Light, crisp, and hearty, these oat waffles with yeast are a wholesome twist on classic diner-style waffles. The yeast creates a tender interior with crispy edges while adding a subtle depth of flavor you simply can’t get from quick batters. Even better? You can prep the batter the night before for an easy, stress-free morning.
Made with a blend of flour and old fashioned oats, these waffles offer whole grain goodness with a satisfying texture. Add a sprinkle of chocolate chips for a fun, delicious variation!
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Culinary Tips for the Best Overnight Oat Waffles
- Keep the water temperature warm (<120°F), not hot, or you will kill the yeast!
- Be sure to measure the flour correctly. Fluff, spoon, and level! Packing it into the cup will result in dense waffles.
- If you tend to use a lot of syrup to top your waffles or you just prefer a less sweet waffle, use 1 Tablespoon of sugar. If you like to top it with fresh fruit, plain yogurt, and/or nut butter, use 2 Tablespoons.
- Don’t overstir the batter! Too much mixing can result in tough waffles. Stir gently until all ingredients are moistened; the batter should be slightly lumpy.
- If the batter looks a little too thick, add more milk. If too thin, add a spoonful of flour.
Ingredient Swaps & Substitutions
- Yeast: use active dried or instant yeast.
- Sugar: substitute brown sugar, coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, or agave. Mix liquid sweeteners in with the wet ingredients.
- Milk: If you want to make vegan whole wheat waffles, use soy milk.
- Butter: substitute canola, avocado, or melted coconut oil. However, there’s just no replacing the flavor of butter!
- Vanilla and Almond Extract: leave one or the other out or substitute with ½ teaspoon of coconut extract.
- White Whole Wheat Flour: substitute whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour. You can also substitute regular whole wheat flour, but the flavor, color, and texture won’t be quite as light. If you don’t have white whole wheat flour, you can substitute half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour, although this will slightly decrease the fiber content. To make gluten-free waffles, use a gluten-free flour mix, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour, but note that the fiber content may decrease.
- Oats: Use old fashioned or rolled. Steel-cut are too tough for quick breads. You can also substitute with additional flour as indicated in the recipe.
- Spice: think cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, gloves, pumpkin pie spice—all of the traditional “sweet” baking kinds.
- Eggs: substitute two flax eggs or ½ cup fruit puree. To make two flax egg, mix 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseeds with 6 Tablespoons water. Let sit for 10 minutes or until thickened.
Recipe Variations
Mix things up based on your taste:
- Add cinnamon or nutmeg for a warm spice flavor
- Stir in chopped toasted nuts for crunch
- Add fresh or frozen berries
- Swap chocolate chips for dried fruit
Looking for yeast waffle inspiration?
Try our base recipe, explore our variations, and then have fun experimenting with your favorite ingredients to suit YOUR taste!
Healthier Overnight Yeast Waffles Base Recipe
Cinnamon Waffles with Yeast
Strawberry Waffles with Yeast
Equipment Recommendations
Make sure your kitchen is stocked with these tools for easy preparation!
Check out our essential equipment guide to stock your kitchen with ALL the tools you need to prepare anything and everything!
Are oat waffles healthy?
For sure! Featuring whole grains from oats and less added sugar, they already surpass store-bought mixes and most recipes online when it comes to nutrition. The combination of oats and flour adds fiber and important nutrients often lacking in traditional waffles.
Whole Wheat Flour
Whole wheat flour is a good source of fiber, B vitamins, Vitamin E, trace minerals, and phytonutrients. Replacing refined grains (i.e. white flour) with whole grains (i.e. whole wheat flour) may reduce the risk of developing chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
Confused about the pros and cons of gluten? Check out our gluten article that provides evidence-based information about this controversial protein!
Oats
Oats are a good source of fiber, especially beta-glucan, which may help lower cholesterol and support heart health. They also provide important vitamins and minerals like manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium.
Learn all about the different oats here!
Low Added Sugar
High sugar consumption is not good for health, and in general, most Americans eat way too much. Men should aim to consume less than 9 teaspoons (~36 grams) of sugar per day, and women should aim to consume less than 6 teaspoons (~24 grams) of sugar per day. This entire recipe only contains 1 Tablespoon of added sugar, which is only about 1.5 grams per waffle (depending on your waffle iron size)!
Learn more about hidden sugars in this article.
Explore our Ingredient Guide for more tips on choosing the freshest, most flavorful picks for your recipes. Because great ingredients = great food! 🌟🍴
How to Serve
Hold the oat waffles in a warm oven (170 ºF) or the warm setting in a microwave until ready to eat.
Serve with Greek yogurt, fruit, nuts or nut butter, or a side of scrambled eggs for a balanced breakfast full of healthy carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
Learn how to build a healthy balanced meal with our Whole Life Plate, meal plan, and book!
Storage Tips
Want oat waffles from scratch every morning? Cook once, and eat all week! Multiply the recipe by your desired final yield, cook, and cool. Place cooled waffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Frozen oat waffles are great for a quick “reheat and eat” breakfast. For best quality, place cooled waffles in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze for 1-2 hours, then place in a freezer-safe container. This helps prevent the waffles from sticking to each other. Reheat in the toaster for a nice crispy exterior until warmed through.
Want more oat-based breakfast ideas?
Check out these other delicious recipes, and as always, make to YOUR taste!
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FAQS
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Oat Waffles with Yeast
Equipment
- Waffle Iron
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 cups whole milk
- 6 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup mini dark chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine yeast, sugar, and water. Set aside for about 5 minutes or until foamy.
- Add milk, unsalted butter, vanilla, almond extract, and salt. Whisk until combined.
- Add flour and oats and whisk until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 2 to 3 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Heat waffle iron. Whisk eggs into waffle batter. Stir until combined.
- Using a pastry brush or paper towel, lightly coat the iron with oil or melted butter. Add about ½ cup of waffle batter to the iron for each waffle. Cook waffles until golden and crisp. Sprinkle with chocolate chips if desired. Enjoy!
