Apple Cinnamon Waffles (Delicious + Wholesome)

Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Waffles are crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, perfectly spiced, and bursting with chunks of sweet, tender apples...and they make your whole house smell heavenly as they bake!

One of the things I missed over the months of writing my cookbook was making homemade breakfasts for my kids. It sounds silly, but making homemade breakfast has always just been "my thing." We had recipe-testing slow cooker dinners coming out the ears, of course, but that left me with no time left to stock the fridge and pantry with the usual breakfast staples that I like to feed my kids during the school week -- granola, breakfast cookies, smoothie packs, baked oatmeal, muffins, and the like. And even though my kids were perfectly happy eating cereal, the first thing I wanted to do once I turned in my manuscript -- since I was no longer busy putting three different recipes in three different slow cookers -- was make some homemade waffles...specifically, Apple Cinnamon Waffles!

My then-3-year-old had become obsessed with some apple cinnamon-flavored frozen waffles that -- I have to admit -- made the whole house smell amazing while in the toaster. So in my newfound finished cookbook freedom(!), I decided to take my tried-and-true Homemade Whole Wheat Waffle Mix and turn it into these easy, from-scratch Apple Cinnamon Waffles!

Let's just say that the aroma emanating from the waffle iron -- and the subsequent fluffy goodness under a pile of warm cinnamon apples and a drizzle of maple syrup (or cinnamon syrup) -- put those frozen waffles to shame.

These Apple Cinnamon Waffles are crisp on the outside. They're tender and fluffy on the inside. They're lightly kissed with cinnamon and riddled with steamy pockets of soft, sweet apples. And if you really want to make them special, you can even sauté some sliced apples in butter, cinnamon, and sugar for a topping that takes them over the, er, top!

Ingredients

If you don't already have a canister of Homemade Whole Wheat Waffle Mix in your pantry...never fear! You can just assemble the dry pantry staples as you need to.

One additional ingredient tip is to ensure that all of your cold ingredients are at room temperature before starting. 🙂

• Whole wheat pastry flour. Make sure it's pastry flour, friends, and not just regular whole wheat flour! Because while whole wheat pastry flour is 100% whole wheat, it has a lighter taste and texture than regular whole wheat flour. But it'll make your baked goods taste (amazingly) like they were made with all-purpose white flour!
• Cornmeal. I like to add a little cornmeal in my waffles for that quintessential crisp texture, but it needs to be fine ground cornmeal for a finer crumb and waffles that aren't overly gritty (definitely do not use coarse cornmeal). If you prefer to omit the cornmeal, however, you can just substitute a couple extra tablespoons of flour in its place.
• Baking soda + salt. To round out the "waffle mix" dry ingredients.
• Cinnamon + nutmeg. The obligatory warm spices!
• Buttermilk. For moisture and rise. If you don't have any buttermilk on hand, you can easily make your own for this recipe by measuring 1 tablespoon + ¾ teaspoon lemon juice (or white vinegar) into a 2-cup measuring cup. Then fill the measuring cup with milk to the 1 ¼-cup line. Stir and allow to sit for 10 minutes to thicken and curdle.
• Applesauce. Unsweetened. Plain or cinnamon-flavored applesauce will work.
• Butter. Unsalted, melted, and cooled. You could substitute oil, but I'm partial to a real butter undertone of flavor in my waffles.
• Eggs. At room temperature, as mentioned above.
• Pure maple syrup. For a touch of sweetness.
• Pure vanilla extract.
• Large apple. Peeled and finely diced.

And if you'd like to top your Apple Cinnamon Waffles with those aforementioned warm cinnamon-sugar apples (optional but recommended), you'll need a few more apples plus some butter for sauteing...as well as plenty of cinnamon and sugar!

How to Make Apple Cinnamon Waffles

(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)

The steps are pretty simple and straightforward!

1. Preheat your waffle iron.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
3. In another bowl, stir together the wet ingredients until well-combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until all ingredients are incorporated, but be careful not to over-mix (a few lumps are fine).
5. Fold in the diced apples and allow the batter to rest for a few minutes.
6. Since the apples are prone to stick, spray your waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray (or brush with oil) and cook the waffles according to your waffle iron's directions. Keep warm.
7. Saute sliced apples with some butter in a skillet. Stir in plenty of cinnamon and sugar and continue cooking and stirring until tender.
8. Serve the sauteed apples atop a big pile of Apple Cinnamon Waffles...with maple syrup, to boot!

