This recipe for Cinnamon Apple Waffles was originally published in December 2021. It has since been significantly updated and refined in [Current Month/Year] with an improved recipe for enhanced flavor and texture, along with stunning new images to inspire your breakfast creations.

My culinary journey often leads me back to beloved classics, and one of my absolute favorite breakfast cookbooks is Marion Cunningham’s The Breakfast Book. Her yeast-based waffle recipe, which benefits from an overnight rest, yields truly incredible results. The patient fermentation process develops complex flavors and a unique tenderness that simply cannot be achieved with quick-rise leavening agents alone.

Inspired by her remarkable technique, I’ve taken her foundational recipe and infused it with the comforting essence of fall: finely chopped cinnamon apples. This addition elevates the classic waffle, creating a breakfast that’s bursting with cozy and warm flavors. The beauty of this scratch-made batter lies in its make-ahead convenience. Preparing the batter the night before means all you need to do in the morning is heat up your waffle iron and cook. It’s a simple step that saves time and allows you to savor those precious morning moments without culinary rush. These waffles are a testament to how a little planning can result in an exceptionally delicious and stress-free start to your day.

If you’re constantly seeking more delightful brunch recipes to add to your repertoire, you absolutely must explore some of my other favorites. Don’t miss out on my light and airy sweet cream pancakes, the decadent cinnamon coffee rolls with maple espresso frosting, perfectly spiced pumpkin banana muffins, classic buttermilk french toast, and the ever-popular bakery-style chocolate chip muffins! Each recipe offers a unique flavor profile and is designed to bring joy to your breakfast or brunch table.

Why You’ll Adore These Overnight Cinnamon Apple Waffles!

These isn’t just another waffle recipe; it’s a game-changer for your breakfast routine. Here’s why you’ll fall head over heels for these irresistible apple waffles:

• Simple, Wholesome Ingredients: You’ll love that these fluffy, flavorful waffles are made with straightforward ingredients you likely already have stocked in your pantry and fridge. No obscure items or specialty store runs required – just real, honest ingredients coming together to create magic.
• Effortless Overnight Preparation for Morning Bliss: The “make-ahead” aspect is truly a lifesaver! Preparing the yeast waffle batter the night before offers unparalleled convenience. This not only saves you precious time and reduces morning stress but also allows the yeast to work its magic overnight, developing deeper, more nuanced flavors and an unparalleled texture. Wake up, plug in your waffle iron, and enjoy fresh, homemade waffles without the morning rush.
• Irresistibly Cozy & Warm Flavors: Thanks to the harmonious blend of fresh apples, generous amounts of cinnamon, and a subtle pinch of nutmeg, every bite of these apple waffles delivers a wave of comforting, autumnal flavors. It’s like a warm hug on a plate, perfect for chilly mornings or any time you crave a taste of home.
• Perfectly Balanced Texture: Super Soft Inside, Crispy Outside: This is the hallmark of a truly great waffle, and this yeasted recipe absolutely nails it. The overnight rest and the action of the yeast create an incredibly soft, tender, and airy interior, while the hot waffle iron ensures a beautifully crisp, golden-brown exterior. It’s a textural masterpiece that satisfies both crispy and fluffy waffle lovers.
• Elevated Breakfast Experience: Move beyond basic waffles with this gourmet yet easy-to-make recipe. The fresh apple pieces and aromatic spices transform a simple breakfast into a special occasion, making any day feel a little more extraordinary.

Essential Ingredients for Your Cinnamon Apple Waffles

Crafting these extraordinary yeast apple waffles requires a few key components, each playing a vital role in achieving their signature flavor and texture. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need:

