Can I Use Butter Instead Of Oil For The Waffles Recipe? | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

FAQs

Can I use butter instead of oil in a waffle maker? ›

Generally you can switch oil for melted butter in a waffle recipe. This gives a slightly richer waffle, erring towards a Belgian-style waffle.

If you don't have any vegetable oil on hand, you can substitute another neutral high-heat oil. Canola, safflower, peanut or grapeseed oils are all great choices. Refined versions can reach even higher temperatures than unrefined ones.

Generally, unsalted butter is the defacto butter for baking Liege waffles and most other baked goods. However, choosing ingredients falls on preference. If you like an extra bit of saltiness to offset sweetness, by all means, choose salted butter. (Recipes aren't set in stone.

Many people cook their homemade waffle batter using melted butter, and while butter may add fat, richness, and depth of flavor to your waffles, it isn't always the best choice for the crust.

Chris Bradley, the waffle-slinging chef at Phoenicia Diner, warns that—even though butter is best for waffle batter—you probably shouldn't use butter to grease your hot waffle iron, because the butter will likely burn and turn bitter before your waffle cooks through.

Replacing Oil with Butter

It couldn't be easier to substitute butter for oil using a 1:1 ratio. This should work with olive, canola, vegetable, and coconut oils. Simply melt and cool the butter to room temperature, then continue with your recipe. (If the recipe calls for ½ cup oil, use ½ cup melted and cooled butter.)

Each of the ingredients we added has a special job in the waffle-making process. The oil helps keep your pancake mix from sticking to the iron as well as allows the exterior to get crispy, which the sugar helps as well.

Grease the Waffle Iron With Cooking Spray

If you're looking for how to make crispy waffles in a waffle maker, try using cooking spray instead. Cooking spray won't burn as rapidly as butter, and will help achieve that satisfyingly crisp outside you crave.

Baking powder and baking soda: Help our waffles rise and brown. I recommend using both for the best waffles. Sugar, salt, and vanilla extract: Make our waffles taste amazing. I keep the sugar amount low since I love pouring maple syrup on top, but you can increase the sugar for sweeter waffles.

Should you let waffle batter rest? ›

Recommended overnight or 2 hr resting – for the tastiest waffles, rest the batter overnight in the fridge or for at least 2 hours. This makes the flour grains absorb the liquid so it makes the inside of the waffles softer.

Most waffle makers are nonstick, like my personal favorite shown above from Sur La Table, but sometimes a little extra “love” makes them release that much easier. To grease the pan, consider using a pastry brush and neutral oil like vegetable, canola or grapeseed oil to lightly grease the surface.

It won't stick either way, but if your grease it, it'll make your waffles have that sizzled crisp texture on the outside. That being said, most waffle recipes contain enough oil or butter in them, so they'll sizzle a little also, regardless is whether or not you oil the plates.

How much butter is 1/2 cup of oil? 1/2 cup of liquid cooking oil equals approximately 2/3 cup of butter.