I never used to buy frozen waffles, but then I had a child. Now, they’re part of my weekly grocery list and have a designated space in the freezer. And since they’re there, I will have one every now and again.
In case you, like me, forgot frozen waffles existed for years, let me tell you: They are good. There is something so satisfying about a crunchy, straight-from-the-toaster frozen waffle that a homemade Belgian waffle just does not have. They’re handheld. They’re more of a breakfast snack than a full breakfast. They’re a wonderful invention. And, according to my kid, they’re also good if you eat them still hard and extremely cold, straight from the freezer.
Unfortunately, because he’s not even two yet (and he had better things to do, like balance on one foot and yell “bubble”), we couldn’t have my child as our guest taster for our best frozen waffles taste test. So we got the next best person for the job: Mythical’s director of operations, Jordan Blazak. We tasted a school cafeteria’s worth of waffles and found that these were the best ones.
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- Krusteaz Belgian Waffles
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This was far and away the best frozen waffle brand we tried. As I remember it, the room went wild. We freaked the F (F stands for Frozen Waffle) out. Krusteaz Belgian-style waffles taste so close to homemade—scratch that—restaurant-made waffles it is mind blowing. “It’s a little buttery, it has some sweetness, and a lot of fluff,” Jordan said. For me, it had the perfect amount of sweetness with just a slight nod to vanilla. It was crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Incredible. It was so good that I even got over how much I dislike the name “Krusteaz.” Well, almost.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Sporked
- Trader Joe’s Multigrain Waffles
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None of us were expecting to like a multigrain waffle so much. “It’s got a little something special in there,” said Jordan. He was right—there is something unique in the mix. It almost tastes like there’s blueberry in there somewhere, which is a bit baffling but also delicious. I try not to ask too many questions when something tastes good. TJ’s waffles aren’t quite as crisp as Krusteaz, but they do have that classic frozen waffle crunch before giving way to a soft chew. If you want a multigrain waffle, opt for these. Top them with some blueberries to accentuate that mysterious flavor even more.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Sporked
- Sprouts Organic Buttermilk Waffles
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I really thought Eggo would be on this list. But when it came to choosing a standard, pale yellow-toned frozen waffle, Sprouts’ offering out Eggo-ed Eggo. They were nice and crisp, which is what I want out of a thinner frozen waffle. And while they didn’t have a super-strong buttermilk flavor, they had more of a buttermilk flavor than others. This should be your basic go-to frozen waffle. It’s what you should give Eleven from Stranger Things if she shows up at your door instead of her brand of choice. Topped with a pat of butter and some maple syrup, this would be an extremely satisfying weekday breakfast.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Sprouts
- Kodiak Buttermilk & Vanilla Power Waffles
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This was another surprise—a real dark horse in our waffle taste test. Typically, products that bill themselves as being protein-enhanced don’t make the cut (they often taste chalky and leave an unpleasant aftertaste in your mouth), but this one went so hard on the vanilla flavor it was hard to ignore. “This is angel food cake,” said Sporked writer Danny Palumbo. But it’s cake with 12 grams of protein and whole grains. “It feels like it came out of a hotel waffle press,” Jordan said. “It’s thick, fluffy, and tasty. It would be a great snack or meal after a workout.” It definitely beats a protein shake.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- Great Value Buttermilk Waffles
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Right now, I could buy a box of eight Great Value frozen waffles for a dollar. One dollar. That’s a good return on investment. These obviously weren’t at the top of our list, but they were more than serviceable. They’re crisp-chewy and, unlike many of these other options, they aren’t sweet at all. That means you can pour on even more maple syrup (we’re talking fake, thick, goopy maple syrup out of a squeeze bottle) or you can go savory with your toppings. Pizza waffle, anyone?
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
Best of the Best
Best Multigrain
Best Buttermilk
Best Protein-Packed
Best Budget
Douse the Most Important Meal of the Day in These 7 Maple Syrups
This taste test was the most surprising one to date. After trying many, many brands of maple syrup, we learned that everyone on the Sporked staff hates actual, authentic maple syrup.
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Last week I was pining for this exact article, and you all delivered. Thank you!
My family always used Krusteaz Belgian waffle mix for making waffles and I had no idea they sold them frozen! How awesome!