• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

But First We Brunch!

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About me
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About me
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipe

    Published: Feb 14, 2022 · Modified: May 31, 2022 by Cynthia · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, these Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles have the light freshness of lemon and the subtle crunch of poppy seeds, for a new twist on your breakfast favorite!

    Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles with butter and maple syrup.

    Waffles > Pancakes

    Don't get me wrong, I love pancakes. But as I mentioned in my original Buttermilk Waffles post, waffles hold a special place in my memories. As a child, Sundays were for waffles, and why not? The crispiness is unbeatable, the little pockets are custom built to hold syrup and small fruits, they are good sweet, and they are good savory. I mean, waffles may be the perfect food. I'm just saying.

    Bringing in the Lemon & Poppy Seeds

    My original Buttermilk Waffle recipe is a Better Than Basic, meaning you can add different flavor combinations to make them your own, but these lemon Poppy Seed Waffles are just a bit of a special case that deserves its own recipe.

    My original waffle recipe includes cornstarch for a super crisp exterior. Because I wanted these waffles to be more fluffy, I omitted the cornstarch. To balance of the tartness of the lemons, I add a bit of sugar. Finally, because there is liquid coming from the lemons as well, I reduced the amount of buttermilk for the perfect batter consistency. These waffles are like a lemon poppy seed muffin in a crispy coating. There's nothing I don't like about that!

    What you'll love about this recipe:


    • KID FRIENDLY - Crispy and sweet, with syrup and fruit holders built right in? The kid in all of us is giddy!
    • HEALTHIER - Frozen waffles are full of unpronounceable ingredients. With this recipe, you'll feel good knowing exactly what goes into your waffles!
    • INEXPENSIVE - None of the ingredients in these waffles in expensive or hard to find! You can make these anytime for pennies!

    Ingredients and variations

    Ingredients for Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles.

    I just have a few notes about some of the ingredients:

    • Buttermilk I love the tanginess and tenderness that buttermilk brings to my waffles, and its acidity works with the baking soda to makes them super fluffy. However, since you have the acidity of lemon juice in these waffles, you can use whole milk, if that's what you have. Batter made with milk will be thinner than batter made with buttermilk, but will otherwise cook the same. I have not tried these waffles with alternative milks but, if you do, leave me a comment and tell me how it works out for you!
    • Lemon juice You need about 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, which is about how much a medium lemon will give. Make sure to zest your lemon before squeezing it. If you've ever tried to zest a juiced lemon, you'll understand why!
    • Poppy seeds I love the tiny little pop you get when you're eating these waffles. Oh my gosh, is that why their called poppy seeds?! No, but wouldn't that be adorable? Some people prefer to avoid poppy seeds. If that's you, no worries. These will still make amazing lemon waffles without them!

    Instructions

    • Getting started First, turn your oven on to 200°F and place a large sheet pan, fitted with a wire rack, into the oven. This will be the landing pad for your finished waffles. Next, melt your butter, so it has a few minutes to cool. Adding hot butter to the wet ingredients will cause the butter to clump in a not so good way.
    • Add lemon zest Start by extracting all of the lemon flavor you can from your lemon. Grate your lemon right into the granulated sugar and, using your fingers, scrinch the zest and the sugar together. This will release all of the lemon oils that are in the zest and flavor your sugar before you add it to the rest of the ingredients.
    • Mix dry ingredients In a large bowl, whisk together your lemon sugar with flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
    Mixing lemon zest with sugar.
    Lemon sugar in a glass bowl.
    • Mix wet and dry Whisk together your milk, lemon juice, oil, eggs, poppy seeds, and vanilla. Pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix together gently until just combined. Some dry spots and lumps are good right now. The lumps will smooth out as you add the butter and allow the batter to rest.
    • Add butter While continuing to gently mix, pour in your butter. Stop as soon as it is fully incorporated. Allow the batter to rest while you heat your waffle maker. The batter should rest a minimum of 10 minutes to allow the flour to fully hydrate and let the leavening agents start to work (the fluffinators to start fluffing). If your waffle iron has a variable heat, place it on the medium setting.
    Adding wet ingredients to dry ingredients.
    Adding butter to waffle batter.
    • Cook Once your waffle iron is ready, using a large scoop, add the amount of batter recommended in the instructions that came with your waffle maker. For these Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles, I like to make them just a little bit smaller so I can see all the cute poppy seeds peeking out of the rustic edges, but you can fill it up if you like. Cook to manufacturer's instructions, or 4 to 5 minutes.
    • Keep warm Transfer cooked waffles to your warm sheet pan in the oven and repeat with the remaining batter.
    • Serve I am a huge advocate of real, authentic maple syrup. The smoky sweetness really accents the lemon flavor in these waffles. Warm up some syrup and dig in!
    A stack of Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles with butter and maple syrup on a white plate.

    Expert tips

    • In a rush in the morning? Make this batter the night before! Let rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before waffling. If the batter is a bit too thick after resting, you can add a couple of tablespoons of buttermilk or milk to thin it out.
    • Don't overmix the batter. A few small lumps are fine, and most will smooth out as the batter rests.
    • No mess, less stress. Use a large scoop to portion your waffle batter into your waffle maker.
    • Don't overfill the waffle maker. Spills happen, but if you underfill your waffle maker a bit, you not only have less mess, you get those cute rustic edges.
    • Don't peek! Most waffle makers have a fairly accurate timing system. If you don't trust yours, when the steam coming from the waffle maker slows down, you can be pretty sure they're done.
    • Rest your waffles. Just 5 minutes in the oven will do wonders for the texture of your waffles. The low heat in the oven will dry the moisture on the outside of the waffle, leaving you with a crispy-coated fluffy breakfast.
    • Prepare to freeze! Cook a few waffles on the lighter setter for freezing. There's nothing better on a busy morning than realizing you have delicious frozen waffles ready to pop in the toaster!

