First published July 27, 2017. Last updated April 12, 2025 for editorial improvements.
Table of Contents
- 🎥 Watch and cook: step-by-step video tutorial
- 🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
- 📖 Recipe
- 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- Marye's tips
- 🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat
- 🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with blue cornmeal waffles
- 🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose leftovers
- 👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
- 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- ✍🏻 A note from Marye...
- 💬 Comments
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
🎥 Watch and cook: step-by-step video tutorial
Different recipe, but the techniques are the same or very similar.
Slip off your Birks, pour some fair-trade coffee, and let's talk waffles-these blue cornmeal beauties are like a warm hug from Mother Earth herself. With a crispy crust that gives way to a soft, fluffy center, they've got the kind of texture that'll make your inner food nerd swoon. The nutty, subtly sweet flavor of blue cornmeal tastes like late summer-sun-warmed, golden, and a little nostalgic.
Top 'em with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream, and you've got the most deliciously chill 4th of July breakfast on the block. Everyone loves these waffles, but honestly? They just feel like home.
🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
Blue cornmeal has a distinctively different flavor than yellow cornmeal - I think it's a little sweeter, a little nuttier, and maybe a little hard to describe. You can find it at most health food stores, Whole Foods, or on Amazon.
📖 Recipe
Blue Cornmeal Waffles Recipe
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup blue cornmeal, *see note below
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 eggs, separated and room temperature
- 1 pinch cream of tartar
- 2 cups buttermilk
- ½ cup butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the waffle iron.
- Mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside.
- Separate the eggs carefully and set the yolks aside.
- Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they hold stiff peaks. Set aside.
- Beat the egg yolks with the buttermilk and butter until well mixed.
- Add the yolk mixture all at once to the cornmeal mixture and mix quickly - just until batter is smooth.
- Let the batter rest for a few minutes before folding in the egg whites and cooking to ensure the best texture.
- Fold in half the beaten egg whites to loosen the mixture up.
- Carefully fold in the remaining egg whites.
- Pour about ¾ cup of the batter onto the hot waffle iron and bake according to manufacturers instructions. The exact amount you need will depend on the actual waffle maker you use.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- Blueberry Bliss: Fold in fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter for a fruity twist.
- Savory Twist: Add chopped green onions and shredded cheese for a savory version.
- Spicy Kick: Mix in a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder for a bit of heat.
- Substitute: You can substitute yellow or white cornmeal if you can't find blue but it will be a different flavor. I'd suggest using my regular cornmeal waffle recipe.
🤫 Marye's secret for zhuzhing it up -
Top your waffles with a dollop of honey butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon for an extra special touch!
zhuzh: verb. To make something more interesting or attractive
Marye's tips
- Egg whites won't whip up if you have even a smidge of fat on the bowl or beater. I rinse my bowl and beater with vinegar just to cut any possible fat and give it an extra boost from the acid.
- Separate the eggs when they're cold and then let them come to room temperature. This will make them separate more easily, and the yolk will be less likely to leak into the white.
- If you underbeat the egg whites, they will be too loose, and if you overbeat them, they will be clumpy. Beat them just until you can pull the beater straight up and a stiff peak forms on the egg white.
- Let the waffle iron get hot! It can take as long as 30 minutes so read your manufacturer's instructions.
- Keep the finished waffles on a wire rack in a warm oven until ready to serve. If you stack them they'll get soft.
- Don't overmix the batter; a few lumps are okay and will make the waffles fluffier.
🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat
Store any leftover waffles in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. Waffles freeze very well. Just put a square of waxed paper between them then place in a freezer bag.
To reheat, simply pop them in the toaster or oven until warmed through.
🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with blue cornmeal waffles
Go all patriotic with this summer fruit salad drenched in honey lime dressing.
Deviled eggs are always welcome on the brunch table around here!
This midnight kiss cocktail is one I serve on New Year's Eve but that beautiful dark blue color is perfect for the 4th of July, too.
🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose leftovers
- Waffle Breakfast Sandwich: Use leftover waffles to make a sandwich with eggs, cheese, and bacon.
- Waffle Croutons: Cut leftover waffles into cubes and toast them for crispy croutons on salads or soups.
👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
Yes, you can substitute regular yellow cornmeal, but the blue cornmeal gives a unique flavor and color.
It's best to make the batter fresh, but you can mix the dry ingredients ahead of time and add the wet ingredients when you're ready to cook.
Blue corn is usually grown in the southwestern United States and has a nuttier flavor than yellow or white corn. When it's raw it's actually a gray color. Nutritionally blue corn and blue cornmeal are similar to white or yellow varieties.
The USDA has made an effort to include this traditionally, Native American food in the various programs it offers as a way to support the cultural connection with the past. Because of things like this I think there is more awareness of these unique flavors than ever before.
Blue cornmeal isn't hard to find in most places. You may need to look at a natural foods store like WholeFoods, Trader Joes, or Sprouts if your grocer doesn't carry it. You can also get it on Amazon.
📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
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✍🏻 A note from Marye...
Vintage Waffle Maker Traditions
Waffles were a rarity when I was growing up. Whenever I saw that my mom had pulled out the old waffle maker I knew not to go to far!
My mom's waffle maker was old then and now I guess it's a bit of a dinosaur. It's got a fabric cord and carved wooden handles plus beautiful Art Deco designs on the top of the waffle irons. She'd gotten it in the early 1930s and she used it right up through all of my growing up years. I have it because it looks cool but I don't use it. Although to be honest, I doubt that it's been used more than 30 or 40 times in the past nearly 90 years!
Whip up a batch of these waffles (vintage waffle maker not required), snap a pic, and tag me-because I need to see those blue cornmeal waffles in all their crunchy, fluffy glory! 🌾💙✨ @marye_restlesschipotle #RestlessChipotle #WaffleMagic
Snapper2 says
I was surprised by the entire stick of butter but followed the recipe as written. Resulting waffles were soggy and oily straight out of the waffle maker. Will not be making these again. Might try to develop my own recipe using blue cornmeal. Very disappointing
Marye says
That's odd. I am sorry they didn't work for you. Did you separate the eggs and beat the whites until stiff?