Crispy Ube Waffles

These crispy ube waffles have everything you want from a great waffle: a golden, crackly outside, a light and fluffy inside, and deep pockets just waiting for butter and syrup. Ube powder adds a soft lavender color and a gentle vanilla-nutty flavor that makes weekend breakfast feel like an occasion.

The secret to the crunch is a spoonful of cornstarch and enough fat in the batter, plus one small habit: never stacking hot waffles. We'll walk you through all of it.

The batter takes about 10 minutes to mix, and leftovers freeze beautifully, so you can have crisp ube waffles straight from the toaster on a Tuesday.

Makes: about 6 Belgian or 8–10 standard waffles (serves 4) · Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 20–30 minutes total · Difficulty: Easy · Diet: Vegetarian

Why this recipe works

• Cornstarch for crunch. Replacing some flour with cornstarch lowers the gluten and helps the outside crisp up while the inside stays tender.
• Enough fat in the batter. Oil or melted butter in the batter fries the surface against the hot iron, giving a crisp, golden shell.
• Whipped egg whites for lightness. Folding in beaten whites makes the waffles airy, so they're crisp rather than bready. (There's a shortcut if you're in a hurry.)
• Ube replaces a little flour. Twenty grams of ube powder gives color and flavor without weighing the batter down.
• Baking powder only. Baking soda is alkaline, and alkaline batters can shift ube's natural pigment toward blue, grey or green. Baking powder gives plenty of lift and keeps the color purple.

Ingredients

• 200 g (1 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 20 g (about 2 1/2 tablespoons) Pure Ube Latte Powder
• 30 g (1/4 cup) cornstarch
• 25 g (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 360 ml (1 1/2 cups) whole milk, at room temperature
• 80 ml (1/3 cup) neutral oil or melted unsalted butter, plus a little for the iron
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Notes on key ingredients

• Ube powder: 100% purple yam (Dioscorea alata) with no added sugar or dyes. It blends into the dry ingredients like flour. New to it? Start with our guide to what ube is.
• Cornstarch: The key to crispness. Potato starch or arrowroot work the same way.
• Oil vs. butter: Oil gives the crispiest result. Butter gives more flavor but browns faster. A half-and-half mix is a nice middle ground.
• Sugar: Just a little. Sugar helps browning, but too much makes waffles soften quickly and brown before the color has a chance to shine.

Easy substitutions

• Dairy-free: Use unsweetened oat, soy or coconut milk beverage and oil.
• Buttermilk: Swap the milk for buttermilk for tangier, more tender waffles. Keep the baking powder and skip any baking soda; the mild acidity actually helps the purple color.
• No time to separate eggs: Whisk whole eggs straight into the wet ingredients. The waffles will be slightly less airy but still crisp.
• Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend by weight in place of the all-purpose flour.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Preheat the waffle iron and oven. Turn on your waffle iron to medium-high and let it heat fully, usually 5 to 10 minutes. Heat the oven to 200°F (95°C) and set a wire rack on a baking sheet inside to keep finished waffles warm and crisp.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, ube powder, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder and salt until evenly lavender with no streaks.
3. Mix the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, oil (or melted butter) and vanilla until smooth.
4. Beat the egg whites. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer or whisk until they hold soft, glossy peaks that curl over at the tips, about 1 to 2 minutes with a mixer.
5. Combine the batter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. Small lumps are fine. Add the egg whites and fold gently until only a few white streaks remain. The batter should be thick, fluffy and spoonable.
6. Rest briefly. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes while the iron finishes heating. This lets the flour and ube powder hydrate.
7. Cook the waffles. Lightly brush or spray the iron with oil. Pour in enough batter to cover about three-quarters of the grid (usually 1/2 to 2/3 cup for a Belgian iron, 1/3 cup for a standard one). Close and cook for 4 to 6 minutes. The waffle is done when steam has almost stopped escaping from the sides and the outside is golden and crisp.
8. Keep them crisp. Transfer each waffle to the rack in the warm oven in a single layer. Never stack them; trapped steam makes waffles soggy. Repeat with the remaining batter.
9. Serve. Serve hot with your favorite toppings.

