How to freeze a big batch of homemade waffles
Now that the holidays are over, don’t give up entirely on bestowing homemade edible gifts. You never know when the simple gesture might make someone’s day and there is nearly always a need in communities for sympathy meals.
A jar or two of homemade waffle mix is a great gift, complete with instructions for preparation on a tag. Better yet, make a big batch of waffles yourself, freeze them, and deliver them in person.
Today I’m bringing a virtual box of these homemade buttermilk waffles over to Jamie of My Baking Addiction, who is expecting a wee little addition to the family very soon. Post-partum hunger is fierce, and these waffles make the perfect grab and go snack, breakfast, or midnight nibble. I like to have them on hand in the freezer for after school treats and lazy weekend brunches. Or, ahem, Mother’s Day breakfast in bed served up by my children.
Read on for my best tips on batch cooking and freezing waffles (works for pancakes, too) and a round-up of delicious baby shower treats from a stellar group of girls.
Make those waffles!
So, say you made a waffle dry mix, as per Danny’s instructions, and perhaps it is stored in your freezer right now. I know I’ve got some in there somewhere.
Now we’re going to use 4 cups of that mix to make a double batch of these Whole Wheat Waffles (again, Danny’s tutorial, the second recipe). It yields about 12 large Belgian-style waffles, definitely enough for brunch and for extra to freeze. We use the fabulous Waffle Baker from Kitchen Aid, which makes two large waffles at a time.
In case you were wondering, you can use a double or triple batch of your own favourite waffle recipe, too.
How to freeze a big batch of homemade waffles
- First, cool the waffles on wire racks as soon as they come off the griddle. It takes tremendous will power not to break of a quarter and nibble its crispy edges, but it much be done.
- Line a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper and place it in your freezer. We’re going to freeze them first, them package them, or they will harden into deformed lumps that are not conducive to being reheated in the toaster.
- Place a layer of (completely cooled) waffles on the baking sheet, leaving a little space in between each.
- Cover with another sheet of parchment and place a second layer of waffles. If you still have more waffles to freeze, prepare a second baking sheet. Waffles are delicate and you wouldn’t want to squish them.
- Freeze waffles for at least 6 hours, or until solid.
- Remove tray from freezer. Working quickly, transfer whole waffles to freezer quality resealable bags. If you plan to enjoy them one at a time, freeze them individually.
- Seal bags nearly completely, but inset a plastic straw in the corner. Exhale deeply, then suck out the air in the bag through the straw until you see the it collapse around the waffles. Quickly pull out the straw and seal the rest of the bag. Yep, you just partially vacuum sealed your frozen waffles with a quick kitchen hack.
- Label the bags with the date, then place the waffles in the freezer and store for up to three months.
How to reheat and crisp waffles
Reheated waffles from frozen can be every bit as good as waffles straight off the griddle. If I am planning to snack on just one, smothered in jam to accompany my tea, I’ll use my toaster to crisp the waffle. It’s wide enough to accommodate my chubby waffles and has a ‘defrost’ button, to boot.
If we’re a pajama-clad family of hungry waffle-eaters on a lazy Sunday morning, I’ll preheat the oven to 350F, place the waffles on a wire baking rack (so the air can circulate around them) and bake them for about 10 minutes. Then, voila, instant hot and crispy waffles for everyone.
Ovens may vary, so check your waffles after about 8 minutes. You’ll have to break off a corner to see if it is heated through.
Now that you are all set for a waffle feast, why not make one of these simple, natural, homemade pancake syrups?
A Shower for Jamie
Amber and I had the idea to host a virtual baby shower for our friend Jamie, but I have to be perfectly honest and tell you that Amber did all the leg work. And by leg work I mean all the important co-ordinating stuff – and every detail, really. She’s a good friend to us both.
Jamie, I’m so excited for you as you count down the days to meet your little one! She is sure to be an angel and every bit as sweet as the beautiful confections you are famous for. Congratulations!
Be sure to read the rest of the posts from our virtual shower for Jamie:
- Amber from Bluebonnets & Brownies | Lemon Strawberry Cupcakes
- Julie from The Little Kitchen | Pistachio Pudding Cupcakes
- Jen from My Kitchen Addiction | Sugar and Spice Cookies
- Shaina from Food for My Family | Vanilla Raspberry Mini Meringue Kisses
- Glory from Glorious Treats | Modern decorated cookies
- Cheryl from TidyMom | Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Buttercream
- Katie from Good Life {Eats} | Raspberry Hibiscus Soda
- Amanda from I am Baker | Heath Bar Cake
- Steph from Steph Chows | PB oatmeal cookies
- Allison from Some the Wiser | Raspberry Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Megan from Stetted | Strawberry Jalapeno Palmiers
- Shelly from Cookies & Cups | Bacon Cheddar Scones
- Emily from Jelly Toast | Meyer Lemon Scones
- Kristan from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen | Samoa Layer Cake
January is an ideal month for batch cooking. Are you stocking up?
I needed this badly. With a family of seven and four of them being boys… I am either short waffles or have an over abundance! This will save me next time I have a huge plate of leftovers! Great job. Thank you!!
Four boys! Yes, consider this the back-up plan. 😉
When Casey and I got together and cooked to stock the freezer before Evan was born, we covered lunch and dinner pretty solidly. I was silly to think breakfast would take care of itself, and more than once, breakfast has been a handful of nuts or *for shame* a couple cookies while trying to get the baby fed as well. These waffles are exactly what my freezer needs! Thank you for helping with the shower, Aimee, and thank you for being such a wonderful friend. I love you to pieces, girl.
I wish I could send over a batch. Honesty, why are we not neighbours? Shall we meet halfway in Vermont? 😉
A thousand times YES.
