Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup buttermilk (or milk + 1 tbsp vinegar)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Additional Ingredients
- 1½ cups peeled, diced tart apple (such as Granny Smith)
- Optional: ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Extra powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Prepare the apples: Peel, core, and dice the tart apples into small chunks. Set aside for folding into the batter later.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly combined.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the large eggs, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, buttermilk, melted unsalted butter, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and well incorporated.
- Combine wet and dry: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix to keep the waffles tender.
- Fold in apples and nuts: Gently fold in the diced apples and optional chopped pecans or walnuts to ensure they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Preheat waffle iron: Lightly grease your waffle iron with nonstick spray or butter and preheat it according to manufacturer instructions.
- Cook waffle donuts: Spoon about ¼ cup of batter onto the waffle iron for each waffle donut. Close the lid and cook for about 3–5 minutes, or until the waffle donuts are golden brown and crisp on the outside.
- Cool the waffle donuts: Transfer cooked waffle donuts to a wire rack to cool slightly while you prepare the glaze. This helps maintain their crispness.
- Make the glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar, 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Adjust milk quantity to achieve your desired consistency.
- Glaze and garnish: Drizzle the vanilla glaze over the warm waffle donuts and dust with extra powdered sugar for a finishing touch.
- Serve: Enjoy the waffle donuts warm or at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
Notes
- Use tart apples like Granny Smith for a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors.
- To keep waffle donuts crisp, avoid stacking them while warm.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute buttermilk with almond milk and non-dairy butter alternatives.
- Chopped nuts are optional but add a nice crunch and flavor contrast.
- Glaze consistency can be adjusted by adding more powdered sugar for thickness or more milk for a thinner drizzle.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
- Method: Waffle Iron
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 waffle donut
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
