You get the best of both worlds with these Easy Sweet and Savory Corn Masa Waffles 2 Ways. The base recipe for these waffles contains corn masa flour, buttermilk, lime juice and a touch of sugar to add layers of sweet and citrus notes to this sophisticated and satisfying breakfast.
Add a touch of cinnamon to the base mix for a sweet waffle. If you’re craving a hearty savory breakfast instead, top these corn waffles with a roasted pepper and black bean salsa, fresh avocado and even a fried egg. I’ll also share with you how to adjust the recipe to make these waffles completely vegan as well.
Hungry yet? Read on, grab your ingredients and let’s get started making your new favorite breakfast – waffles made with corn masa!
Jump to RecipeWhat is masa harina and why you need to add it to your pantry.
My initial, cheeky answer to this question is that masa harina is the equivalent of food from the culinary gods. It’s a staple in Mexican cooking, used in everything from tortillas, tamales and even these delicious and easy sweet and savory corn masa waffles. I think everything made with it is just downright delicious.
A more clinical and appropriate response would be that masa harina is essentially, dried “dough flour” as the King Arthur Baking Company most accurately refers to it. Corn masa is a prepared dough that has been dried and reground. The corn is first soaked in an alkaline solution before being ground. This process, known as Nixtamalization, is what produces the unique and rich corn flavor associated with many Mexican dishes that utilize corn masa as a major ingredient. If you’re interested in reading more on the Nixtamalization process, check out my post on Easy 30-minute Corn Chowder that uses hominy as one of the ingredients.
For everyday cooking, I use King Arthur brand masa harina almost exclusively – not just for the quality of the company’s products, but also because I value the fact that it’s an employee-owned company. If you can find a good blue corn or other type of heirloom masa harina to experiment with, I encourage you to do so. The variations on color, texture and taste are fun to experiment with.
In this recipe for Easy Sweet and Savory Corn Masa Waffles 2 Ways, I call for using white corn masa that can be found in most major grocery stores easily.
Buttermilk and cake flour help give these corn masa waffles a tender texture
There were three key areas that I focused on while developing this corn masa waffle recipe – maintaining a light texture through the blend of flours, finding the right leavening agent for the job, and developing layers of flavors.
- The right blend of flours. Most traditional recipes for corn masa waffles or cornmeal waffles call for a blend of corn meal and either bread flour or All Purpose (AP) flour. Most bread flours have a gluten content of 12 – 14 percent, while A.P. flour has a gluten content that ranges from 9 – 11 percent. I used these higher gluten flours in early versions, but the texture was too dense and heavy. In this recipe, I chose corn masa harina, which is finer than corn meal. And since the masa is gluten free, I still needed some gluten to provide the necessary structure to the batter. Cake flour (at 7 – 9 percent gluten content) provided a light crumb texture that kept the waffles from becoming dense and heavy.
- Baking soda and buttermilk. Baking soda is 100 percent sodium bicarbonate. When you add an acid and a liquid to baking soda, it works to neutralize the acids and creates air bubbles in the process. Baking powder is a blend of baking soda and an acid (usually cream of tartar). It only requires the addition of a liquid to kick the leavening into action. Baking soda is also three times stronger than baking powder. Since I wanted a quick, big lift on the waffles, I found that adding the baking soda to the buttermilk, in combination with the added lime juice, produced the most lift and best texture overall.
- Layers of flavor. The corn masa gives these waffles their robust, corn flavor. The buttermilk and lime juice bring bright citrus notes and if you choose to go the sweet route and add the cinnamon, those warm spice notes just tie everything together beautifully.
Although the batter for these Easy Sweet and Savory Corn Masa Waffles 2 Ways is thicker than a traditional waffle batter, the combination of flours used, buttermilk, egg and baking soda make the finished waffles light and delicate.
Flexibility makes these Easy Sweet and Savory Corn Masa Waffles 2 Ways even better
One of the things I love about this recipe is that it is so flexible. I recently prepared breakfast for my friends at Smart Offices and Smart Homes. We often do themes and this one just happened to be waffle bar theme. It was also Vegan…mostly. Ok, I had a healthy assortment of thick-cut, apple wood smoked bacon and pork sausage links as well as plant-based sausage patties on hand to keep everyone satisfied, but the waffles were purely vegan. Although the base recipe uses corn masa, cake flour, buttermilk, melted butter and egg, with just a few simple substitutions, you can make these waffles completely vegan.
Below are some of my favorite sweet, savory and vegan options you can try when preparing these corn masa waffles.
Sweet recommendations for these corn masa waffles
Add 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon to the base recipe. Top with thinly sliced Granny Smith apples and fresh blueberries. The tartness of the fruit really cuts the sweetness of the syrup and pairs perfectly with the corn and cinnamon. Serve with warm maple syrup or try this recipe for Blueberry Thyme Sauce for an extra special finish. Serve with a side of bacon or sausage and you have a perfect fall weekend brunch.
Savory recommendations for these corn masa waffles
Omit the cinnamon from the base recipe, but before adding a scoop of batter to the waffle iron, sprinkle 1 Tbsp. of cooked Mexican-style Chorizo over the batter (regular or plant-based) for a delicious variation. Minced jalapeño peppers and sharp cheddar are a nice touch, too.
You can also top with a simple vegetable salad made of roasted red peppers and corn, peppers, onions, cilantro and black beans. Sliced avocado and a luscious fried egg on top make for other great additions to these corn masa waffles as well.
For a vegan version of these waffles, make the following substitutions:
I’m sorry, but I simply could not eliminate the gluten. I tried. In test runs, I could eliminate one category or the other, but I could not find a palatable version to satisfy both gluten-free and vegan. Just ask the squirrels in my back yard who refused to eat the early test waffles. Usually they are pretty excited to see me approach the tree line, but since those early batches, they sit up high in the trees and throw down some serious shade on me.
- Substitute 1/2 cup of water for the buttermilk
- Use Bob’s Red Mill Vegan Egg Substitute (1 Tbsp. of egg substitute mixed with 2 Tbsp. of water) to replace the one large egg called for in this recipe
- Substitute 3 Tbsp. melted Country Crock Avocado Oil Plant Butter for 3 Tbsp. of regular butter
That’s all there is to it! The waffles will be slightly denser, but just as delicious. Give it a try all three ways, find your favorites and let me know how you choose to top your waffles. Enjoy!
Easy Sweet and Savory Corn Masa Waffles 2 Ways
Course: MainCuisine: Mexican-AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings5
minutes15
minutesThis recipe yields eight 4-inch waffles. Two waffles equal one serving. Although this recipe is developed for small batches, it can easily be doubled.
Ingredients
1/2 cup masa harina
1 cup cake flour
1/3 cup white, granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. yellow corn meal
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
1/2 cup low fat cultured buttermilk
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. baking soda
Directions
- Heat and prepare your waffle maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cake flour, masa, sugar, cornmeal, salt, and cinnamon (optional – for sweet version only). Set aside until ready to add the wet mixture.
- In a separate, 2-cup container, prepare the wet mixture by whisking together the buttermilk, egg, lime juice and melted butter. Add the baking soda at the very end and stir to incorporate. The mixture will bubble up so be sure to use a 2-cup capacity container.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and blend together with a spatula until completely blended. The batter will be quite thick and smooth.
- Scoop 1/4 cup of batter into the waffle maker and cook until golden brown and done – approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Keep warm in an oven set to 170 degrees F. until ready to serve.
- Serve with desired sweet or savory toppings and enjoy. Leftover waffles can be lightly toasted for best texture.