I need to do this! We always just freeze the extra waffle or two we have left over, but I would love homemade waffles during the week – so freezing large batch is a great idea!!
Jamie will love it!
Oooh, I am still envious of that waffle maker from BSP!! I had forgotten about it until now!
Anyway… These look wonderful, and nothing is more perfect on a chilly winter morning than a waffle, especially with a newborn in the house!
Yes!! BSP gave me that waffle iron. It’s da bomb. (big, though).
I love this thoughtful AND practical idea! Must make and freeze some waffles soon! 🙂
I never froze mine right! Darn it! This is so smart, I’m using this for a big weekend batch of waffles!
Love love this post! My kids are waffle freaks so this will be perfect for me 🙂
I was wonder how to cool them… wire rack… duh. Great tips
I need to get cooking now! I am notoriously bad at weekday/school morning breakfasts and this could be the answer to all of my breakfast problems! I can also see this being such a helpful gift to a new mom . . . or an old mom like me, ha! Love it!
I don’t know about *all* your problems, but it kinda feels like money in the bank with a stash of these in the freezer. 🙂
OOh, I love homemade waffles and it would be awesome to have them on hand any time! Great idea!
Love the idea of making a dry mix to give as a gift!
What a great idea! I never would have thought of waffles as a great gift idea, but it truly is! Hot breakfasts can just put a spring in your step, especially in the cold winter months.
Freezing waffles in batches = brilliance! Gifting waffle mix (or the waffles) to new parents = double brilliance!
I’ll be making these this week. My girls will be so happy, this is their favourite requested breakfast. =)
I surprised the boys with a waffle breakfast this morning. It’s usually a big deal thing, but with a dozen in the freezer, it was a cinch! They were happy boys. 🙂
This is pretty brilliant, Aimee and such a lovely idea for expecting moms! THANK YOU so much for taking part in a shower for Baby E.! You amazing ladies totally made our morning!
Love this – we have waffles in the freezer, but I am HORRIBLE about remembering them in the midst of the “What’s for breakfast?” cry in the morning.
January is Soup Swap month around my house! I’m making a big batch of soup this weekend and gathering my girlfriends next week to sip wine, nibble sweets, and swap soup. Can’t wait for some new varieties to fill my freezer. (and if I’m honest, that means this week is “eat the freezer” week to make room for the soup.)
Love the idea of a soup swap. So practical.
Yes! I did this once and it was brilliant. I made a HUGE batch of waffles (cooked, cooled, and then froze them) and I used to reheat them in the toaster. It worked really well and I was a very happy person to have homemade waffles for breakfast for many, many mornings after. Totally worth the little extra time (and it really is just a little extra time)!
It is just a little extra time. I love having homemade waffles without having dirtied any dishes. 😉
Oh man you have me craving waffles something fierce right now!! I want to go make a batch and bring them for lunch tomorrow… might need to happen 🙂
Such an inspiring idea! And your timing is brilliant, since finding ways to bless others helps get us out of “woe is me” mode… Breakfast foods are a great way to bless moms or anyone else who might be feeling overwhelmed. Now I am motivated once more to make it happen!
Happy to hear, Julia. Thanks for commenting.
We’ve been freezing waffles on the weekend for the kids during the week! Such a great use of leftovers! Your look delish!
Aimee, thank you! We make waffles every Sunday for our family breakfast; it’s our weekend ritual, where my 9 years old makes the waffles himself, most of the time. We end up with huge amounts of batter left-overs, not knowing what to do with it. I have zero experience in freezing this kind of products. Will give it a try next weekend. Seems a common-sense solution to a common problem: -) and because it’s so down-to-earth kind of a fix, it evades our attention: -)
Have a great week!
Frozen waffles are one of my favorite things to have on hand for those hectic mornings when nothing seems to be going right. The double waffle iron must make it so much easier to stock up.
My children LOVE waffles and I hate feeding them the boxed variety. I’ve been eyeing waffle makers and wanting to give it a try. Thank you so much!
I just made waffles this past weekend and told myself I need to do this in a big batch before our little makes his arrival. Thanks for the tips, they were so needed!
I absolutely love the idea of making a huge batch of waffles to freeze! Really great idea 🙂
What a great idea! I need to make a big batch and freeze them so my boys can have them anytime! Happy Wednesday!!
Anyone cost out the difference between a high quality frozen box from store and making yourself?
Margaret, I have the book Make the Bread, Buy the Butter, have you read it? Anyway, the author Jennifer Reese does a full cost comparison on waffles in it with homemade averaging about $0.18 per ounce and Eggos about $0.31 per ounce. I imagine a good quality organic product would be even higher.
Homemade is the way to go! I hope this has been helpful. Thanks for reading. A
Your waffles are so, so perfect!! I love having frozen homemade waffles because it makes the mornings that much easier with the two little ones that I have running around here. 🙂
Great tips for freezing waffles. Glad you include the straw trick.
I sometimes add cooked pumpkin and always add plenty of cinnamon to my homemade waffles. I also can get away with not putting any oil in the batter and they do just fine. I’ve found that just cooling the waffles, wrapping them up 4 at a time in plastic wrap, and putting them in a freezer zip bag is enough to keep them in the freezer. I also like to toast them in my toaster oven to reheat.
My daughter is a serious waffle girl so this is perfect for us. She’s been heading to the U really early to workout so this would be perfect for her. Quick, yummy and filling.
Love the tips on how to reheat as we have only frozen pancakes (and reheat those by using the toaster) before. Not sure about giving waffle mix as a gift however, as not many people own a waffle maker. Actually, none of my friends do!
Wondering if this works well for extras added to the mix – chocolate chips, blueberries, cheesecake filling, bacon, etc.?