Buttermilk Pecan Waffles
Waffles on the weekend are a great treat. These Buttermilk Pecan Waffles are the perfect crisp on the outside, tender and a little chewy on the inside recipe. The pecan meal adds a nutty essence and light texture while the chopped pecans add some crunchy texture on the inside. Buttermilk, rather than whole milk tenderizes the gluten in the flour and works better with baking soda. It neutralizes the flavor of the baking soda while activating the leavening. The result is delicious.
I’ve tried many waffle recipes and there isn’t one that I didn’t like. However, this Buttermilk Pecan Waffles recipe is the best one I’ve tried. If you’re tempted to skip the pecans, I’d recommend skipping the chopped pecans and including the pecan meal. It makes a big difference in the tenderness of the finished product. I found this recipe in the King Arthur Flour Baking Book which has been a great resource for baking. I left this recipe to the original with the addition of chopped pecans. While I’m not the biggest fan of nuts in baked goods, but the added texture is great in this application.
We are fortunate to have a variety of fruit growing in our yard that we like to use in creative ways. A recent endeavor was Nanking Cherry syrup. Last year we made Nanking Cherry jam which was delicious, but we still have quite a few jars. So, with this harvest we made a small batch of lightly sweetened syrup that was delightful on these waffles. I still added a little traditional syrup to sweeten it up a bit, but the fruity, bright, tangy addition was so good. And, if you wanted a dessert option, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a big dollop of whipped cream to the top of these waffles.
Buttermilk Pecan Waffles
Equipment
- Waffle iron
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1¾ cups buttermilk
- ½ cup butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup pecan meal (grind pecans finely) optional
- ¼ cup pecans, chopped optional
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla.
- In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients; combine the wet and dry ingredients just until smooth.
- Spray the waffle iron with a nonstick cooking spray before preheating it. For an 8" waffle iron, use about ⅓ cup batter. Cook 2-3 minutes until the iron stops steaming.
