Why Are My Waffles Soggy & How To Avoid Them?

Picture this: a lazy Sunday morning, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the air, and you eagerly prepare a stack of golden-brown waffles.

But as you take your first bite, you’re met with disappointment—the waffle is disappointingly soggy, lacking the satisfying crunch you were hoping for. So, what went wrong?

Are your waffles soggy? Have you ever asked why? It could be due to a number of factors. An example of this would be a faulty waffle iron, undercooking, or failing to lighten the batter with an ingredient such as egg whites. 

The following tips will help you get crisp waffles every time.

Why Are My Waffles Soggy?

Although these rather finicky foods should be easy to prepare, it’s extremely easy to make a mistake.

I thought I did everything right when it came to making waffles, why would they come out soggy like this? Find out why you might experience this problem in order to prevent it from happening again in the future.

1. Without Proper Steaming, Waffles Can Be Soggy

The waffle to be served when it comes out of the waffle maker is really important to consider if you are making several batches.

Waffles that are piled haphazardly on a plate will become soggy because steam cannot rise and disperse; it will remain in the waffles instead and soften them.

You can prevent this from happening by setting your oven’s temperature to a low 200°F and placing your waffles on a wire cooling rack.

Keeping the waffles hot while they steam will ensure that they stay hot throughout. It is best to stack the waffles evenly to keep the steam from getting trapped and to allow it to rise.

If your waffles aren’t going to be eaten right away, you should use a cooling rack even if you don’t keep them hot in the oven.

Waffles will retain their crispy texture for a longer period of time (but not indefinitely) if they’re stacked on the grid so that the steam can vent.

Waffles that have gone soft can be crisped again by popping them into a toaster on low to medium. Keeping your waffles in an airtight container the day before works well.

2. Using A Waffle Iron That’s Not Hot Enough Will Result In Soggy Waffles

Even if you cook waffles for a long time, you’ll still end up with soggy waffles if your waffle iron isn’t hot enough to sear the batter.

It is imperative that your waffle hits a sizzling hot metal surface in order to get a good, crispy crust.

In older waffle irons, you may find that they do not get hot enough. In case you don’t get enough sizzle from it, maybe you should replace it.

In the meantime, you can crisp up the waffles after they’ve been cooked in a pan, but this isn’t a long-term solution.

You can also dry out waffles when your waffle iron isn’t hot enough. The waffle iron needs to be well maintained, so it’s worth checking.

Ensure that the waffles are fully cooked before serving.

3. Bad Waffle Maker

Are your waffles soggy because of your waffle maker? It’s possible that you’re using an old waffle maker that no longer works as well as it once did, but there are many high-quality waffle makers on the market.

There are times when people purchase waffle makers that don’t come from the most reputable companies at very low prices. The waffles may look funny if they are made on a waffle maker like this.

When waffles are finished, they’re supposed to be crispy on the outside. When you use a good waffle maker, you can make waffles that are crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.

The temperature of the waffle maker might be too high or too low in bad waffle makers. In some cases, waffles may get burnt or undercooked due to an issue with heat distribution.

Purchasing a good waffle maker might be a good idea if you love waffles. It could make all the difference in the world when it comes to enjoying waffles.

4. Using the Wrong Flour

You can also mess up your waffles if you use the wrong type of flour. Although flour issues relate to what was mentioned above, it’s worth discussing it separately because it’s so common.

When it comes to baking, there are many different types of flour available. Waffles cannot be made with all flour types.

Make waffles with all-purpose flour if you want them to come out well. There are some types of flour that can be substituted for all-purpose flour, but others are poor substitutes.

You might not get the desired results if you choose to use pastry flour. It will affect the consistency of the waffles quite a bit, since pastry flour is much finer than all-purpose flour.

5. Quantities Of Ingredients Are Incorrect

There is also the possibility that the recipe may have been miswritten. A soggy waffle and waffles that don’t get as crispy as you would like could indicate something is wrong.

The waffles you make shouldn’t come out soggy from your waffle maker. If all went well, the outside should be crispy, and the inside should be soft.

The batter for waffles can sometimes be mixed up incorrectly. There could have been a mistake somewhere along the way as you followed a specific recipe.

Inadequately measuring ingredients and forgetting to add specific ingredients can lead to soggy waffles.

It might be worth trying another recipe if you are doing everything correctly but still not getting the results you want.

