Name: Funfetti Waffles Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ½ teaspoon ground cardamom; 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; 2 cups buttermilk; 2 large eggs; ¼ cup butter (melted and cooled); 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 cup candy sprinkles

Funfetti cake is always fun, but why limit it to dessert? These festive funfetti waffles start the day with a party! They're perfect for celebrating a birthday or other special occasion. We can't think of a merrier buttermilk waffle for breakfast or brunch!

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Funfetti waffles stacked on a pink plate topped with whipped cream and candy sprinkles

I can’t think of a more fun and festive breakfast treat than funfetti waffles! They’re the perfect celebration waffle – perfect for birthdays and other celebrations or just because you want something fun for breakfast or brunch!

Our buttermilk Belgian waffles turned out so well, that we based these funfetti waffles on them and just stirred in some sprinkles. We used Betty Crocker star sprinkles, but you can use whatever sprinkles strike your fancy. Bear in mind that some sprinkles may bleed into the batter and turn it different colors. We don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing!

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

Festive and Fun. The candy sprinkles add a colorful and festive touch, making these waffles perfect for celebrations, birthdays, or special occasions.
Delicious Flavor. The combination of ground nutmeg and cardamom adds a warm and unique flavor that complements the sweet sprinkles.
Light and Fluffy Texture. The buttermilk, baking powder, and baking soda work together to create a light and fluffy waffle with a slightly crisp exterior.
Kid-Friendly. Kids will love the colorful sprinkles and the sweet taste, making breakfast a fun and exciting meal.
Easy to Make. The recipe is straightforward and easy to follow, making it suitable for both beginner and experienced cooks.

Ingredients

All-purpose flour. You can substitute self-rising flour. If making this substitute, omit the baking powder and salt. The baking soda will still be needed.
Baking powder. Helps the waffles to rise. You can omit this if substituting self-rising flour for the all-purpose flour.
Baking soda. Works with the buttermilk to help these waffles to rise.
Salt. Enhances flavor. This is a necessary ingredient for flavorful waffles. Without it, the waffles will taste bland. If you are substituting self-rising flour for the all-purpose flour, you can omit this. Self-rising flour already contains salt.
Ground nutmeg. Adds flavor.
Ground cardamom. Adds flavor. You can substitute cinnamon for a different flavor.
Granulated sugar. Adds sweetness.
Buttermilk. Works with the baking soda to help the waffles to rise. Buttermilk also adds flavor.
Large eggs. Eggs act as binding agent. They also provide a bit of leavening for light and fluffy waffles.
Butter. Melted and cooled. Butter is used in this recipe to prevent the waffles from being too dry.
Vanilla extract. Adds flavor.
Candy sprinkles. Adds color, flavor, and fun! We used Betty Crocker star sprinkles.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Dry ingredients in a large glass bowl on a marble countertop with a red and white whisk. — In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cardamom together. Set aside.

Wet ingredients in a large glass bowl on a marble countertop with a red and white whisk. — In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract. Whisk briskly for 1-2 minutes or beat with an electric mixer on high speed for about a minute.

Wet ingredients in a large glass bowl. — Pour wet ingredients into the dry and stir until nearly smooth. It’s okay if a few lumps remain. If the batter is too thick, add more buttermilk, a splash at a time.

Batter and sprinkles in a large glass bowl — Stir in candy sprinkles.

Preheat the waffle maker. Add ¼ – ⅓ cup batter per waffle to hot waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions, about 5 minutes.

Repeat this step until batter is gone.

Click here to learn how to make these funfetti waffles in a visual story.

