Bacon Cheddar Savory Waffles
If you like your breakfasts more savory than sweet, you’re going to love this savory waffle recipe! They’re every bit as fluffy and delicious as the standard, but they swap the sugar and syrup for crispy bacon and sharp cheddar.
Some people like to forgo the chocolate chip pancakes doused in syrup and glazed donuts for breakfast in favor of scrambled eggs, bacon, and other savory options. If this describes you, then these bacon cheddar savory waffles are going to be your new favorite breakfast.
Yes, savory breakfast lover, now you can also enjoy fluffy waffles for breakfast! These bacon cheddar waffles have the same pillowy texture and crispy edges that make waffles so dang irresistible, but they’re loaded with savory flavor instead of being sweetened with sugar and topped with syrups, whipped cream, and jam.
If you’ve tried our savory pancakes, these waffles are similar, but being waffles, they have all those deep square pockets for holding all the toppings. You’re going to love them with sour cream, bacon jam, avocado slices, salsa, sunny-side up eggs, and other savory waffle toppings.
About this savory waffle recipe
Easy to make. There’s really not much of a difference in making savory waffles versus sweet waffles. You’ll skip the added sugar, omit the vanilla extract, and instead stir crumbled bacon and sharp cheddar into the batter. Then you pour them into your waffle maker and let them cook to fluffy, golden, crispy perfection!
Great for dinner, too! While waffles are always a good pick for breakfast, these savory waffles are a good dinner option, too. You can make savory waffles and chicken, use square waffles to make epic waffle sandwiches, or keep it simple and eat them as is. However you serve them, they’re a guaranteed hit!
What you need
- Dry ingredients – All-purpose flour, baking powder, kosher salt
- Wet ingredients – Milk, egg
- Mix-ins – Cooked crumbled bacon, sharp cheddar cheese
Shortcut: You can swap bacon bits for the cooked crumbled bacon if you’re in a time crunch and don’t want to cook the bacon separately.
How to make them
Prepare. Preheat your waffle maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Make the waffle batter. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the milk and egg and whisk again, until no lumps remain. Fold in the bacon and cheese.
Start the waffles. Spray your waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Then, add enough batter to fill half of the iron; consult with your waffle maker’s user manual to determine the exact amount.
Tip: Instead of nonstick cooking spray, you can brush leftover grease from cooking the bacon onto the waffle iron. This will make your savory waffles more bacon-y.
Cook the waffles. Cook the waffles for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they’re cooked in the middle and beginning to brown along the edges. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Tip: You can keep the cooked waffles warm in a 250ºF oven for up to 30 minutes if you want to serve all of them at the same time.
Serve. Plate the waffles and pile them high with your favorite toppings.
FAQs
There are all different kinds of savory waffles! Ours are made with a flour base, but others are made with cornmeal, and some keto versions are made with cheese and eggs. Savory waffles might have pureed or mashed vegetables mixed into the batter, while hash brown waffles are made with shredded potatoes.
Yes, you can cook bacon in a waffle maker. Heat it to medium, set the bacon on the iron, and close the lid. Cook for about 2 ½ minutes. If you do this, you can use the residual grease on the iron to cook your savory waffles.
How to make these savory waffles your own
We love these bacon cheddar waffles as-is, but there are a lot of ways to switch things up!
- Add some allium flavor. Minced chives or thinly sliced green onions are a great addition to savory waffles; you can either mix them directly into the batter or use them as a garnish.
- Make them spicier. Add cayenne or your favorite hot sauce to the waffle batter—or, again, you can use these as a garnish so everyone can make their waffles as spicy (or not spicy) as they’d like.
- Swap out the cheese. You can use any type of shredded cheese you like in this recipe—try Gruyere, gouda, or smoked cheddar.
- Make them vegetarian. Omit the bacon or use your favorite plant-based bacon.
Storage Suggestions
Leftover bacon cheddar savory waffles can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze any leftovers for up to 3 months.
Reheating Tips
Reheat these savory waffles in a toaster, toaster oven, or 350ºF oven; reheating will take a bit longer if you’re starting with a frozen waffle. A microwave will work too, but your waffle will be soggier.
More savory breakfast recipes
- Savory Sweet Potato Pancakes
- Instant Pot Scrambled Eggs
- Savory Bacon Dutch Baby with Cheddar Cheese
- Mexican Street Corn Fritters
- Zucchini Fritters with Cheddar and Chives
Get the Recipe: Bacon Cheddar Savory Waffles
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup cooked crumbled bacon
- ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the waffle maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the milk and egg and whisk to combine until no large lumps remain.
- Add the crumbled bacon and shredded cheese and fold them in.
- Grease the pre-heated waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Add enough batter to fill half of the iron– I added 1 cup of batter to my 6” waffle iron.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the waffles are fully cooked in the center and beginning to brown around the edges.
- Repeat steps 4 and 5 until all of the batter is used. You can keep the cooked waffles warm in a 250ºF oven for up to 30 minutes while you make the remaining waffles.
- Enjoy immediately, garnished with your choice of toppings.
Notes
- Keep cooked waffles warm in a 250ºF oven for up to 30 minutes if you want to serve all of them at the same time.
- Leftover waffles can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze any leftovers for up to 3 months.
- Reheat in a toaster, toaster oven, or 350ºF oven; reheating will take a bit longer if you’re starting with a frozen waffle. A microwave will work too, but your waffle will be soggier.