Easy DIY Waffle Bar

Throw together an easy DIY waffle bar to celebrate Galentine’s Day this February or weekend brunch with your favorite people.  Fruit, nuts, chocolate, nut butter, and whipped cream are just a couple of the yummy toppings you’ve got to include in your waffle bar. This idea is a fun way to celebrate, because who doesn’t love waffles, and it doesn’t take much effort to assemble.

[This recipe was originally posted in January 2019. It has been updated with cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes, and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]

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Celebrate Galentine’s Day, February 13th, with a yummy waffle bar. I’m sharing my favorite waffle bar ideas that your girlfriends will love, and you will too because they’re so easy and delicious.

How will this waffle bar make your life easier?

Watch your favorite chick flick & make it a potluck for an even easier party. I usually make the waffles and ask all guests to bring their favorite topping. a few movie recommendations are: 9 to 5 (my personal fave!), Mean Girls, the Other Women, She’s the Man, Booksmart, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Now & Then.

Here are a couple other brunch ideas to serve if you don’t want waffles only: Make Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches, Breakfast Sausage Casserole, PB Chia Pudding, Breakfast Tacos (turn it into a breakfast taco bar!), Apple Omelet with Sharp Cheddar, Easy Yogurt Bowl (again, turn it into a yogurt bowl bar!), Huevos Rancheros, and something delicious to drink.

What makes this DIY waffle bar so good?

• Pancake/Waffle mix
• Berries
• Bananas
• Fresh whipped cream
• Peanut butter
• Nutella
• Chocolate chips
• Nuts
• Maple syrup

How do I make everything for this waffle bar?

Prepare your favorite waffles. Heat up waffle iron, and spray waffle iron with cooking spray before pouring batter in. Cook waffles.

Expert Tip: use your favorite pancake/waffle mix OR make your own. Here’s a great & easy recipe from The Stay at Home Chef.

While waffles are cooking, heat up oven to 200 degrees, place a large baking pan in oven with a lid. Transfer cooked waffles to baking pan to keep them warm as the others cook.

Expert Tip: or make them ahead of time and refrigerate/freeze ahead of time. Then reheat in oven or toaster so they don’t get soggy.

Cut up fruit and toppings, put toppings in serving bowls. Place bowls of toppings on a table, add waffles right before serving. Serve and enjoy.

Expert Tip: Use strawberries, nutella, peanut butter, bananas, yogurt, whipped cream, and chocolate chips as toppings!

Expert Tips

• Use your favorite pancake/waffle mix OR make your own. Here’s a great & easy recipe from The Stay at Home Chef.
• If you want to make chocolate waffles, here’s an easy recipe using plain pancake/waffle mix.
• You can also make waffles ahead of time and refrigerate/freeze ahead of time. Then reheat in oven or toaster so they don’t get soggy.
• Serve with any of the following for variety: scrambled eggs or frittata, bacon, sausage, cocktails or mocktails.
• Use strawberries, Nutella, peanut butter, bananas, yogurt, whipped cream, and chocolate chips as toppings!
• Make about 1/4 recipe more than the number of guests you anticipate, unless you’ve got a lot of protein rich foods. This will ensure you’ve got a few extra if anyone wants seconds!
• Freeze remaining waffles for a quick and exciting breakfast

FAQ

What’s the best waffle mix?

You 100% can make your own waffle mix, but honestly, there are lots of great ready to mix pancake/waffle mixes out there. Here are a couple of my favorites-

• Kodiak Cakes (literally ALL the flavors), they taste sooo delicious, have whole grains, and you only have to add water (and a bit of oil for waffles)
• Bob’s Red Mill whole grain pancake/waffle mix
• Simple Mills Gluten Free mix

How do you keep waffles warm on a waffle bar?

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and place the waffles on a cookie sheet (not covered) to keep them warm & crisp.

What is on a waffle bar?

My absolute favorite waffle toppings are fresh (or thawed frozen) fruit, chocolate whipped cream, and syrup. But you can also top your waffles with chopped nuts, chocolate syrup, jam, bananas, caramel, ice cream, yogurt, or make them savory with cheese and bacon. Really there is no wrong way to top a waffle.

What foods go with waffles?

I get it, waffles with sweet toppings are great and all, but sometimes you just want something savory to go along with them. I’d recommend making eggs of some kind, scrambled are easiest, and you can keep them warm in the oven too! I’m also a huge fan of breakfast sausage &/or bacon. The meatiness and saltiness in these breakfast classics pair really well with sweet waffles & the other toppings. Again, you can keep them warm in the oven too!

How do I make easy chocolate waffles?

Oh, this is so easy. I add cocoa powder and sugar to my regular waffle mix, here’s the recipe. It’s delicious, chocolatey, and best of all, really easy!

What can I make with leftover ingredients?

• (fruit) 5 Min Strawberry Sauce, Yogurt Bowls, Triple Berry Chia Pudding, Berry Popsicles, Turkey Sandwich with Blueberry Mustard, Summer Berry Salad, Sparkling Berry Lemonade, Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Dressing.
• (pancake/waffle mix, syrup) freeze leftover waffles, Bananas Foster Pancakes.

Did you make a waffle bar? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!

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