There’s nothing more convenient than making waffles from pre-made, boxed waffle mix – especially the kind that only requires water and nothing else. But, boxed waffle mix is definitely lacking in flavor compared to homemade waffles that you make yourself from scratch. If you’re looking to make boxed waffle mix taste better, I’ve got a few tips for you.
Here are five ingredients you can add that make boxed waffle mix taste even better:
- Lemon/Orange Zest
- Vanilla Extract
- Melted Butter
- Buttermilk
- Yeast
Now, you probably don’t want to just add all of these ingredients to the same batch of waffles and hope for the best. So, in the rest of this post, I’ll tell you how (and how much) of each ingredient you’ll want to add to get the best tasting waffles.
5 Ingredients That Make Boxed Waffle Mix Taste Better
1. Lemon/Orange Zest
One of my favorite, non-traditional ingredients to add to boxed waffle mix is lemon or orange zest. The oils in citrus zest bring a lot of flavor to foods, which is why it’s common to use lemon zest in candies, or orange zest in sweet breads. Adding just a little bit of lemon or orange zest to the batter will take your boxed waffles to the next level!
To properly enhance waffles with citrus zest, it’s important to pick the right fruit and to use the right amount of zest. I like to stick with lemons or orange (and save the limes for margaritas). If you’ve got a fresh lemon or orange on hand, zest it with a microplane-style grater and use 1 teaspoon of zest for every 4-5 waffles.
Mix the zest into the batter when you add the liquid, stiring just enough to combine everything together. Overall, when you add citrus zest to the batter, your boxed waffles will turn out brighter and more vibrant, without tasting sour or fruity. Lemon or orange zest will really wake up your dull boxed waffles and take them up a notch.
2. Vanilla Extract
A classic way to make boxed waffles taste better is to add some vanilla extract to the batter. The addition of vanilla will bring depth of flavor and touch of sweetness to the waffles, without adding any extra sugar.
To get the vanilla levels just right, you should use a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract for every 4-5 waffles. Double it if you’re making a batch of 8-10.
Generally, vanilla extract is regarded as better tasting than things labeled as “immitation vanilla.” But you can use that too if you have it. If you’re one of those foodie people with actual vanilla beans in the house, even better! Use a 1-inch sized piece of vanilla bean for every 4-5 waffles that you make.
3. Melted Butter
Photo by Douglas P Perkins is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Adding melted butter to your batter is another great way to make boxed waffle mix taste better. Butter adds richness to the waffle batter and keeps the inside of the waffles soft once their made. Melted butter can help keep your waffles from quickly turning into cardboard as they cool. Plus, everything’s better with butter, as they say.
Try adding 2 tablespoons of melted butter to your boxed waffle batter for every 4-5 waffles. Just put two tablespoons of butter into a microwave-safe bowl, and heat it until it’s just melted. Add the melted butter into the batter with the liquid. After adding butter, your batter may end up needing a little less liquid, so just subtract two tablespoons of liquid from the recipe to compensate for the extra butter.
4. Buttermilk
Photo by jeffreyw is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Buttermilk pancakes are a classic for a reason. Cultured buttermilk (the kind you can buy in the milk section at the supermarket) adds a rich tanginess to pancakes that pairs perfectly with the sweetness of maple syrup. For the same reason, buttermilk is a great ingredient to use if you want to make your boxed waffle mix taste better.
To add buttermilk to boxed waffle mix, simply replace all of the liquid with buttermilk! If you’re recipe calls for mixing one cup of water into the batter, use one cup of buttermilk instead. But, since buttermilk tends to be a little bit thicker than water, if the batter seems too thick to pour, just add a little bit of extra buttermilk to thin it out.
What kind of buttermilk should I use?
There are two kinds of buttermilk. (1) Old-fashioned buttermilk is the liquid that is leftover after churning cream into butter. (2) Cultured buttermilk is a fermented milk product that is the result of adding live and active cultures to whole or fat-free milk.
Both types of buttermilk will make your boxed waffle mix taste better, but cultured buttermilk is easier to find in grocery stores, and it’s more traditionally used in pancake and waffle batters. Use cultured buttermilk if you can find it, but by all means, use old-fashioned buttermilk if you have some at home!
5. Yeast
Most people don’t know that traditional Belgian waffles (Belgian liege waffles) are actually leavened with yeast instead of baking soda/baking powder. Yeast gives waffles a light texture and subtly fermented flavor that isn’t achievable by using baking powder alone. If you really want to make your boxed waffle mix taste better, try making some overnight waffles with a pinch of instant yeast!
The best way to make yeasted waffles from boxed waffle mix is to mix your batter the night before you want to make waffles. Combine the dry waffle mix, plus the water, and stir to combine. When everything has almost come together, add just a pinch of instant yeast (about 1/8 tsp) and finish by stiring it through the batter. Cover up your batter with plastic wrap and let it sit out on the counter overnight.
In just about 8 hours, the small pinch of instant yeast will work it’s way through the waffle batter, puffing it up and making the batter light and airy. Then, in the morning, you can heat up your waffle iron and scoop in the puffy batter – it will be ready to go!
Just remember to use a fresh package of instant yeast so that you know it will be active. Active Dry Yeast will work too. Instead of mixing a pinch of active dry yeast into the waffle batter, mix it into the liquid first and let the yeast soak for 5 minutes before adding in the dry waffle mix. This will give the active dry yeast a chance to hydrate, which some brands of yeast need.
Other Ways To Make Boxed Waffle Mix Taste Better (Without Adding Ingredients)
Let your batter rest for 5-10 minutes after mixing
If you mix up your waffle batter and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before cooking the waffles, the batter will be lighter and produce fluffier waffles.
Don’t overmix the batter
One of the most common mistakes with waffle and pancake batter is overmixing. When you overmix your batter, it encourages the development of gluten, which will give your waffles an unpleasant chewiness. Mix the batter until it is just coming together and most of the dry bits of flour have disappeared.
Conclusion: 5 Ways to Make Boxed Waffle Mix Taste Better
There you go – five ingredients that make boxed waffle mix taste better! I personally like to enhance my boxed waffle mix with lemon zest, vanilla extract, and buttermilk. But, if you’re feeling adventurous, you could even try all five of these ingredients together and see how it goes!
At that point you really should just make your own homemade waffles though. My favorite recipe for homemade waffles is coming soon! For now, check out my great sourdough recipes here!