• Milk: For the richest, most decadent waffle batter, I highly recommend using whole milk. Its higher fat content contributes to a tender crumb and a luxurious mouthfeel that skinnier milks simply can’t replicate. While you can use lower-fat milk, whole milk truly makes a difference in the final product.
• Apples: The star of the show! I suggest using apples that hold their shape well and offer a good balance of sweetness and tartness, such as Braeburn or Honeycrisp. These varieties become wonderfully tender without turning mushy during cooking. However, feel free to experiment with your favorite apple variety – Granny Smith can add a pleasant tartness, while Fuji offers a sweeter profile. You can even swap them out for ripe pears for a delightful seasonal twist!
• Maple Syrup: A touch of pure maple syrup not only sweetens the waffle batter but also infuses it with a subtle, earthy sweetness that complements the apples and cinnamon beautifully. It adds a depth of flavor that granulated sugar alone cannot provide.
• Yeast: We’re employing both baking soda and instant yeast in this recipe for a truly unique leavening combination. The yeast provides that wonderful airy, fluffy interior and complex flavor from its overnight fermentation, while a touch of baking soda ensures additional lift and a delicate crispness. It’s crucial to ensure your yeast is fresh and has not expired for optimal rising power. This recipe specifically calls for instant yeast, which can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients without prior activation. If you only have active dry yeast, you’ll need to activate it in warm milk (part of the recipe’s milk quantity) for 5-10 minutes until foamy before combining with other wet ingredients.
• Spices: The apples are generously tossed with extra cinnamon before being folded into the batter, ensuring an even distribution of spice. The waffle batter itself includes a harmonious blend of cinnamon and a mere pinch of nutmeg. This combination creates a warm, aromatic, and perfectly spiced profile that evokes cozy memories.
• Butter: I consistently use European-style unsalted butter in my baking recipes, and it truly shines here. European butter boasts a higher butterfat content (typically 82-84% compared to American butter’s 80%), which translates to a richer, creamier flavor and a more tender texture in baked goods. While American unsalted butter will still work, using European butter will elevate the overall richness and luxuriousness of your waffles.
• Eggs: Room temperature eggs incorporate more evenly into the batter, creating a smoother consistency and a more uniform waffle structure.
• All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our waffle structure. Measure it accurately, preferably by weight, for the best results.
• Kosher Salt: Essential for balancing the sweetness and enhancing all the other flavors in the batter. Don’t skip it!

Crafting Your Overnight Cinnamon Apple Waffles: A Detailed Guide

Follow these simple steps to prepare your irresistible overnight cinnamon apple waffles. The overnight rest is key to developing their incredible flavor and texture, so plan accordingly!

Step 1: Combine the Wet Ingredients. In a spacious medium-sized mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together the room-temperature eggs, melted unsalted butter, whole milk, pure maple syrup, and fragrant vanilla extract. Ensure all ingredients are well combined and smooth, creating a uniform base for your batter.

Step 2: Incorporate Dry Ingredients and Initiate Fermentation. To the bowl of wet ingredients, gradually add the all-purpose flour, instant yeast, kosher salt, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of ground nutmeg. Whisk gently until just combined. A few lumps are perfectly fine and even expected – avoid overmixing, which can lead to tough waffles. Once mixed, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the batter to rest at room temperature for a full hour. This initial rest gives the yeast a head start. After one hour, transfer the covered bowl to the refrigerator and let it chill overnight (for at least 8 hours, up to 24 hours). This slow, cold fermentation is crucial for developing the deep, rich flavors and the perfect texture of your waffles.

Step 3: Prepare the Apples. The next morning, remove the batter from the fridge and let it sit on the counter for about 20-30 minutes while you prepare your apples. Peel, core, and chop your chosen apple variety into small, uniform pieces (about ¼-½ inch dice). Toss these chopped apples generously with the extra ground cinnamon. This ensures every piece of apple is infused with warm spice and prevents them from clumping together in the batter. Gently fold the cinnamon-tossed apples into your chilled waffle batter. Be careful not to overmix at this stage.

Step 4: Cook and Serve. Plug in your waffle iron and allow it to fully preheat according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Lightly grease the plates if necessary (though many modern waffle irons are non-stick). Once hot, pour about ¼ to ½ cup of batter (depending on your waffle iron size) into the center of each section. Close the lid and cook until the waffles are golden brown and crispy, typically 3-5 minutes. The precise cooking time will vary based on your waffle iron. Serve these delectable waffles immediately, piled high with your favorite toppings like freshly whipped cream and a generous drizzle of pure maple syrup. Enjoy the fruits of your overnight labor!

