Nutty Crispy Oatmeal Waffles

I love light, fluffy and crispy oatmeal waffles. There's something about the chewy, crunchy texture that makes the waffle taste even more delicious.

So, what's the secret to crispy waffles?

Well, some recipes will tell you to use cornstarch to get a crispy outer texture. But I combine two unique ingredients to achieve my crispy texture—and some days I only use one of them.

I won't make you wait to find out. The secret combination is cornmeal and walnuts. The cornmeal gives it such a nice crunchy texture but it doesn't alter the taste. It's barely noticeable, except for the crunchy, crispy texture it leaves.

But if you can't wrap your mind around using cornmeal in a waffle, then you can certainly leave it out. My son has sensitivities to corn, so I make his waffles using only the walnuts. They still have a nice crispy texture and are still very delicious.

How do I make my waffles stay crispy?

The secret to getting and keeping that crispy texture is to give the waffles time to sit and cool. In fact, just about any oat waffle will have a better consistency the next day. To reheat, simply place it directly on a toaster (or oven) rack at 250⁰ F until it gets crispy and hot.

These waffles freeze very well, so I usually make an extra-large batch each time. I freeze half and wrap them individually so I can easily pull out one of two for a quick meal. Use the same reheating method above to make a frozen waffle crispy again.

To complete it, pair these crispy oatmeal waffles with my blueberry syrup or my cinnamon apple syrup for a tasty topping. Or simply use fresh fruit or your favorite nut butter, if you'd prefer. The combinations are endless, so just alter it to your taste.

What's the best waffle iron to use?

For this recipe, I used a Belgium waffle iron like this one:

It makes large waffles that are thick and fluffy and crispy too. You can separate the waffle into 4 pieces for smaller portion sizes. I've been using this waffle iron for years and love the results. You can grab one from your local store or on Amazon.