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This waffle recipe for one makes a single golden, crispy waffle from scratch in 15 minutes. Just simple ingredients and no leftovers.
Featured Comment
“I just made this for the second day in a row. It was the perfect amount and was absolutely delicious! Crispy and brown on the outside and nice and fluffy inside. I will make this again and again!”
– Stacy
Quick Look
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Equipment: Waffle maker
Cook Method: Waffle iron
Servings: 1 waffle
Difficulty: Easy
This waffle recipe for one uses a simple vanilla batter that bakes up crispy on the outside and soft and airy inside.
One Waffle, Crispy Outside, Fluffy Inside
When my kids were little, I made waffles for the whole family on weekend mornings. This is that same recipe, scaled down for one. A single Belgian waffle with crispy edges, done in 15 minutes.
I almost always top it with homemade pancake syrup or fresh fruit and whipped cream.
Looking for more small batch breakfast ideas? Try my fluffy pancakes for one, small batch French toast, and small batch blueberry scones.
Watch How To Make A Waffle for One
Ingredient Notes
If you have any ingredients leftover from this single waffle recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
All-purpose flour is the base of the batter. Measure it by spooning flour into your dry measuring cup and leveling it off with a straight edge. Scooping straight from the bag packs in too much flour and makes the waffle dense.
Baking powder gives the waffle its lift. Check the date on yours before you start. Old baking powder won’t do much, and you’ll end up with a flat, heavy waffle. To test it, drop half a teaspoon into a quarter cup of hot water. If it bubbles immediately, it’s good.
Sugar adds a small amount of sweetness and helps the outside of the waffle brown and crisp up. Granulated sugar works best here.
Salt keeps the batter from tasting flat.
One large egg gives the waffle structure. Beat it well before adding the other wet ingredients.
Milk brings the batter together. Whole or 2% milk gives you the best results, but almond, soy, or oat milk all work if that’s what you have on hand. The secret to a perfect single waffle is to use room temperature milk and don’t overmix the batter. Cold milk can cause the melted butter to seize up, overmixing creates a dense waffle.
Vanilla extract gives the waffle a warm, homemade flavor.
Salted butter goes into the batter and onto the waffle iron. The butter in the batter adds flavor and helps with browning. Unsalted butter works fine if that’s what you have. For a dairy-free version, coconut oil is a good substitute.
Recipe Variations
This waffle recipe from scratch is easy to build on. Change or add one ingredient to get the waffle you want.
Blueberry waffle for one: Fold a small handful of fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter before pouring it into the iron.
Chocolate waffle for one: Whisk half a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder into the dry ingredients.
Cinnamon waffle for one: Add a quarter teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients.
Banana waffle for one: Mash half a ripe banana and stir it into the wet ingredients. The batter will thicken, so add a small splash of milk to loosen it before pouring.
How To Make A Waffle For One
These steps and photos walk you through the process. For ingredient amounts and full instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Preheat your waffle iron and lightly grease it with non-stick spray or a small amount of melted butter.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg until fluffy. Add the milk, vanilla, melted butter, and sugar. Whisk until combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir just until you don’t see dry flour. A few small lumps are fine.
- Pour enough batter into the waffle iron to cover the surface without overflowing.
- Close the iron and cook until the steam stops rising, about 3 to 4 minutes. The waffle should be golden and crisp.
- Use tongs to carefully lift the waffle out. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
Read your waffle maker’s manual. Cooking times vary by model.
Preheat fully. A properly heated iron is what gives you crispy edges.
Don’t overmix. Stir just until the flour disappears. Overmixing makes the waffle tough.
Watch the steam. The waffle is done when the steam stops rising. Opening it too early tears the waffle.
Use room temperature milk. Cold milk can cause the melted butter to clump in the batter.
Waffle maker size matters. This recipe is sized for a Belgian waffle maker. If yours is smaller, you may get 2 waffles from the batter.
Troubleshooting
My waffle is soggy. This usually means the waffle iron wasn’t hot enough or you opened it too soon. Preheat the iron fully before adding batter and wait for the steam to stop rising before lifting the lid.
My waffle is dense and heavy. Too much flour is the most likely cause. Spoon flour into the dry measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge. Scooping directly from the bag packs in too much flour. Overmixing also makes waffles dense, so stir just until the flour disappears.
My waffle is torn or stuck to the iron. The iron wasn’t greased well enough or you opened it too early. Grease the surface with non-stick spray or melted butter before each waffle, even on a non-stick iron. Wait until the steam stops rising before opening.
My batter is too thick. Add milk a small splash at a time until the batter pours easily but isn’t runny. Different flour brands absorb liquid differently.
My batter is too thin. Add flour half a tablespoon at a time, stirring gently until the batter thickens to a proper pourable consistency.
