From pumpkin spiced waffles to fried chicken waffles, there’s a waffle topped with almost everything you can imagine these days! Their popularity stems from not only their delicious taste, but also their versatility, as traditional waffles have evolved and now have unique looks, tastes, sizes, and toppings.
Believe it or not, waffles have been around for centuries, and their story starts with flatbreads in the Middle East. Known as ‘obleios’, the flat cakes were cooked in between two metal plates, and crosses/religious symbols were pressed on for design.
But it was the Belgians and Dutch who invented the honeycomb style waffles as we know today by creating various different styles, sizes, and flavours.
It wasn’t long before waffles began appearing on American breakfast menus. Waffles were getting a makeover through the addition of fresh fruit, sugar and syrups, making them a popular choice among all age groups. Throughout the years that have followed, waffles have developed and evolved into a much-loved treat across breakfast, brunch, lunch, snack, and dessert menus.
Loaded waffles are the most common variant on food menus, as they are simple to create, and by customising the toppings you can make a treat which appeals to the majority of your consumers – variants such as this double chocolate filled waffle going down a treat with consumers, as do these healthier spinach and ricotta waffles.
We are now seeing savoury variations being created which have allowed waffles to enter brunch and lunch menus – waffles topped with chicken, eggs benedict, full breakfast, the list goes on!
Looking for something a little bit different and quirkier? On-the-go waffles are in-demand and bubble waffles are an easy way to go. They are commonly served wrapped like an ice cream cone with the contents filling the centre, however you can also eat them like a normal waffle to create a light brunch or lunch, like this BLT version.
All of these recipes can be made with our Complete Pancake & Waffle Mix! To find out what other tasty dishes can be made using this mix, click here.
We don’t want to waffle on too much about how good it is…..