How to keep waffles from sticking

How to prevent waffles from sticking

Having waffles that stick to your waffle maker is a bummer and can frustrate you enough to not even want to use your waffle iron again.

It can feel like a waste of time and can be frustrating to expect a full waffle and receive a crazy-looking piece of cooked of partially waffle batter out of your waffle maker.

However, it’s possible to never have your waffles stick again!

Restaurant quality waffles are so delicious that you might be tempted to hit up a restaurant every time you want waffles. However, the reason they’re so good isn’t that their waffle maker is better than a waffle maker available on Amazon.

It’s because they make so many waffles that they’ve perfected their technique and they know exactly what it takes to keep waffles from sticking.

If your waffle maker keeps sticking when trying to take out the waffle, there are techniques that you can master not sticking in just a few tries.

Keep your waffles from sticking to your waffle iron!

Someone recently asked me for advice on stopping their waffles from sticking to their Chef’s Choice Commercial Grade Waffle Iron. I see this as a common problem around forums and on websites all over.

People’s waffles stick! Do you need cooking spray? Or a different waffle maker? 

My initial piece of advice is this….. Better Butter Better Waffles.

How do you grease a waffle iron without cooking spray? – All about butter!

There are some people that have no problem putting butter in their waffle recipes. Others are making their own waffles because of special dietary restrictions. For those who don’t eat butter, scroll further down for non-butter tips!

Unsalted or Salted

Unsalted butter is the go-to butter for baking waffles and other baked goods. However, choosing ingredients falls on preference. If you like an extra bit of saltiness to offset sweetness then choose salted butter. Recipes are often flexible and there’s no evidence that salted butter changes a baked good in any way.

What about Butter Temperature?

When it comes to ingredients, especially butter, room temperature is ALWAYS better. It’s not necessary, but it makes mixing easier if you bring the butter out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan on using it. Cut the butter into small cubes and then mash in order to soften it faster. There’s usually no need to melt butter for a recipe.

What about Fat Content?

High-fat butter is better! Organic butter from grass-fed cows is even better than that. Not only is it extremely healthy but it tastes great.

What’s better than butter? Ghee.

Put the Heat Up!

Another problem that may be causing your waffles to stick is the heat. Sometimes we’re afraid of raising the heat for fear of burning our food. What happens then is that the waffle isn’t being cooked well enough to harden and “unstick” itself from the waffle grids.

Or…

You might not be giving the waffle iron enough time to heat up before pouring in your thick batter. Waffle makers with indicator lights can help with this.

Should I spray my Waffle Iron?

How do you keep waffles from sticking?

Some people swear that using non-stick cooking spray, canola oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, vegetable oil, or other cooking sprays are the keys to preventing waffles from sticking to the hot plates.

This may be necessary if your waffle recipe contains absolutely no fat at all because fat cooks fast and ensures that your waffle doesn’t stick (it also gives you perfect waffles!).

The fat in your recipe doesn’t have to come from butter, it can come from eggs, clarified butter, egg yolks, avocado oil, or other sources.

It’s also possible to make waffles from pancake mix or Bisquick mix.

If you want to cook waffles without sticking then you need fat in the recipe or fat on the grids of your waffle iron. If your recipe is a fat-free one, you’ll likely need a cooking spray or some other form of fat.

For some great recipes that are also healthy and don’t require cooking sprays, check out our Top 10 Paleo Waffle Recipes.

How do you clean a sticky waffle iron?

If you use a waffle recipe with no or very little fat, chances are that your waffle will stick, even if your waffle maker has a non-stick surface. In this case, you probably should use spray.

However, you’ll need to use a damp cloth to clean your waffle iron plates. Non-stick spray can build up over time and damage your waffle iron.

Always follow your waffle iron’s directions on cleaning. But in general, you always unplug the waffle iron, let it cool down, and do not use chemicals or brushes.

Usually, a moist paper towel, soft brush, or sponge does the job well.

Remember, you’re not looking to “decontaminate” your appliance, you just need to remove the food particles that have stuck to it.

I find that a dry paper towel pretty much does the job for me!

Follow this guide for more detailed advice on cleaning a waffle iron.

Know your non-stick waffle maker

It can be tempting to just jump in and begin cooking waffles as soon as you get your new waffle maker, but don’t!

Read your instructional manual and know that it will take you a few times to understand exactly how to use it.

The same goes for a new recipe. If it doesn’t seem to work the first time, you might have made a mistake in the ingredients or measurements. Try it again or tweak it a little to see if it works for you.

In one case, I experimented with the timing of it to get just the right waffle out of the non-stick coating of my waffle maker. 2 minutes was too short and 4 minutes was too overcooked, 3 minutes gave me perfect waffles.

Mix Your Waffle Batter Gently

Waffle batter can be tricky. Waffle batters need to be smooth enough to flow through all the waffle grids but thick enough to bake and slightly rise. Mix ingredients together gently with a rubber spatula in an unbreakable bowl until ready.

When it comes to waffle batter, thicker is better. I always find myself adding a little bit too much water or using pancake batter and then needing to add more mix or add coconut flour to thicken things up.

How long do you leave a waffle in a waffle iron?

Don’t lift the lid on your waffle iron too soon!

Generally, always follow your waffle maker’s indicator lights, but if doesn’t have one, steam is a good indicator that your waffle iron is done. Don’t raise the waffle lid before you see this or you can prematurely cool the waffle and stop the baking process.

Think of it this way. If you’re baking a cake in the oven and constantly opening it to see if it’s done, the cake won’t bake correctly. That’s why ovens come with lights that allow you to see inside the oven.

In the same way, most waffle makers have indicator lights or sounds that alert you when it’s ready. Get a waffle maker with an indicator light and let it tell you when the waffle is done.

Doesn’t nonstick mean that it won’t stick?

No, not really. Having a nonstick waffle iron means that your waffles probably won’t stick, depending on your recipe. Again, the less fat you tend to use, the more likely that your waffles will stick.

Don’t let your waffles stick with this nonstick waffle maker

The Cuisinart WAF-F20 Double Belgian Waffle Maker is one of our favorites because it solves many problems that people have with waffle makers to begin with.

Not only does it bake two Belgian waffles at the same time, but it’s nonstick grids are especially good and it’s rotating action ensures even cooking. Even cooking means no undercooked spots that tend to stick.

In addition to that, it has a 6 setting browning control knob that allows you to customize heat. Best of all, it has two LED ready indicator lights to let you know when waffles are done. This is a GREAT waffle maker for those who constantly struggle with sticking waffles.

Here is a recap of its features:

Looking for another option? Check out the Old Fashioned Cast iron Stove Top Waffle Iron!

Wrapping up with How to Keep waffles from sticking

Waffle makers come in all shapes and sizes. But hopefully, they make the cooking process of making waffles super easy.

If you have trouble with your waffles sticking with nonstick waffle irons, it’s probably due to the recipe and a lack of fat than it is the actual waffle maker.

Make sure your recipe has enough fat and don’t pour your waffle batter on the waffle maker until it’s sizzling hot, then make sure you remove it when it’s fully cooked. This should stop waffles from sticking to non-stick plates.

Have we ended your waffle sticking problem forever? Let us know in the comments below!