My waffle is pale, not golden. The iron wasn’t hot enough or it didn’t cook long enough. Make sure the iron is fully preheated before adding batter, and let the waffle cook until the steam has stopped rising.
Serving Suggestions
Top this single serving waffle with:
Small batch pancake syrup or butter pecan syrup
Small batch apple butter or small batch lemon curd
Homemade whipped cream and fresh fruit
Frequently Asked Questions
The two most common reasons are a waffle iron that wasn’t fully preheated and opening the iron too soon. Preheat until the iron is fully hot before adding batter, and wait until the steam stops rising before lifting the lid.
You can mix the batter a few hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Give it a stir before pouring. If it thickened up, add a small splash of milk to thin it out.
Yes. Double every ingredient and cook the waffles one at a time. Keep finished waffles warm on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven while you cook the rest.
Yes. Let it cool completely, then freeze in an airtight bag. Reheat in a toaster for a crispy result, or in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes. The microwave works but softens the edges.
Watch the steam. When it stops rising from the sides of the iron, the waffle is ready. Most waffle makers also have an indicator light, but I go by the steam.
This recipe is sized for a standard Belgian waffle maker. If your iron is smaller, you’ll likely get 2 waffles from the batter, which is fine.
RELATED: 20 Single Serving Breakfast Ideas Worth Waking Up For
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this single serve waffle recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Waffle Recipe For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk -room temperature (Any milk works here, including almond, soy, or oat milk.)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon salted butter -melted
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your waffle iron and lightly grease it with non-stick spray or a small amount of melted butter.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg until fluffy. Add the milk, vanilla, melted butter, and sugar. Whisk until combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir just until you don't see dry flour. A few small lumps are fine.
- Pour enough batter into the waffle iron to cover the surface without overflowing. If your iron is smaller than a Belgian waffle maker, you may have batter left for a second waffle.
- Close the iron and cook until the steam stops rising, about 3 to 4 minutes. The waffle should be golden and crisp.
- Use tongs to carefully lift the waffle out. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I really liked the recipe! My only comment is that they came out flat. I will make these every time I have an early class.
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, Nikki. Thanks so much for your feedback.
Not very good. But easy to make.Is not as light and fluffy as a regular waffle.
Nice recipe. I think my mistake was using oat milk which didn’t give it the richness that I craved. Mine came out eggy and spongey I think because the oat milk was too watery. Syrup helped out though. Next time I’ll use real milk.
Delish, and easy to make, but the recipe tells you not to overfill it, but then there is too little mixture and the waffle is not cooked properly. But apart from that okay.
Yes I am reply to myself. I think that I was a bit inexperienced in my last review because I tried them again recently and they. Were. PERFECT!!!!!!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the waffle – thanks so much for your feedback!
Just made my first batch and it came out delish! Made recipe just as you wrote only doubling. Next time will only make single serve as there was more batter for more than one. I had just bought a single serve waffle iron and I didn’t know how it would work for me! I now have a go to recipe and will be able to make waffles more often. Thanks for the great recipe!
Awesome! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!!
Joanie
Liked the reasonable amount of butter; added cinnamon and substituted brown sugar.
My neighbor just gave me a brand new Belgian waffle maker so I tried this recipe, but doubled it. I came out with 3 (5.75″ x 5.75″) waffles, and followed the recipe to the nth degree. Had I used a round waffle maker, I may have gotten 5 waffles, I don’t know. They were very good but came out spotted (brown and gold). It may have been the temperature. There is no indicator light on it, but the manufacturer (Munsey, in Little Rock, AR) said 3 minutes so I took their word for it. The entire batch took 3 minutes each and it was well worth it for the first time!
Substituted for flax egg and almond milk and came out perfect for my waffle craving!
Awesome! Thank you for sharing your substitutions so others might try it.
Joanie
Hi, I’m gonna make the waffle batter tonight and have them in the morning😋is it ok to let the batter sit in the fridge overnight ?
Yes, but the batter will thicken up a bit so you may need to add a bit more milk when you are ready to use the batter.
Mine came out completely flat
Hi Kita,
It’s so disappointing that your waffle came out flat. I use this recipe to make waffles all the time and so many readers have made them with success. I’d love to try to see what might have happened. Did you make any ingredient substitutions? Has your baking powder expired? The most common reason that pancakes, waffles or other baked goods don’t properly rise is because the baking powder is expired. Expired baking powder loses its potency after its use by date and won’t allow muffins, cakes, pancakes or waffles to rise.
Joanie
Awesome recipe! One batch makes 4 waffles with my small waffle iron, and is too much for me but perfect for two of us!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the waffles, Lorna. Thank you so much for letting me know.
Joanie
I also tried making it with milk substitutes and it works amazing 🙂
Lorna,
Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know that a milk substitute worked well in the recipe. I’m so happy you enjoyed the waffles!
Joanie