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Substitutions

Gluten Free. Substitute Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-Balking flour for the all-purpose flour in this recipe.
Sugar Free. Substitute Swerve products for the sugar used in this recipe: Swerve granulated sugar. (affiliate link).
Self-Rising flour. As mentioned above, you can substitute self-rising flour for the all-purpose flour. If using self-rising flour, omit the baking powder and salt.
Milk. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute the same amount of regular milk plus two tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice. Measure out the milk into a two-cup liquid measuring cup and stir in two tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice. Then add the milk to the recipe as instructed.
Dairy Free. To make a dairy free version, substitute nut milk, like this homemade walnut milk, soy milk, or coconut milk (coconut milk will change the flavor a bit). The batter may be a bit thinner if using nut milk, if that’s the case, stir in a little more flour to thicken it up.
Egg Free. Replace the eggs with 1/2 cup of yogurt, plain or vanilla. If this makes the batter too thick, stir in more milk, a splash at a time.

Maple syrup being poured over a stack of funfetti waffles topped with whipped cream and candy sprinkles on a pink plate.

Ways to Serve It

Whipped cream – Top the waffles with whipped cream and more sprinkles. Drizzle with maple, agave, or pancake syrup.
Fresh fruit – Top with fresh blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries, along with whipped cream and granola or chopped nuts.
Fruit syrup or compote – Top with homemade blueberry, raspberry, mixed berry, or apple syrup. You might want to also give peach, apple, strawberry, mango, or apple compote a try!

Storage

We recommending freezing any leftovers right away. To freeze, cut pieces of wax paper large enough to accommodate one waffle. Place the wax paper between waffles. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer zip bag marked with the date. They will keep in your freezer for up to six months. To reheat , defrost in the microwave, then toast in a toaster to crisp them up again.

Top Tips

Properly measure ingredients. Use the spoon-and-level method for measuring flour to avoid packing it, which can lead to dense waffles. For liquid ingredients, use a liquid measuring cup for accuracy.
Sift Dry Ingredients. Sifting the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cardamom together ensures even distribution and helps prevent lumps in the batter.
Room temperature ingredients. Make sure your buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter are at room temperature. This helps the ingredients combine more smoothly and prevents the melted butter from solidifying when mixed with colder ingredients.
Don’t overmix. When combining the wet and dry ingredients, stir until just combined. Overmixing can result in tough waffles. It’s okay if the batter has a few lumps.
Allow the batter to rest. After mixing the batter, allow it to rest a bit to relax the gluten. This step is not necessary if using gluten-free flour.
Preheat the waffle iron. Make sure your waffle iron is fully preheated before adding the batter. This ensures even cooking and crisp edges.
Grease the waffle iron. Lightly grease the waffle iron with cooking spray or a brush of melted butter to prevent sticking, especially if your waffle iron is not non-stick.
Don’t overfill the waffle iron. Pour just enough batter to cover the waffle iron’s grid, about ¼ – ⅓ cup per waffle, to prevent overflow and ensure even cooking.
Watch for steam. To check for doneness, watch for steam. When the waffles have stopped steaming, they are done. This is a good foolproof method since waffle makers vary in the time it takes to produce a crispy waffle.
Invest in a quality wafflemaker. On that note, be sure to use a good quality waffle maker. Some waffle makers simply don’t get hot enough to produce a good product. Investing in a great waffle maker has made all the difference for us.

Related Recipes

See more waffle recipes →

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Prep Time:5

Cook Time:15

Total Time:20

Equipment

Large bowl

Medium bowl

Wire whisk

Round Belgian Waffle Maker

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
¼ cup butter melted and cooled
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup candy sprinkles

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cardamom together. Set aside.
2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract. Whisk briskly for 1-2 minutes or beat with an electric mixer on high speed for about a minute.
2 cups buttermilk, 2 large eggs, ¼ cup butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pour wet ingredients into the dry and stir until nearly smooth. It's okay if a few lumps remain. If the batter is too thick, add more buttermilk, a splash at a time. Stir in candy sprinkles.
1 cup candy sprinkles
Preheat the waffle maker. Add ¼ – ⅓ cup batter per waffle to hot waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer's instructions, about 5 minutes.
Repeat this step until batter is gone.

Notes

To make ahead: Cook waffles according to recipe instructions. Once waffles are cooled, place a sheet of wax paper between each waffle, place waffles in a tightly-sealed gallon freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat waffles in a toaster or oven.