Searching for the best frozen waffles has become a personal quest. See, I never used to buy frozen waffles, but then I had children. Now, they’re part of my weekly grocery list and have a designated space in the freezer. While I obviously want only the best frozen waffles for my children, it’s also a bit of a selfish desire. Because, since the waffles are there, I will have one every now and again. And I want that occasional frozen waffle to be the best frozen waffle.
In case you, like me, forgot frozen waffles existed for years, let me tell you: They are good—even the bad ones. 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 kids, they’re also good if you eat them still hard and extremely cold, straight from the freezer. And there are so many different frozen waffle brands making all kinds of frozen waffles!
Over the course of multiple taste tests, we tried whole grain frozen waffles, frozen Belgian waffles, frozen protein waffles, frozen blueberry waffles, frozen waffles that taste like cereal, mini frozen waffles, and so much more. We looked for frozen waffles that toasted up crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. We wanted them to taste like slightly sweet batter and, if they were flavored, we wanted that flavor to be obvious and evenly distributed throughout the waffle—no frozen blueberry waffles with just a couple blubes, please.
Here are the best frozen waffles you can find in your nearest freezer aisle.
- Full Circle Market Blueberry Gluten-Free Waffles
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Only two frozen waffle brands made it into our ranking of the best gluten-free frozen waffles, and the top spot went to Full Circle Market’s blueberry waffles. They taste like actual blueberries. They’re crispy. And while they aren’t chewy or fluffy on the inside, they will hold butter and plenty of syrup.
Read the full ranking of the best gluten-free waffles
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Kodiak Buttermilk & Vanilla Power Waffles
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Typically, products that bill themselves as being protein-enhanced don’t make the cut in our rankings (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,” one taster commented. But it’s cake with 12 grams of protein and whole grains. It definitely beats a protein shake.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- Evergreen Peanut Butter & Banana Waffles
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These small, rectangular frozen waffles fall somewhere between Kodiak’s Power Waffles and regular Eggo waffles. They contain 8 grams of protein—which is not nothing, but it’s not enough to entice powerlifters. We tried a few Evergreen flavors and they were all pretty good, but the peanut butter and banana was my favorite. It tastes like something you might make at home—especially if you’ve ever cooked for a toddler. These frozen waffles taste a lot like these healthy muffins I make for my toddlers. So, if you’re a grown-up with a full set of taste buds, you’re probably going to want to slather them in peanut butter and maybe even some sliced bananas for a little more flavor. They’re fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and some of the best frozen protein waffles if you’re trying to eat healthy-ish in the morning.
Credit: Liv Averett / Kroger
- Sprouts Organic Buttermilk Waffles
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When it came to choosing the best standard, pale yellow-toned frozen waffle, Sprouts’ offering out Eggo-ed Eggo. They crisp up really well in the toaster, which is what I want out of a thinner frozen waffle. And while they don’t have a super-strong buttermilk flavor, they have more of a buttermilk flavor than others. This is the best frozen waffle if you want a 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
- Kellogg’s Birthday Cake Waffles
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If you’ve ever wanted to eat Funfetti for breakfast, this is the best frozen waffle to make your dreams come true. These birthday cake waffles really taste exactly like they should. The yellow cake waffle is lightly sweet and perfectly acceptable, but the real stars of the show are the sprinkles, of course. They add color as well as that slightly artificial twinge that’s such an important component of any Funfetti-flavored food. They’re not good for you, but who cares. How much better would your day be if you started it with birthday cake waffles?
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Eggo Froot Loops
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If you like Froot Loops and you like Eggo waffles and you like the idea of the two of those things merging into one Frankenstein’s monster of a breakfast, then these are the best frozen waffles you could ever hope for. Because these frozen waffles really do taste like Froot Loops. There are even little crunchy bits of cereal in the mix—but the flavor runs throughout the waffle. Froot Loops are good. Waffles are good. These Froot Loops waffles are also good.
Credit: Liv Averett / Kroger
- Trader Joe’s Multigrain Waffles
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None of us were expecting to like a multigrain waffle so much. But there is something unique about Trader Joe’s Multigrain Waffles. 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. They do have that classic frozen waffle crunch before giving way to a soft chew. If you want a multigrain waffle, these are the best frozen waffles for your freezer. Top them with some blueberries to accentuate that mysterious flavor even more.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Sporked
- Trader Joe’s Blueberry Waffles
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If you don’t just want a mysterious hint of blueberry but a whole slew of actual blueberry flavor, Trader Joe’s Blueberry Waffles are the best frozen waffles out there. They’re light and crispy with a touch of buttermilk flavor, but mostly they’re packed with lots of real blueberries that burst with flavor. These handily took the top spot in our best blueberry waffles ranking.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen blueberry waffles
- Eggo Chocolate Chip
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If you wake up in a terrible mood, just pop one of these frozen chocolate chip waffles in the toaster. It can’t fix everything (it won’t erase student debt or bring your ex back) but it will give you a brief boost of dopamine because it’s just so good. Fresh from the toaster, the chocolate chips (and there are a lot of them) are melty and gooey and seriously chocolaty. You can get away with eating it for breakfast but for me this is the best frozen waffle for a midnight snack.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Eggo Thick and Fluffy Cinnamon Brown Sugar
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We were floored by these big, fluffy, cinnamon-sweet waffles in our best Eggo waffles taste test. If you like frozen waffles because of those doughy, chewy pockets, then this is definitely the best frozen waffle for you. And the flavor is perfectly balanced—not too sweet, but you can’t miss the brown sugar in the mix. If you’re looking for a frozen waffle for fall, grab these.
Read the full ranking of the best Eggo waffles
- Krusteaz Belgian Waffles
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This was far and away the best frozen waffle brand we tried—and they were certainly the best frozen Belgian waffles. 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. They have the perfect amount of sweetness with just a slight nod to vanilla. They are crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Incredible. They’re so good that I can even get over how much I dislike the name “Krusteaz.” Well, almost.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Sporked
Best Gluten Free
Best Protein-Packed
Best Healthyish
Best Buttermilk
Best Treat
Best Cereal Flavor
Best Multigrain
Best Blueberry Waffles
Best Chocolate Chip
Best Eggo Waffles
Best of the Best
Other frozen waffle brands we tried: Evergreen Mixed Berry & Almond, Evergreen Pumpkin & Pecan, Kellogg’s Unicorn Waffles Cotton Candy, Kellogg’s Dragon Waffles Green Apple, Birch Benders, Great Value Buttermilk Waffles, Kroger Homestyle Waffles, Van’s Gluten-Free Waffles, First Street Homestyle Waffles, 365 Organic Homestyle Waffles, Good & Gather Buttermilk Waffles
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