Expert Tips for Waffle Perfection

Achieving truly perfect yeast waffles is easier than you think with these professional insights:

• Embrace Your Kitchen Scale for Accuracy: For consistent, flawless baking results every single time, I cannot stress enough the importance of using a digital kitchen scale. Measuring ingredients by weight (the metric way) is vastly more accurate than using volumetric cups, especially for flour. This precision eliminates variations due to packing density, ensuring your batter always has the ideal consistency for those perfect fluffy and crispy waffles. It truly makes a significant difference!
• Gentle Stirring is Key: When you fold in the chopped apples, be incredibly gentle. Overmixing the waffle batter can develop the gluten in the flour too much, leading to tough, chewy waffles instead of the desired tender, fluffy ones. Mix just until the apples are evenly distributed.
• Preheat Your Waffle Iron Thoroughly: Patience is a virtue when it comes to waffle making. Ensure your waffle iron is fully preheated and has reached its optimal cooking temperature before pouring in any batter. A properly heated iron guarantees instant crisping on the exterior and prevents sticking, resulting in perfectly golden, crunchy waffles.
• Don’t Overfill the Waffle Iron: Resist the urge to pour too much batter. Overfilling can lead to uneven cooking, messy overflow, and waffles that are dense in the middle. Start with the recommended ¼ to ½ cup (or as per your waffle maker’s instructions) and adjust slightly if needed for subsequent waffles.
• Resist the Urge to Peek: Once you’ve closed the waffle iron, try not to open it too early. Opening the iron disrupts the cooking process, causing steam to escape and potentially resulting in undercooked or soggy waffles. Wait until the steam significantly lessens or your waffle iron’s indicator light signals doneness.
• Keep Cooked Waffles Crispy: To prevent your freshly made waffles from becoming soggy while you cook the rest of the batch, place them directly onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet in a warm oven (around 200°F / 95°C). This allows air to circulate around them, maintaining their crispiness.

What’s the difference between Belgian waffles and buttermilk waffles?

The primary difference lies in their leavening agents and, consequently, their texture. Belgian waffles, like these apple waffles, are traditionally made with a yeast-based batter. This yeast fermentation gives them a lighter, airier interior and often a crispier exterior due to the longer proofing time. They also typically have deeper pockets to hold more toppings. Buttermilk waffles, on the other hand, rely on chemical leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder, which react with the acidity of buttermilk to create a quick rise, resulting in a slightly denser, yet still fluffy, texture.

Should waffles be crispy or soft?

This is often a matter of personal preference! Some prefer a uniformly soft waffle, while others crave a super crispy one. The great thing about these cinnamon apple waffles is that they offer the best of both worlds. Thanks to the yeast and the right cooking method, you get a wonderfully soft and tender interior, enveloped by a beautifully golden, crispy exterior. It’s the ideal textural balance that satisfies both preferences.

What can I serve with these apple waffles?

These delicious apple waffles are fantastic on their own, but they truly shine with the right accompaniments! I adore serving them with a generous dollop of homemade vanilla bean whipped cream, a dusting of extra cinnamon, and a drizzle of rich maple syrup. For a heartier meal, consider adding crispy bacon or turkey bacon, a fresh fruit salad for a burst of freshness, or even a side of scrambled eggs. And of course, a big, steaming cup of your favorite coffee is essential to complete the breakfast experience.

Can I use different fruits in this waffle recipe?

Absolutely! While apples are delightful, this versatile waffle batter can accommodate other fruits. Pears, peaches (fresh or frozen and thawed), or even berries like blueberries or raspberries can be folded into the batter. If using very juicy fruits, you might want to toss them lightly in a teaspoon of flour before adding them to the batter to prevent them from sinking to the bottom and making the waffles soggy.

My waffles are sticking to the iron, what went wrong?

Several factors can cause waffles to stick. Ensure your waffle iron is thoroughly preheated before adding batter; a cold iron is a common culprit. Also, make sure to lightly grease your waffle iron plates, even if they’re advertised as non-stick, especially for the first few waffles. An old, worn-out non-stick coating can also contribute to sticking. If using a brush, ensure it’s heat-resistant and covers the entire surface.

Apple Waffles

Ella Gilbert

Nutrition