Also, you could experiment with adding some things to waffle recipes to see how they turn out. Sugar and meringue powder have been found to prevent sogginess when added to recipes.

How to Avoid Making Soggy Waffles?

Moisture is the problem. Waffles must have a certain amount of moisture to remain tender, but too much will cause the waffle’s crust to soften rapidly.

Waffles with buttermilk tend to be less crispy because buttermilk tends to make a thicker batter. Here are a few suggestions I think will be helpful.

1. Hot Waffle Irons Make Better Waffles

Even more so than brushing the iron with butter (which is delicious, of course), a hot waffle iron makes a huge difference in making crispy waffles. Waffles cooked on a hot iron begin cooking as soon as they reach the griddle.

On contact, the batter should sizzle. There will be an immediate crisping and setting of the outer crust.

When the batter is cooked, the moisture in it turns into steam which evaporates out of the sides of the pan quickly. The waffles will be soggy and squishy if the iron is not hot.

You should warm up your waffle iron for at least five minutes before you start making waffles. It may take longer for some waffle irons to heat up.

When the griddle is hot, flick a drop of water on it; if it sizzles and evaporates quickly, it’s ready.

2. Egg Whites Should Be Stiff

Separating egg whites may be something you’ve heard about. When you just want to make a quick batch of waffles, it might seem like a hassle, but it’s actually important.

Waffle batter must be separated from egg whites, since overmixing will ruin the texture. However, you must thoroughly mix the egg whites before adding them to the batter. Whip them up for a good amount of time.

This works because it gives the batter a lighter, fluffier texture because it adds plenty of air to it. In this way, the waffles will be able to cook more evenly, and they will be less likely to get soggy.

You can add a little meringue powder to your waffle mix if you don’t want to mix egg whites separately.

You don’t want to add too much, but if you don’t have time to whisk the egg whites separately, this method can make a big difference to your waffles.

3. Milk Can Be Substituted For Half Of The Buttermilk

The addition of milk makes waffle batter thinner and more liquid, resulting in lighter, crispier waffles.

You can get this lighter texture with half buttermilk and half regular milk without losing the creamy buttermilk flavor. (If you prefer, you can replace the buttermilk with milk entirely!)

You can certainly use skim milk or almond milk if that’s what you have. I prefer whole milk or 2% milk for the flavor.

4. Add Cornstarch

Adding some cornstarch to your waffles can prevent them from becoming soggy.

Even though something like this may seem unlikely to make a difference, it’s a good thickener that will enhance the crispiness of your waffles.

5. Don’t Forget To Add Some Extra Sugar To Your Waffle Mix

It can be a good idea to add sugar to your batter if you want it to become crispier, rather than something to avoid.

It will help if you add a little more sugar. Waffles will crisp up nicely when the sugar caramelizes on the surface.

There shouldn’t be much difference in taste due to the additional sugar. It’s even possible that you’ll enjoy the extra sugar in the waffle batter if you’re Scottish or have Scottish ancestry.

6. The Finished Waffles Should Be Baked In The Oven

The best way to make waffles with a long-lasting crisp is to cook them first in a waffle iron, then bake them in an oven.

When it comes to steaming off all the moisture during the brief cooking period, even the best waffle irons can fail.

This evaporation process can be kept going in the oven without burning the waffles. Besides keeping the waffles warm, it also keeps them fresh!

Preheat your oven to 250F before you begin cooking your waffles. Put a cooling rack inside a baking sheet and place it in the oven. Air circulates on all sides of the waffles thanks to the cooling rack.

As soon as the waffles are finished cooking in the waffle iron, transfer them to the oven. The layers must be arranged in a single layer in order for the crisps to be evenly distributed and for no steam to be trapped between them.

Stack the waffles once they have crisped for a few minutes to make room for the next batch. If you cook the waffles longer, they will start to dry out. Let them crisp for 5 to 10 minutes.

Final Words

The best way to make sure that your waffles turn out just right is to try many different things. Make sure that whatever recipe you’re using is following directions exactly.

It is not uncommon for minor mistakes to throw off your recipe and lead to soggy waffles. Make sure you use the right flour for your waffles by measuring your ingredients carefully.

Before eating your waffles, make sure you don’t let them sit too long. They’ll get soggy before you even get a chance to bite into them if you let them sit with syrup on them for an extended period of time.