Buttery and crispy, these overnight yeast waffles are perfect for a special occasion. The best part? Breakfast is halfway made the night before!
Waffles are popular at my house any day of the year. We love making crispy buttermilk waffles for an easy Sunday brunch, but when it comes to special occasions (like the holidays) these overnight yeast waffles go on the menu!
To make yeast waffles, we start our batter the night before. As the batter sits overnight, the yeast infuses so much additional flavor into it. These waffles will truly knock your socks off!
Reasons to ♡ yeast waffles
- you can get them started the night before
- the yeast infuses a ton of extra flavor into the batter
- they are buttery, crispy, and the best waffles I've had!
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped these waffles. You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!
Ingredient notes
- flour- all purpose flour can be subbed for white whole wheat flour. Gluten-free or other alternative flours have not been tested.
- butter- I highly recommend using real butter, however in a pinch, you could sub for vegetable oil. The waffles will lack that buttery flavor, though.
- yeast- look for dry active yeast for this recipe; if you use instant yeast, let it rise at room temperature for an hour before transferring the the fridge for the rest of the night.
- sugar- you may swap for maple syrup
- milk- almond milk may be used make these dairy-free
Step by step directions
Scroll to the recipe card for ingredient quantities.
- Stir together water and yeast in a large bowl. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then stir in warm milk, cooled melted butter, salt, sugar and flour. Use a hand mixer to blend until smooth. Cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature overnight.
- The next morning, add the eggs and baking soda.
- Cook on the waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
- Enjoy your waffles!
Recipe notes
Ingredient temperature is important
When working with yeast, it's important to use warm, but not hot, ingredients. If you use cold ingredients, the yeast will take a long time to activate and will require a longer incubation period. If you use hot ingredients, you can scorch and kill the yeast.
When heating the water and milk, ensure that it is warm to the touch, but not hot. For melted butter, allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes after melting, so it is warm to the touch.
Let the mixture sit at room temperature
After mixing together the first set of ingredients, we cover the mixture and allow to sit at room temperature overnight. You may put the mixture into the fridge, but this will reduce the yeasty flavor of your waffles.
On the other hand if you don't like a strong yeast flavor, storing your waffle batter in the fridge overnight may be a good idea for you.
Batter will be thin
This waffle batter is definitely on the thin side, but don't be deterred by this! Try out a test waffle, and if you are not satisfied, consider whisking in an extra ½ cup of flour. We love these waffles as written.
Toppings
Serve these waffles with your favorite toppings:
- berries
- powdered sugar
- bacon
- maple syrup
- yogurt
- nut butter
- whipped cream
Storage and reheating directions
Overnight yeast waffles work well for meal prep- consider making a double batch for easy meals through the week!
- fridge- store cooled waffles in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
- freezer- wrap waffles in plastic or parchment and place into a large meal prep container or freezer bag. Alternatively, you can store single serve portions in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- reheat- heat in a toaster oven, in the waffle iron, or in an air fryer until warmed through and crispy
More brunchy recipes
- Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
- Healthy Blueberry Muffins
- Herb & Zucchini Egg Bake
- Crockpot French Toast
- 7 Delicious Homemade Pancake Recipes
A note about this post- originally published in 2014, this recipe included bacon and rosemary. We rewrote the post as an 'all purpose' waffle recipe, but have included the bacon + rosemary in recipe card notes in case you want to include them!
Crispy Overnight Yeast Waffles (Bacon & Rosemary)
Ingredients
The Night Before:
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 ¼ teaspoons dry active yeast (1 package)
- 2 cups warm milk note 1
- ½ cup butter melted and cooled
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g; fluffed, spooned + levelled)
The Next Morning:
- 2 eggs
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
The Night Before:
- Combine warm water and yeast in a large bowl. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
- Mix in the warm milk (not hot!), melted butter (make sure to cool it slightly if it becomes hot while melting), salt, sugar and flour. Use a handheld mixer to get rid of all lumps. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise overnight on the counter *see note 2.
The Next Morning:
- Mix in the eggs and baking soda.
- Pre-heat your waffle maker. Spray with oil. Scoop batter (~¾-1 cup) onto heated waffle maker.
- Cook until golden brown and cooked through. The time will differ by waffle maker and quantity of batter used. My waffles took an extra few minutes longer than usual waffles.
- Enjoy with maple syrup or your favorite waffle toppings.
Notes
- all purpose flour may be swapped with white whole wheat flour
- butter may be swapped with vegetable oil *but you will lose some flavor
- sugar may be swapped for maple syrup
- milk may be swapped for your favorite non-dairy milk
- fridge- store cooled waffles in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
- freezer- wrap waffles in plastic or parchment and place into a large meal prep container or freezer bag. Alternatively, you can store single serve portions in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- reheat- heat in a toaster oven, in the waffle iron, or in an air fryer until warmed through and crispy
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Epicurious
Caitlin
I made these and they were THE BEST WAFFLES OF MY LIFE! I didn't have bacon or rosemary, but plenty of butter and maple syrup on hand. They sent my man and I into an extended waffle coma of bliss. So glad I found this recipe.
