How to reheat waffles - The best way

Having a batch of waffles in the freezer is amazing as you can quickly whip up a delicious Sunday morning breakfast where everyone craves the crispy, golden brown that waffles offer, but when no one feels like cooking them right from the start.

Frozen waffles also make weekday morning breakfasts a lot easier, and offer a quick fix to desserts when your sweet tooth calls.

When it’s time to get some waffles out of the freezer, what’s the best way to warm them up?

How do you reheat waffles? Waffles easily reheat in the microwave, oven, or toaster. The best way to ensure crisp waffles when reheating is to reheat them in the toaster. The oven does a good job of ensuring that the waffles are crisp, but the toaster will crisp them up in no time, and the waffles can even go in the toaster from frozen.

Read on for the best way to reheat waffles, plus some extra tips for all your waffle needs.

The best way to reheat waffles

The best way to reheat waffles so that they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside is to use the toaster. Next we’ll look at step-by-step instructions for reheating waffles in the toaster, and then we’ll touch on the other reheating methods.

If you don’t have a toaster or don’t want to use one, don’t worry, the other methods are just as effective!

So with the peace of mind that you can reheat your waffles on basically any kitchen appliance with success, here’s how to reheat delicious waffles.

Reheat waffles in the toaster

The toaster is ideal to use when you need a quick breakfast on the go, reheating waffles throughout the week for an easy meal. The toaster is also capable of giving waffles a great crunch, which is ideal for those who like an extra crunch to their waffles.

To toast the waffles, you’ll need to make sure your toaster has a slot wide enough to accommodate the waffle.

Reheat the waffle in the toaster for one minute and check to see if it has fully reheated. If not, return the waffle to the toaster for another 30 seconds, repeating this operation until the waffle is heated through.

Advantages of using a toaster

If you don’t want to risk the waffle getting soft or rubbery in the microwave, the toaster is a good method of quickly reheating a waffle.

You can also toast the waffle from frozen, as some of the newer toasters have a defrost function. The toaster will give your waffles a crispy exterior and a warm, soft interior.

If you’re not in love with your toaster, by the way, consider getting this one from Amazon, it will completely change your life.

Cons of using a toaster

If you leave the waffle in the toaster for even 30 seconds too long, you can end up with a burnt, hard-to-chew waffle that won’t make for a good breakfast.

If your toaster has a heat setting, set it to medium, to further reduce the risk of your waffle burning.

Also, you can only reheat as many waffles as your toaster will allow at one time, the larger ones allow 4 and the smaller ones only 2, so for larger families, this isn’t necessarily ideal.

Reheat waffles in the microwave

Using the microwave to reheat waffles is the fastest way to do it. You can have a batch of hot waffles to eat in no time.

You can microwave frozen or refrigerated waffles, but frozen waffles take a little longer to reheat.

Put a waffle in the microwave and heat it up for one minute. Take out the waffle and check the temperature; if more heating is needed, microwave waffle again in 30-second increments, until waffle is heated through.

It’s best not to microwave waffles too long, as they can get too soft and slightly soggy, or at the other extreme, dry out and rubbery.

One of my favorite tools whenever I microwave something like this is a microwave crisper plate (I use this one from Amazon). It’s basically a special dish that absorbs microwave energy and heats up like a frying pan. This is perfect for things like pizza and waffles, because you’ll get a nice crunch.

Advantages of using the microwave

Obviously, the microwave is best for reheating waffles in the shortest possible time. Within minutes you’ll have deliciously hot waffles, ready for some fruit and honey.

You can also reheat frozen waffles in the microwave, which means you don’t have to thaw them first.

Cons of using the microwave

By reheating waffles in the microwave, you run the risk of making them soggy, or dry out and too chewy.

Microwaving tends to absorb moisture from food, so microwave the waffle just long enough to reheat it, but not long enough to dry it out.

Also, you will only be able to reheat one waffle at a time in the microwave, which can be tedious for a large family.

Reheat waffles in the oven

Reheating waffles in the oven is suitable for those who feed a large number of people, since quite a few waffles can fit on a baking sheet that is placed in the oven.

The waffles can also be popped in the oven from frozen, so again, you won’t have to wait for them to thaw.

To reheat the waffles in the microwave, you should place them in a single layer on a clean baking rack. Place the rack in a preheated 300 degree Fahrenheit oven and allow them to heat up for 10 minutes, and for about 15 minutes if heated from frozen.

Advantages of using the oven

The oven is undoubtedly the best method for reheating a large number of waffles in one go, so no one has to wait for theirs while watching others eat.

Baking also helps waffles get closer to their original texture and flavor, more than the other methods. Frozen waffles can also go directly into the oven.

Cons of using the oven

The oven takes longer to reheat the waffles compared to the toaster or microwave, since you have to wait for the oven to preheat before you can place the waffles inside, and then you have to wait 10 minutes for the waffles to reheat.

How to Freeze Leftover Waffles

When you cook your next batch of waffles, double the recipe to make sure you have a few waffles left over. Place the leftover waffles on a drying rack and allow them to cool to room temperature.

• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the waffles in a single layer.
• Cover this single layer of waffles with parchment paper and place in the freezer until frozen.
• Take the tray out of the freezer and place the frozen waffles in a plastic freezer bag (make sure it’s a quality double-zip bag, like these from Amazon), each separated from the other with a square of waxed paper.
• Squeeze as much air as you can from the plastic freezer bag.
• Pre-freezing the waffles prevents them from sticking together during the freezing process, and by placing wax paper between the waffles, it allows you to easily scoop out one at a time, without having to defrost the entire batch.

Waffles, properly stored this way, can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months.

After this time they can be eaten, but if they are kept in the freezer for longer, the texture and flavor of the waffles will start to deteriorate. So use the waffles within 2 months so they taste the best possible.

You can also choose to freeze the waffles in an airtight container; however, plastic freezer bags take up less space in the freezer, especially if you have a fairly large number of waffles to freeze.

If you want to freeze waffles for yourself for breakfast, you can place them in small freezer bags to make it easier to portion them on those busy mornings.

Related questions

How do you get waffles crispy again?

Reheating frozen waffles also prevents them from getting soggy, as excessive exposure to moisture can soften the waffles and ruin the outer crust.

Letting the waffles thaw overnight exposes them to moisture, so toasting them from frozen prevents this, and allows for a crispy, golden outer crust.

Can the waffle batter be frozen?

If you don’t feel like cooking all the waffle batter you’ve made, you can freeze the waffle batter for later use. You do this by placing the waffle batter in a plastic freezer bag, mason jar, or plastic container.

It can be frozen up to 2 months. To use the batter, you’ll need to let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then pour it into a waffle iron when it’s time to cook.

Using a plastic bag to freeze the waffle batter is a good idea, as once the waffle batter is thawed, you can cut the bottom of the plastic bag to pour the waffle batter into the waffle maker.

reheat the waffles

It’s very easy to reheat waffles, and you can choose to reheat leftover waffles in the oven, toaster oven, or even microwave. Some methods are fast, such as toaster or microwave, while the oven, which takes longer, will give you better results, with waffles that are soft on the inside and crisp on the outside.

Make a double batch of waffles the next time you eat them for breakfast, and freeze the leftovers to reheat later for an easy meal.