I love breakfast for dinner. I mean, I love breakfast anytime, but eating it for dinner is particularly comforting. These Banana Brûlée Buttermilk Waffles are an easy weeknight dinner, and they are a recipe I turn to when I need something homey, warm, delicious, and quick. In the age of Rona Teaching, that is a feeling I stumble into a lot. And these sure do hit the spot.
Comfort food to combat the general suckiness.
Lots of us are dealing with things right now that require some serious COMFORT in our lives. As a person that likes to be in control and have a plan, this past year has felt like…terrible. So bad. Not being able to plan for the long-term future? Yeah, that makes me uncomfortable. Not being able to plan for next week? Really really freaks me out.
The world feels pretty unstable at the moment, and there are a lot of reasons. A few of mine:
My husband and I postponed our October 2020 wedding last summer for May, and we made the decision this week to postpone it…. again. That means more calling vendors, apologizing to our guest list, rescheduling the rehearsal dinner…. you get it. It’s a lot. I know it is the right decision for us because it will hopefully let us have the big party that we want, but it was still beyond frustrating to have to call up my cake vendor and explain the situation…again.
I am also deeply disturbed by the words, actions, and perceived motivations of the Indiana legislature and Governor Holcomb this week, both about teacher access to the vaccine and about public education in general. As a teacher I am constantly astounded at the lengths that our state government will go to to strip power from educators and public school districts. If you live in Indiana, please do your research about the current bills affecting public education being negotiated in the current legislative session so that you can help break the cycle.
Anyway. Back to food.
Banana Brûlée Buttermilk Waffles: the elements.
Brinner is such a comfort experience. Salty. Sweet. Familiar. Easy to cook and easy to eat. And these waffles definitely make for a fantastic brinner. Just add some bacon on the side, some sliced fruit, and some scrambled eggs, and you’ve got yourself one fancy weeknight dinner my friends.
I like my waffles to be crisp, sweet, full of flavor, and filling. The waffle batter is made with buttermilk and a mix of white flour and whole wheat flour. (Not going to lie, I added that whole wheat flour so I could pretend this was healthy. Leave it out and use all AP if you don’t have any). I also season liberally with loooots of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, and some salt of course.
To change up the sweetness a little, I swapped out my usual white sugar for some brown sugar, and I think it made a big difference. The waffles almost seemed more… caramelized? Or something?
I chose to put a gooey caramelized banana topping on these bad boys, but you could definitely change that up. My apple pie filling would be great on these, but you could also health it up a little. Top with fresh raw fruit (blueberries, peaches, strawberries…), granola, apple butter, or whatever else appeals to you. I like it with bananas, though. I fried up some sliced bananas in butter, threw in some brown sugar and cinnamon, and cooked it all down with some pecans. Yummy yummy.
This batter also works well for pancakes if you don’t have a waffle iron. My sister-in-law bought my vertical waffle iron for me, and I absolutely love it because it cleans up so easily, makes perfect waffles every time, and is honestly just really cute. Highly recommend!
Waffle Tips
- I always panic about only being able to cook one at a time. What if they all get cold before we eat and then the butter won’t melt?? Set your oven to the lowest setting (mine is 170 F), stick your dinner plates in there, and as you finish the waffles, chuck them in the oven on the plates to keep them warm while you finish making the rest.
- Taste your batter so that you can test the flavor profile before you commit. I like a lot of cinnamon, for example, so I frequently find myself adding more.. Don’t be afraid to add more.
- Don’t overmix. You know you don’t want tough waffles. A few lumps are ok. Just like in life.
Ultimate Banana Brûlée Buttermilk Waffles: the Comfort of Brinner
Course: Uncategorized6
servings30
minutes20
minuteslots.
kcalIngredients
- Waffle Batter
200 g AP flour
50 g whole wheat flour
2 T brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 t cinnamon
½ t nutmeg
Dash of cloves
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
2 large eggs
- Banana Topping
3 bananas, sliced
1 T cinnamon
Dash salt
2 T butter
1 T brown sugar
Directions
- Make your waffle batter by adding all batter ingredients to a large mixing bowl, and whisk until just mixed. Preheat your waffle iron according to manufacturing instructions and begin cooking them.
- While they are cooking, melt the butter for your banana topping in a medium saucepan. Add all other ingredients and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes or until bananas are soft and caramelized. Set aside until you are ready to assemble.
- Top your waffles with banana topping. Add whipped cream if you wish.
What meals do you turn to when you are looking for some serious reassuring comfort food?