Pro tip: Trust the steam, not the light on your waffle iron. Many irons signal "ready" before the waffle is truly crisp. Wait until steam has nearly stopped puffing out of the sides, then give it another 30 seconds. That last bit of time is what turns a soft waffle into a crispy one.

Tips for success

• Get the iron hot. A fully preheated iron sears the batter on contact, which is where the crust comes from.
• Don't open the lid early. Opening the iron in the first 2 minutes can tear the waffle in half.
• Don't overmix. Overmixed batter makes chewy, tough waffles and knocks the air out of your egg whites.
• Medium-high, not max. Very high heat browns the outside before the center cooks and dulls ube's natural color. Medium-high is the sweet spot on most irons.
• Use the rack. A wire rack lets air flow underneath, so the bottoms stay as crisp as the tops.

Common mistakes (and how to fix them)

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Waffles are soft or soggy	Iron not hot enough, pulled too early or stacked	Preheat fully, cook until the steam stops, and hold on a rack in a single layer
Waffle sticks to the iron	Iron not greased or not hot enough	Preheat fully and brush lightly with oil before each waffle
Waffles are dense and chewy	Overmixed batter or deflated egg whites	Stir just until combined and fold whites in gently
Outside dark, inside raw	Iron set too high	Lower to medium-high and cook a little longer
Grey or greenish color	Baking soda or another alkaline ingredient	Use baking powder only; buttermilk helps keep the color purple
Batter overflows	Too much batter in the iron	Fill only about three-quarters of the grid; it spreads as it cooks

Variations

• Ube coconut waffles: Replace half the milk with canned coconut milk and fold in 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut.
• Ube chicken and waffles: Serve with crispy fried or oven-baked chicken and a drizzle of hot honey.
• Ube mochi-style waffles: Replace 60 g of the flour with glutinous (sweet) rice flour for a chewy, bouncy center.
• Cheese-topped ube waffles: Sprinkle a little shredded cheddar on the batter before closing the iron for a sweet-salty, Filipino-inspired twist.
• Ube waffle sundaes: Top with a scoop of no-churn ube ice cream and toasted coconut.
• Pancake swap: Prefer a griddle? Our fluffy ube pancakes use a similar batter.

Make-ahead & storage

• Dry mix: Combine the dry ingredients in a jar and store at room temperature for up to 1 month. Add the wet ingredients when you're ready to cook.
• Batter: Batter is best used right away. If needed, refrigerate it (made with whole eggs rather than whipped whites) for up to 12 hours. It will be a little less fluffy.
• Cooked waffles: Cool completely on a rack, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freezing: Freeze cooled waffles in a single layer on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Reheat straight from frozen in a toaster or a 375°F (190°C) oven for 6 to 8 minutes until crisp. Avoid the microwave, which makes them soft.

What to serve with it

• Butter and maple syrup, coconut syrup or condensed milk drizzle
• Whipped cream and fresh berries, mango or sliced banana
• Crispy bacon, sausage or eggs for a sweet-and-savory plate
• A warm ube latte; see how to make an ube latte
• A creamy ube banana smoothie for a colorful brunch

FAQ

Why aren't my ube waffles crispy?

The most common reasons are an iron that isn't fully preheated, opening it too soon, or stacking hot waffles. Cook until the steam slows to a wisp, then keep the waffles on a rack in a low oven in a single layer.

Can I use this batter in a regular (non-Belgian) waffle maker?

Yes. Use about 1/3 cup of batter per waffle and start checking at 3 to 4 minutes, since thinner waffles cook faster.

Do I have to separate the eggs?

No. Whipped whites make the waffles lighter, but you can whisk whole eggs into the wet ingredients. The cornstarch and oil still give you a crisp exterior.

Why is the purple color so soft?

Pure ube powder gives a natural lavender, and browning on the outside mutes it a bit. Cooking on medium-high rather than the highest setting, and avoiding baking soda, keeps the inside nicely purple.

How much ube powder can I add?

Up to about 30 g, replacing the same weight of flour. More than that can make the waffles dense and slightly gummy inside.

Crispy, fluffy, naturally purple waffles are just one pouch away. Pick up our Pure Ube Latte Powder and make this weekend's breakfast the one everyone remembers.