Denise
Caitlin, I'm so glad we agree on this! I can't possibly go back to regular (non-yeasted) waffles. So happy you liked them 🙂 🙂
Rebecca
This is my idea of the perfect breakfast, so worth the time.
That’s just outrageous! 🙂
Denise
Thanks, Rebecca 🙂
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel
Wow, these really sound amazing, Denise! I have never tried yeasted waffles... actually I've never made ANY waffles... perhaps I need to add a waffle maker to my Christmas list! I love the combo of bacon and rosemary with the sweet syrup. That sweet and salty mix is right up my alley! (And I LOVE rosemary!)
Kathy @ Olives & Garlic
I've been saying I want a waffle maker forever now. Maybe I'll go buy one or even better ask for one for Christmas :). These waffles are gorgeous and so are the pictures Denise.
Denise
Yes! You should totally get a waffle maker...it was on my 'list' for quite awhile, and I was get one when my grandparents sold their home. Thanks, Kathy 🙂
Sarah@WholeandHeavenlyOven
Oh my gawsh, I LOVE that these waffles are overnight!! I don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen in the morning either so these are perfect for me! Dying over how crispy and golden they look! I'll bet the flavors are just unreal from sitting overnight too! Pinned and gorgeous photos Denise!
Denise
Thanks Sarah! These waffles have so much flavor, I'm never going back to regular waffles 😉
Isadora
I am not a morning person at all either! It is 9pm and I'm already dreading having to wake up early tomorrow morning. Everything about these waffles sound totally amazing! Bacon in waffles?! Yes please!
Denise
Ugh, mornings are the worst! My kiddo is waking up at 5am these days, he has not caught onto the daylight savings time change. Luckily my husband gets up with him...I'm very lucky!
Leah | So, How's It Taste?
Ooo, I'm totally in love with the idea that I can have waffles in the morning and do the work the night before! I'm with ya with looking more like the walking dead when I wake up...and the last thing I want to do is work for my breakfast! Plus bacon...hello!
Denise
I'm glad I'm not alone, Leah! I love breakfast but am so unmotivated when it comes to actually making it!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely
This sounds too good Denise! I've actually never tried making yeasted waffles, but now I must! Knowing that these were waiting for me in the fridge would have me jolting out of the bed in the morning.
Denise
It totally makes it easier to get up knowing you have waffles only a few minutes away 🙂 Thanks, Natalie!
Helen @ Scrummy Lane
Oh my goodness. I just love the idea of those extra crunchy waffles. I guess it's the yeast that makes them so super light and crispy? Waffles aren't so popular over in the UK, but I think I need to help change that! I think I need to put a waffle-maker on my list for Santa Claus!
Denise
To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure what makes them so crisp! It's waffle magic {ha ha}. I think the yeast makes them very light, and gives them a ton of flavor. You should totally bring waffles to the UK, they're so good!
Denise
Thanks, Jessica! Waffles are the best, aren't they? Thanks so much for the comment on my photography 🙂 {I don't actually know what I'm doing, I just try 8000 angles and get a good one once in awhile LOL}
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen
I love the idea of waffles made with yeast - so easy to throw together in the morning! I am not sure if I have ever had yeast waffles before - can't wait to try 🙂 These look delicious!
Denise
You should give yeasted waffles a try, Ceara! I generally stay away from yeast because I don't want to hang around waiting for it to rise, so these waffles were the perfect solution for me 🙂 Thanks, Ceara!
Cheryl @neuroticbaker
These look and sound pretty amazing. I made yeast waffles once, but thought they were a little yeasty until I added syrup. Rosemary sounds like a great compliment!!
Denise
These definitely had a yeasty flavor...but I liked it! I am going to try next time leaving them in the fridge overnight rather than the counter, we shall see if that tones it down a bit for the non-yeasty people out there 🙂 Thanks, Cheryl!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
These waffles look amazing, Denise! I've never tried a savory version before, so I'm absolutely loving these. Rosemary and bacon sound like the perfect combination!
Denise
You have to try savory waffles, Gayle, they're so good! I'm a sweet tooth kind of girl, but give me savory waffles and I'm happy 🙂
Fat Kid Problems
Thanks for sharing such great recipe!
Check out my blog at http://thefatkidprobs.blogspot.hk
xx
Marla Meridith
These waffles look beyond amazing!!
Denise
Thanks, Marla! 🙂
Claudia @Breakfast Drama Queen
Wow, I LOVE the idea of letting them rise overnight!! And the bacon/rosemary must give them a delicious savory-sweet taste. Pinned!
Denise
Thanks, Claudia! Letting them rise overnight is so convenient, isn't it?
April @ Girl Gone Gourmet
I need a waffle maker so I can make these!! Worth getting up for in the morning 🙂
Denise
I had 'waffle maker' on my list for a long time, April! It's hard to find space for just one more kitchen gadget, isn't it?