And since this post is already in contention for the wordiest post ever, I may as well go for broke and share one more quick little story with you. 😉

See that shiny golden bowl holding the apples in the background of these photos? Well, back when I developed this recipe, a certain middle child had had an exceptionally good day at school, which earned him a special trip to the class Treasure Box. And instead of picking out a toy for himself, he chose this shiny gold plastic bowl to give me as a prop "for my recipe pictures."

Seriously, how sweet is this boy? My heart just about melted. It's the most beautiful ugly bowl that I've ever seen. And not only did I feature it in this post, but I also figured out a way to sneak it into one of my cookbook photos. So keep your eyes peeled for the notorious golden bowl in print if you purchased my cookbook... 😉

Oh, happy day...it's finally time for the recipe! Thank y'all again for hanging in there with me...through the past few months and the past multiple paragraphs. I so appreciate each and every one of you.

And now let's celebrate with Apple Cinnamon Waffles...hooray!

More Apple Breakfast Ideas

• Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
• Whole Wheat Applesauce Muffins
• Overnight Slow Cooker Apple Pie Steel Cut Oatmeal
• Baked Apple Cider Donuts
• Wholesome Apple Butter Bars

Apple Cinnamon Waffles (Delicious + Wholesome)

Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Waffles are crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, perfectly spiced, and bursting with chunks of sweet, tender apples...and they make your whole house smell heavenly as they bake!

By Samantha Skaggs

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings (this recipe yields about 6 large round waffles, but your yield may vary depending on the size/shape of your waffle maker)

Calories: 337kcal

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Ingredients

For the Waffles:

• 2 ½ cups Homemade Whole Wheat Waffle Mix, see NOTES below if not using mix
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large apple, peeled & diced

For the Cinnamon Apples:

• 3 large apples, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter, plus additional as needed
• Cinnamon sugar, see NOTES

Instructions

• Preheat waffle iron. Measure Homemade Whole Wheat Waffle Mix into a large bowl. Whisk in cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
• In another bowl or large measuring cup, combine buttermilk, applesauce, melted butter, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture and stir until all ingredients are incorporated, but do not over-mix (a few lumps are fine). Fold in diced apples and allow to rest for a few minutes.
• Cook the waffles according to your waffle iron's directions. Remove waffles to a cooling rack (in a single layer) and serve immediately, or keep warm by placing directly on the oven rack (again, in a single layer) in an oven that's been heated to 200°F and then turned off.
• While the waffles are cooking, make the Cinnamon Apples by setting a large skillet over medium heat and adding the butter. Once the butter has melted, swirl to coat the pan and add the apples, tossing them in the butter to coat. Allow the apples to cook for about 3 minutes until they begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Generously sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, stir, and repeat until the apples are well coated. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally and adding more cinnamon sugar as desired. Add an additional pat of butter during the cooking process if needed, and cover the pan for a few minutes if you wish to speed up the softening of the apples. Apples are done once they are as tender as you like, with sugar that has started to caramelize. Serve apples hot over warm waffles with a drizzle of pure maple syrup, if you wish.

Equipment Needed

• Belgian Waffle Maker -- the model used to make the waffles in this post -- twice as fast, I love it!

Notes

• If not using Homemade Whole Wheat Waffle Mix, use the following dry ingredients in its place: 2 ¼ cups whole wheat PASTRY flour, 2 tablespoons fine ground cornmeal, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, and ¾ teaspoon salt.
• All-purpose white flour may be substituted for the whole wheat pastry flour.
• Homemade waffle batter works best if all of the ingredients start out at room temperature. Otherwise, the melted butter may re-solidify in little shards once the cold buttermilk hits it. But if I don't have time, I hurry the room temperature thing along by putting my whole eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes and zapping the other cold ingredients in the microwave for just a few seconds.
• If you don't have any buttermilk on hand, you can easily make your own for this recipe by measuring 1 tablespoon + ¾ teaspoon lemon juice (or white vinegar) into a 2-cup measuring cup. Then fill the measuring cup with milk to the 1 ¼-cup line. Stir and allow to sit for 10 minutes to thicken and curdle.
• Because of the apples inside, these waffles may be prone to sticking, so I recommend lightly spraying your waffle iron with a non-stick cooking spray. I've avoided cooking spray for a long time because I don't want the propellants ending up in my food, but there are now all-natural cooking sprays available without propellants. I typically use a coconut oil version when baking. Or you can always just brush your waffle iron oil instead.
• I make my own Cinnamon Sugar by mixing ¼ cup sugar + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and storing it in a shaker

Nutrition

Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 620mg | Potassium: 258mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 398IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 1mg

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SavePost originally published on February 16, 2016, and updated on September 13, 2020, and September 22, 2024.