Can You Make Thin Waffles in a Belgian Waffle Maker?

There are many different types of waffle makers on the market that you can find at retail stores and websites. There are some great Belgian waffle makers with removable plates that do a great job of baking batch after batch of Belgian waffles. The best Belgian waffle maker with removable plates for 2024 is the All-Clad Digital Gourmet because it has excellent heat distribution and is made from heavy-duty stainless steel.

The best rated thin waffle maker for 2024 is the Breville BWM520XL and it is designed to make slightly larger Eggo waffles that are about half as thick as Belgian waffles. This is because the typical Belgian waffle maker has deeper pockets than the typical thin waffle maker does. One of the best thin waffle makers is the Black and Decker thin waffle maker because you can use it to make waffles, pancakes, sandwiches, and eggs and the plates are detachable so you can soak them in a sink full of soap and warm water instead of trying to scrub them clean.

However, many people don’t want to spend extra money on another waffle maker just to make another variety of waffle every so often. People who are on a budget probably want to know if they can use their Belgian waffle maker to make thin waffles. The answer is yes but the waffles will have larger squares and deeper pockets than usual. All you need to do is to change some of the ingredients for your Belgian waffle recipe, increase the cooking time, and cut the cooking temperature in half. To make a thinner waffle, you will have to cook it for a longer amount of time at a lower temperature so that it doesn’t burn.

The finished waffle will not look like a normal thin American waffle, which usually comes with a large number of small and shallow square pockets. Instead, this waffle will have much fewer square pockets. Also the pockets will be wider and deeper than desired.

How to Use a Thin Waffle Recipe in your Belgian Waffle Maker

To start, you will need to use a recipe that is specifically designed for making thin American waffles. A batter for thin waffles uses baking powder as a leavening agent to make the batter rise instead of the yeast that Belgian waffle batters use.

Belgian waffles need to be cooked for a longer time because more time has to be given for the yeast batter to rise and fill the deeper pockets of the Belgian waffle maker.

Since baking powder will not make the batter rise as much as yeast would and the pockets of your Belgian waffle maker are deeper than for a thin waffle maker, the top waffle plate will not make direct contact with the top of the waffle so that portion will be undercooked.

For this situation, in order to cook the batter more thoroughly, you should cook the waffle at half the usual cooking temperature for twice the usual cooking time to give the top portion more time to bake and prevent the bottom from getting burnt spots.

The exact cooking time will vary depending on your specific waffle maker but should be around 7-8 minutes instead of the 3-4 minutes that is typically recommended.

You should check on the progress of your waffle a couple of minutes into the cooking cycle by lifting the handle with a potholder. If the top part is still not baked to your satisfaction, you can take the waffle out with a wooden fork and flip it over so that the bottom of the waffle maker is now cooking the undercooked top portion.

Flip Belgian waffle maker

The problem that I mentioned above with the heating element in the top plate would be solved if you used a flip Belgian waffle maker instead. It would be much easier to make a thin waffle in a flip Belgian waffle maker because you can use the handle to flip the cooking plates over as many times as necessary so that the top and bottom portions of the waffle are thoroughly cooked by the heating element located under the bottom plate.

Differences between a Belgian and thin waffle maker

In general, Belgian waffle makers tend to have deeper indentations (also known as pockets, dimples, and dents) and larger squares than traditional waffle makers.

Belgian waffle irons usually have deeper pockets that allow the yeast batter to rise and expand into the indentations of the waffle grids.

Thin waffle irons have shallower pockets that don’t allow for as much batter which is why a thin waffle batter uses baking powder instead of yeast.

Belgian waffle makers produce thicker, lighter, and more fluffy waffles with deeper pockets while thin waffle makers make thinner waffles that are denser, heavier, and crispier with shallower pockets.

Differences between Belgian and thin waffles

Belgian waffles are usually made from a yeast batter, which results in a chewier texture and moist interior, while thin waffles use baking powder, resulting in a dense interior.

Yeast creates carbon dioxide gas and air pockets in the batter, which helps the batter rise, resulting in light and fluffy waffles with a soft interior and a slightly chewy texture.

A baking powder batter will not give the batter as much lift as yeast would, giving you dense and heavy waffles.

Another important difference is that thin waffles are made with more butter than Belgian waffles to give them a richer flavor and a crisper exterior.

Belgian waffles come in both square and round shapes while thin waffles are usually round.

Belgian waffles are more popular than thin waffles because they can handle more toppings, including fruit slices and whipped cream, while the toppings for thin waffles normally consist of butter and/or maple syrup.

Yeast vs Baking Powder

When it comes to making waffles, there are two main types of leaveners: baking powder and yeast. So what’s the difference between baking powder and yeast? For one, baking powder is a quick-acting leavener while yeast takes a bit longer to work.

Baking powder is a chemical leavener that reacts with the wet ingredients in a batter to produce carbon dioxide gas. This gas causes the batter to rise and results in thin, dense waffles.

Yeast is a biological leavener that releases carbon dioxide gas as it ferments. This gas causes the batter to rise and results in thick, fluffy waffles.

In terms of flavor, yeast gives off a slightly sour taste and smell, while baking powder is odorless. Also when it comes to texture, yeast produces a finer texture in baked goods than baking powder does.

Ingredients for Belgian waffle batter

Making a yeast batter for waffles is not difficult, but it does require some time to let the dough rise. There are a few key ingredients that make up a yeast batter for thick Belgian waffles. The first is yeast, which helps to create the light and fluffy texture of the waffles. Also Belgian waffle batters typically use all-purpose flour, separated eggs (egg whites and egg yolks must be separated into different bowls), sugar, melted butter, and milk or buttermilk.

First, the yeast is dissolved in warm water with a bit of sugar. Then the flour, salt, and melted butter are added to the yeast mixture. The egg whites are beaten until stiff peaks form and then folded into the batter. This makes the waffles light and fluffy. The butter and milk add flavor and richness to the batter.

Ingredients for thin waffle batter

The biggest difference between thin and Belgian waffle batters is that a Belgian waffle batter uses yeast as a leavening agent while a thin batter uses baking powder.

Another important difference is that to make thin waffles, you must use more liquid and less flour. This means that the batter must have more melted butter and milk, fewer eggs, and less all-purpose flour so that it is thinner than a Belgian waffle batter but thicker than a pancake batter.

The ingredients you’ll need for a thinner batter are listed below:

1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 egg
1 cup of milk
3 tablespoons of melted butter

Can You Make Thin Waffles in a Belgian Waffle Maker?