Today, 25 March, is International Waffle Day. I couldn't let such a holiday pass me by – and my waffle iron needed to be used again anyway.
While my inaugural dish for the Belgian waffle iron was savoury waffles (you may remember my Parmesan waffles), it was now finally time to try the classic sweet version. And since two bananas had been ripening in my office, almost reaching their end-of-life stage, I decided to make banana waffles. It was almost fate.
Perfect for using up overripe bananas
I have an ambivalent relationship with bananas. If they are crisp and yellow and don't have any brown spots yet, then I'll eat one every now and then. They're not exactly my favourite fruit. Still, if it's not too often, there's nothing wrong with a crisp banana.
But when they get older, brown and soft and give off that intense smell, I can't get enough of them. At least not in their pure form. That's when they're at their best for use in the kitchen. Namely for banana bread, porridge and Banana Waffles. In these dishes, you really need the aroma and sweetness of very ripe bananas to get the full flavour.
So if you feel the same way I do and can only look at brown bananas with a slight grimace, then off to the kitchen with them! Banana waffles are the perfect dish to give more meaning to the motto ‘food is precious’.
It's the topping that makes the waffles perfect
Waffles on their own? Boring. Of course you can, but then you're missing out on the best part! Here are the absolute must-have topping ideas for banana and other sweet waffles.
maple syrup
Without maple syrup, there would be no pancakes or waffles. Its unique flavour is simply part of the experience. This is how you make your waffles in the classic American style. This is a typical diner breakfast in the USA.
butter
I'm a fan of butter. Margarine doesn't even make it past my doorstep, let alone into my fridge. A nice piece of butter goes perfectly with waffles. And honestly, at that point, it's not about the extra calories anymore.
bananas
Bananas are a natural choice for banana waffles. That's kind of obvious. However, here I use the yellow ones, because the brown ones have already disappeared into the batter.
berries
There's simply nothing wrong with fresh berries, period. Whether you use blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or other berries is entirely up to you. If you can't decide, just match the colour of the berries to the table decorations. It's that simple.
More tempting options
- whipped cream
- sweetened cream cheese
- whipped cream mixed with sour cream
- Nutella (OMFG)
- chocolate chunks
- nuts
- dried fruit
- caramel or dulce de leche
- jam
By the way, if you don't have a waffle iron and want to buy one, I definitely recommend getting one for Belgian waffles. These are the thick waffles with indentations that can hold so much Nutella and maple syrup! ❤
Banana Waffles
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 120°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper and place in the oven.
- Mix the dry ingredients together.
- Mash the ripe, brown bananas with a fork until they form a pulp.
- Mix the eggs, milk and bananas well with a mixer. Mix in the dry ingredients.
- Switch on the waffle iron and preheat it.
- Coat the plates with a little oil. Pour in the batter and bake the waffles one after the other.Keep the finished waffles warm on the baking tray in the oven. This will make them even crispier. Caution: Do not stack them, otherwise they will soften again.
- Top with fruit of your choice and serve with maple syrup and butter.
