3 Frozen Waffles That Are (Almost) Better than Homemade
In the great debate of pancakes vs. waffles, I am without a doubt a card-carrying member of team waffle. For me, a waffle takes all the sweet, buttermilk goodness of a pancake and adds caramelized, craggy crevices that lock in all the butter and syrup you want.
While I love a weekend brunch out (or at home) full of homemade waffles, the frozen ones are the kind I’m most acquainted with these days. That doesn’t mean that they’re any less majestic compared to the waffles you can make from scratch or grab at your favorite brunch spot. Hardly! In fact, I’ve taken it upon myself to taste my way through countless boxes of frozen waffles (protein-packed, homestyle, vegan, and gluten-free varieties) over the years. Here are the ones that are (really!) as good as homemade.
1. Nature’s Path Organic Gluten-Free Homestyle Waffle
Yes, you’ve read correctly. The number one position goes to a gluten-free waffle. This is no mistake! As I stated above, I’ve sampled my way through all kinds of waffles; Homestyle, buttermilk, protein-packed, multigrain, gluten-free, plant-based … you name it, I tried it. And I’ll stand by the fact that Nature’s Path Organic Gluten-Free Homestyle Waffles are, without a doubt, the best of the best.
They’re actually so good, you almost don’t need to top them with syrup, as they’re perfectly sweet thanks to a splash of pear juice in the batter. These waffles crisp up like a dream, too, becoming crispy on the outside and magically doughy (despite the lack of gluten) on the inside. A waffle that everyone can enjoy? A major winner of a waffle.
Buy: Nature’s Path Organic Gluten-Free Homestyle Waffles, $4.98 for 7.4 ounces (6 waffles) at Instacart
2. Annie’s Organic Homestyle Waffles
If you like your waffles a bit more on the buttery side (because you definitely plan on adding some really good maple syrup to balance it all out), you need to grab a few boxes of Annie’s Organic Homestyle Waffles.
These guys are capital B buttery, lightly salty, and overall a perfectly crisp vehicle for a wide variety of toppings — whether it be more butter and syrup, peanut butter and banana, or my current favorite: an egg patty, bacon, and a bit of maple butter, with these waffles as the bun.
Buy: Annie’s Organic Homestyle Waffles, $4.49 for 9.8 ounces (8 waffles) at Kroger
3. Lopaus Point The Original Gluten-Free Waffles
Yes, you’re reading this correctly: Two, count ’em, two gluten-free waffles rose to the top of my waffle ranking system — and for good reason. If you’ve ever daydreamed about taking banana bread batter and experimenting with ladling it into a waffle maker, Lopaus Point gluten-free waffles will make this daydream a reality. These thick, home-y waffles (which feature banana and flax) taste just like homemade banana bread batter, but in buttery, crispy, fluffy waffle form. You could totally fool brunch guests into thinking you made these from scratch.
These are a bit on the trickier side to track down, so when you find them be sure to stock up. I stumbled upon them at a more, dare I say, elevated grocery store near me, and they tend to be stocked at similar organic-adjacent, co-op style stores on the coasts, as well as Costco and Whole Foods in the Midwest. They’re so very worth tracking down, and you can do so by searching for stores that stock them in your areas.
Buy: Lopaus Point The Original Gluten-Free Waffles, $9.99 for 11.5 ounces (6 waffles) at Instacart
Do you have a go-to brand of frozen waffles? Discuss in the comments below!