    Storage & freezing instructions

    Place fully cooled waffles in a ziptop bag and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat by popping into your toaster until hot and crispy. You can also put them back into your waffle maker and reheat them on the lowest setting, or for 1 to 2 minutes.

    Wrap fully cooled waffles individually in plastic wrap. Store in a ziptop freezer bag in the freezer up to one month. You can thaw waffles overnight in the refrigerator and pop in the toaster. You can also put frozen waffles directly in your waffle maker at the lowest setting, to allow to thaw and cook at the same time. Add more time as needed until hot and crispy.

    More delicious breakfast recipes

    • Best Ever Buttermilk Pancakes
    • Banana Oat Pancakes
    • Buttermilk Waffles: Better than Basic
    • Lemon Ricotta Blueberry Swirl Waffles
    • Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Lemon Curd
    • Light and Crispy Yeast Waffles
    A stack of Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles with butter and maple syrup on a white plate.

    Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles

    Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, these Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles bring the light freshness of lemon and the subtle crunch of poppy seeds for a new twist on you breakfast favorite!
    5 from 1 vote
    Author: Cynthia
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Breakfast, Brunch
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 waffles
    Calories 242 kcal

    Equipment

    • Wire rack
    • Large sheet pan
    • Large whisk
    • Large scoop
    • Waffle Maker

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
    • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
    • 1 tbs lemon zest from one lemon
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 ½ cups (360 g) buttermilk
    • 3 tbs (45 g) lemon juice from one lemon
    • ¼ cup (56 g) vegetable oil
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 tbs poppy seeds
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter melted

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 200°. Place a wire rack into a large sheet pan and set in oven. Your waffles will rest here as you finish cooking them.
    • Combine sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl and, using your fingers, scrinch them together, releasing the lemon oils into the sugar. Using a large whisk, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with your lemon sugar. Set aside.
    • Melt butter and set aside to cool for a couple of minutes. In a large measuring cup, whisk milk, oil, eggs, poppy seeds, and vanilla.
    • Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined. Drizzle in butter while continuing to mix. Allow batter to rest for at least 10 minutes while you heat up your waffle maker. If you have a temperature dial on your waffle maker, set it to the medium setting.
    • Pour batter onto preheated waffle maker (amount suggested by your waffle maker). Cook to manufacturer instructions, or about 4-5 minutes.
    • Transfer the cooked waffles to the wire rack and keep warm in the preheated oven as you cook the rest. Repeat to cook the remaining batter.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 357mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 141mg | Iron: 2mg

    The nutritional and caloric information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It does not assert or suggest that readers should or should not count calories, and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s or doctor’s counseling.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @butfirst_webrunch or tag #butfirstwebrunch!

    More Recipe

    • top view of hash brown avocado toast.
      Hash Brown Avocado Toast with Poached Egg
    • close up of a donut with a bite taken out.
      Easy Homemade Yeast Donuts
    • top view of a container of buttermilk biscuit mix next to a tray of baked biscuits.
      Buttermilk Biscuit Mix (Homemade Bisquick)
    • dusting powdered sugar over baked almond croissants.
      Easy Almond Croissants (Shortcut Recipe)

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate This Recipe!




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Cynthia! In our house, we get up with the sun and most of us don't stop working until late in the night, so breakfast and brunch are our family meals. So join me at the kitchen counter, where I cook up delicious food for my busy family, starting first thing in the morning!

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • Flaky buttermilk biscuits on a wire rack.
      Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
    • baked crusty rolls with a knife and butter.
      No Knead Crusty Rolls
    • Crispy Cheddar Biscuits on a platter.
      Cheddar Biscuits with Crispy Cheese Skirt
    • Whole loaf of no-knead bread in dutch oven with parchement paper.
      No-Knead Bread: Better than Basic
    • korean fried chicken on a waffle.
      Korean Fried Chicken and Waffles
    • Blueberry Pecan Buttermilk Muffin on a wire rack
      Buttermilk Muffins: Better than Basic

    Spring Brunch

    • A cast iron pan with Strawberry-Peach Cornbread Buckle with Cornmeal Streusel
      Strawberry-Peach Cornbread Buckle
    • sweet biscuit berry shortcake in a white bowl.
      Sweet Biscuit Strawberry Shortcake
    • Strawberry Rosemary Scones on white parchment paper.
      Strawberry Scones with Rosemary
    • White casserole dish containing a croissant bread pudding with blueberries and almonds, with a spoon of berries.
      Blueberry Cheesecake French Toast Casserole
    • Cinnamon-Cardamom Mini Donut Muffins |in a white baking tray line with parchment paper.
      Cinnamon-Cardamom Mini Donut Muffins
    • An iced, mixed fruit buttermilk bundt cake, sitting on a wooden cutting board.
      Mixed Fruit Buttermilk Bundt Cake

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    About Cynthia
    Privacy Policy
    Accessibility Policy

    Let's Connect!

    Sign Up For My Newsletter

    Contact

    Contact Page

    AT NO COST TO YOU, I MAY EARN FROM QUALIFIED PURCHASES MADE THROUGH AFFILIATE LINKS ON MY WEBSITE.

    Copyright © 2023 But First We Brunch