While classic waffles and pancakes are lovely, you’re missing out if you don’t venture into additional ingredients, and this waffle recipe is a great way to showcase the flavor of corn. These waffles are perfect for chicken waffles — both fried chicken or as my family ate them: with maple syrup and a scoop of homemade chicken salad. They are also enjoyable as a traditional breakfast and you can use the same batter for pancakes if you thin it out a bit with milk or water.
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Since getting a countertop grain mill in 2017, I’ve enjoyed pancakes and waffles with fresh milled buckwheat, chickpea, and corn flours. The latter is one of my favorites but I’ve always yearned for an even more intense corn flavor. So with this recipe I’m using both corn flour and immersion blended canned sweet corn liquid included. The corn flours I tested were Bloody Butcher and White Olotillo. These heirloom field corn varietals have delicious deep flavors, but you can use a store-bought corn flour instead of home milled if it is finely ground. The base of the recipe is still all purpose flour, so the waffles are chewy and have a delicate crisp at the edges.
Here is a short video demonstrating a range of batter hydration for waffles.
I tested this recipe three times and the most important thing I learned was that canned corn has different nutrition facts even though the ingredients are the same: corn, water, salt. One store brand of organic sweet corn had 7 grams sugar per can while another, non-organic store brand had 24.5 grams sugar per can. (There are 3.5 servings in a 14-ounce can.) This meant I was either adding to the batter 14 grams sugar or 49 grams sugar via the two cans of corn. For reference, 1 Tbsp sugar is 12 grams. For this reason, the sugar in the recipe is listed as a range of 0-2 Tbsp. I found the batch with 38 grams sugar between the canned corn and table sugar was the perfect sweetness and I put guidelines in the recipe’s notes section for approximating this.
The salt content between the canned corn brands had wide range also: two cans either added 1.4 grams sodium or 2.2 grams sodium. For reference, there is about 2.3 grams sodium in 1 teaspoon of table salt. If you’re sensitive to salt or your canned corn is particularly salty e,g, more than 320 mg sodium per serving, you might reduce the recipe salt from 1/2 tsp to 1/4 tsp.
This recipe doesn’t use canned creamed corn because those ingredients vary even more widely, with actual added sugar and corn starch. If you need to use it though, skip the sugar in the recipe list, use a pinch of salt, and expect to need a drizzle of water to thin out the batter.
Ready to mix
Corn waffle batter
Red and yellow corn
White and yellow corn
Corn Waffles and Pancakes
If you love the flavor of corn, these waffles (or pancakes) are such a treat. The heirloom corn flour and sweet canned corn combine to pack a tasty punch, yet the texture of the waffles is still classic with a perfect chewy inside and crispy edges.
Ingredients
160 grams corn flour (scant 1 1/4 cup)
260 grams all purpose flour (2 cups)
0-2 Tbsp sugar (0-24 grams) *See Notes
2 tsp baking powder (10 grams)
1/2 tsp salt (3 grams) ** See Notes
2 15.25-ounce cans of sweet corn including the liquid, immersion blended or food processed
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (85 grams)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract (8 grams)
option to add water or milk if making pancakes to thin the batter
Instructions
Prep your ingredients by melting the butter, milling the corn flour, and immersion blending the corn and its liquid. Do not strain.
In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until combined.
Scoop the batter onto your greased waffle iron or skillet for pancakes. Cook until golden and crispy.
Serve immediately or put on a cooling rack to prevent condensation from making the waffles soggy. Freeze leftovers and toast to reheat.
Notes
* Suggested sugar amount for canned corn with:2g sugar per serving, use 2 Tbsp sugar3-4g sugar per serving, use 1 Tbsp sugarmore than 5g sugar per serving, use 0-1/2 Tbsp sugar.** If your canned corn has more than 320 mg sodium per serving, reduce the salt in the recipe to 1/4 tsp.