
In addition to these tools, you’ll need a few ingredients from the grocery store or your pantry:
- All-purpose flour — we always have unbleached AP flour at our house, but the regular kind works, too!
- Granulated sugar — also known as white sugar, this adds sweetness to the waffle batter.
- Leaveners — we’re using a combination of baking powder and baking soda. Make sure yours are fresh.
- Kosher salt — medium grain kosher salt is my go-to. Diamond Crystal is my favorite brand. You may use a similarly sized sea salt. Keep in mind that table salt is saltier than kosher.
- Buttermilk — this makes an impact on the texture of these waffles. If you don’t have buttermilk at your house, you can make a buttermilk substitute easily!
- Peanut butter — I used natural, unsweetened peanut butter from my grocery store to get the peanut flavor. It’s runnier than the traditional, sweetened peanut butter. Results may vary if you use a different type or brand. Smooth peanut butter or creamy peanut butter is what I recommend, as I’m not sure how the texture of crunchy peanut butter would affect the texture of the final waffles. We are not using peanut butter powder in these waffles.
- Eggs — large eggs or extra large eggs are what I use in all baking recipes.
- Flavorless oilor melted butter — avocado, vegetable or canola oil are perfect. If you’re using melted butter, make sure you give it a little time to cool so it won’t scramble the eggs!
- Vanilla extract — the real deal pure vanilla extract is where it’s at. This adds amazing flavor.
How to make Peanut Butter Waffles
First, we’re going to make our waffle batter.
Measure the dry ingredients into a large bowl. This is the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk them together until combined and set aside.
Pour the buttermilk into a liquid measuring cup or a smaller mixing bowl. Add the peanut butter, eggs, oil and vanilla. Whisk them or stir them with a fork until everything is combined.
Why do we mix these vigorously? Because if you don’t give them a good mix, there will be ribbons of egg white in the cooked waffles. It’s not a pleasant look or texture, so please learn from my mistakes.
Once the wet ingredients are well combined, pour them directly into the dry ingredients.
Use a rubber spatula to gently stir them together until just combined.
If you overmix the batter, the waffles will become tougher, so just stir until the flour is incorporated. It’s OK if this homemade batter has lumps.
Set the homemade waffle batter aside, and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. It can rest up to 30 minutes. You’ll notice that the batter almost immediately starts expanding, thanks to the chemical reaction between the buttermilk and the baking soda.
While the batter rests, preheat the waffle iron and give it a spritz of nonstick cooking spray or brush it with melted butter. This is especially important because the added banana to this waffle batter makes them more sticky.
Use a cookie scoop or a measuring cup to dollop the batter onto the hot waffle iron.
We use a ½ cup to scoop these waffles.
Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until your waffle iron alerts you that the waffle is done. Open the waffle iron and remove when golden brown and delicious.
Serve your waffle with your favorite toppings, be they fresh fruit, a fruit compote (like raspberry compote or peach compote), a drizzle of peanut butter, a pat of butter, homemade whipped cream or pure maple syrup.
How to store and freeze
Leftover waffles store and freeze easily! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven or a toaster oven on a lower heat until crispy.
To freeze, line a sheet pan with wax paper or parchment paper. Lay out the leftover waffles in a single layer. Transfer to the freezer, and freeze until frozen. Transfer to a plastic freezer baggie and keep frozen for up to 3 months.
To reheat, defrost in the refrigerator OR defrost for 30 seconds in the microwave, then toast until crispy.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
If your people love peanut butter, this Peanut Butter Waffle recipe would be an excellent weekend breakfast or brunch centerpiece.
Making waffles for a crowd requires a little patience and planning. You will need to work ahead. Because if you’re like me, you’re not going to want to make each waffle individually for your guests. You might also consider borrowing a waffle iron or two from a friend to make this a quicker endeavor.
Here are a few tips and tricks to serving these waffles at an at-home brunch:
- Depending on the amount of people you’re serving, you can double this recipe.
- Make the waffles before guests arrive, and keep them warm in the oven. We put ours on baking sheets* (affiliate link) and keep them warm in a 200°F oven. You could also reheat them in a toaster oven for an extra crispy exterior.
- Transform your table into a waffle bar! Offer various toppings, like real maple syrup, sweetened whipped cream, fresh banana slices, peanut butter or a peanut butter syrup, strawberry syrup, fresh berries, hot fudge sauce or mini chocolate chips, peach compote and more. Let guests dress their waffles to their hearts’ content.
Frequently Asked Questions
You certainly can, but the texture of your waffles might be a little different. Traditional peanut butter tends to be thicker and sweetened while the natural peanut butter used in this recipe was runnier and unsweetened. I’m sure they will still be tasty, but you might need to add another splash of buttermilk to them to thin them out if the batter is incredibly thick.
Yes, you can use different nut butters or seed butter in place of peanut butter. Different brands have different textures. To me, almond butter tends to be a bit runnier than peanut butter, whether or not it’s the naturally ground kind.
In my opinion, to secret to fluffy waffles is using the combination of buttermilk and baking soda. I also believe that mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately so you don’t overmix the batter is important. Also, making sure your leaveners are both fresh so that the waffles puff up!
To get a crispy exterior on your waffles, your waffle iron needs to be warmed up, as well as have a little fat on it. We brush ours with butter, but you can also spritz it with nonstick cooking spray.
Quick Tips and Tricks for the Best Waffles
- Don’t overmix your batter! Just mix the batter until it has just come together. Lumps are OK. If you mix until it’s smooth, the waffles won’t be as fluffy.
- Use a cookie scoop or measuring cup to ensure all your waffles are similarly sized.
- Leftover waffles? Freeze ’em! Line a baking sheet with wax paper, place the completely cooled waffles on the paper in a single layer and pop them in the freezer for 4-6 hours. When the waffles are fully frozen, transfer to a freezer baggie. Reheat in the toaster oven, toaster or the oven until warmed through.
Here’s how you can make these waffles…
Peanut Butter Waffles
Love peanut butter with breakfast? These Peanut Butter Waffles highlight the creamy, salty deliciousness of peanut butter. With a crispy golden exterior and a fluffy center that tastes lightly of peanut butter, this homemade waffle recipe is a great breakfast or brunch treat that is ready in 30 minutes.
Prevent your screen from going dark
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 270g
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50g
- 1 tablespoon baking powder 14g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 8g
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt 6g
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup unsweetened peanut butter 240g
- 2 large eggs ~100g
- ¼ cup flavorless oil avocado, vegetable, canola all OK (58g)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 8g
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
-
Pour the buttermilk, peanut butter, eggs, oil and vanilla extract into a liquid measuring cup. Whisk thoroughly until combined. (The eggs need to be completely incorporated.)
-
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
-
Stir until just combined. The batter does not need to be completely smooth, so do not mix it until it is smooth or it will be overmixed.
-
Pour ½ cup of the waffle batter into a greased, hot waffle iron. (This will be dependent on the size of your waffle maker, so you might need more or less, and depending on this, you will have more or less waffles.)
-
Close the waffle iron, and cook until crispy and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per waffle. This cook time is dependent on your waffle iron.
-
Repeat until all the waffles have been made and enjoy with your favorite toppings.
Leftover waffles store and freeze well! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven or a toaster oven on a lower heat until crispy.
To freeze, line a sheet pan with wax paper or parchment paper. Lay out the leftover waffles in a single layer. Transfer to the freezer, and freeze until frozen. Transfer to a plastic freezer baggie and keep frozen for up to 3 months.
Serving: 1waffleCalories: 410kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 13gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 704mgPotassium: 416mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 141IUCalcium: 144mgIron: 2mg
