Waffles aren't only for those with a sweet tooth – they're the perfect versatile dish that works for any meal of the day. And the best part about them is how easy they are to make. All it takes are a few simple steps, so dig into our Belgian waffle recipe!

Everybody loves a good ol' fashioned waffle breakfast, complete with all the trimmings. Or maybe you prefer a savory treat for lunch.

Wherever your appetite may take you, one thing you'll never have to worry about is preparing waffles themselves.

Whipping up a batch of waffles from scratch is a quick, easy, and surprisingly healthy choice.

Forget about that pre-made batter; just take a look at the TAG24 food guide, and soon you'll be sticking your fork into a delicious homemade waffle in no time.

Let's dive in!

Waffles are incredibly easy to make if you have a proper waffle maker at home.

All you need to do is mix together the batter, figure out your toppings in advance, and allow the appliance to work its magic.

Make sure you keep your waffle iron clean, get that batter correct, and get your trimmings ready before you start cooking the waffles themselves. After all, you want them to be warm and fluffy, not cold.

This Belgian waffle recipe is pretty straight forward, but there's one device that you are going to need if you hope to get even close to making a good waffle: a good waffle iron. Don't worry, they're not particularly expensive and you can pick them up from most supermarkets and department stores.

There aren't many ingredients you need to make good Belgian waffles. Aside from eggs, the most important ones are butter and sugar, which lend the waffles that incredible flavor we've all grown to love.

Here are the waffle ingredients:

• Eggs – 2
• Full cream milk – 1.5 cups
• Standard flour – 2 cups
• Caster sugar – 4 tablespoons (tbsp)
• Baking powder – 2 tbsp
• Salted butter –1/2 cup
• Vanilla essence – 2 tsp
• Spray-on oil

That's a pretty short and straight-forward list. Nice and easy is the name of the game here!

Belgian waffles are incredibly delicious and it only really takes two steps to make them: creating the waffle batter, and cooking the waffle batter.

How to make waffle mix from scratch

Step 1: Mix together the flour, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl.

Step 2: In a second bowl put the milk, pre-melted butter and vanilla essence together and mix thoroughly. Beat in the pre-whisked eggs.

Step 3: Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix together with a large wooden spoon or a beater for around 5 minutes, until completely combined and very creamy.

Step 4: Set aside the batter and prepare your trimmings.

How to cook waffles

Step 1: Preheat your waffle iron.

Step 2: Use the spray-on oil to grease the waffle maker, making sure to coat all surfaces of the grill itself so that the waffle doesn't stick.

Step 3: Use a ladle to scoop the waffle mix into the waffle maker, close the device, and wait for the amount of time specified by the instructions, or until golden brown.

Step 4: Once cooked, remove the waffle and continue until you have made as many waffles as you want.

Step 5: Serve with whatever else you want to have with the waffles and have a cup of coffee.

There are tons of great things to eat with your waffles – some classics, some more experimental, and some just straight-up weird.

Here are some waffle-pairing suggestions:

• Fried chicken
• Jam
• Nougat cream
• Maple syrup
• Bacon
• Fruits and berries
• Yogurt
• Honey
• Powdered sugar and lemon
• Whipped cream
• Cinnamon
• Eggs
• Salmon
• Cheese
• Fried chicken

Now some of these might sound odd, but even something as unusual as fried chicken with maple syrup as a combo might surprise you. Give it a go, you won't regret it!

Although the waffle vs. pancake debate rages on, in general, you want to avoid using straight pancake mix to make waffles. But it doesn't mean that you can't slightly change the mixture to make it suitable. The core ingredients are, of course, pretty much the same, but a helping hand is needed.

A good rule is to add about 1tsp of vegetable (neutral tasting) for every cup of pancake mix. This will increase the overall fat content and help to create that texture you want in a nicely cooked waffle.

Making your waffles gluten-free isn't as complicated as it sounds: all you need to do is replace the flour with a gluten-free option, add some xanthan gum (about a 1/2 tsp) and pick yourself up some gluten-free baking powder. There are lots of gluten-free flour options out there:

• Almond flour
• Buckwheat flour
• Arrowroot flour
• Brown rice flour
• Rice flour
• Oat flour
• Corn flour
• Chickpea flour
• Coconut flour
• Tapioca flour

Remember that you need to add that xanthan gum, as it will change the consistency of the gluten-free flour, allowing for a better texture in the waffles you make.

As always, there's a vegan alternative for you and it's not that complicated.

Here's what you need to change to make vegan waffles:

• Oat, coconut milk, or another vegan milk (instead of standard milk)
• Coconut oil, or another neutral tasting oil (instead of butter)
• Vegan baking powder
• Remove all eggs from the mixture

The taste and texture of vegan waffles is slightly different, but not in a bad way. With some fruity toppings, you've got a delicious dish on your hands.

The bad news for those watching their calorie intake is that no matter what you do, there's no avoiding the fact that waffles are inherently fatty.

That being said, there are a few healthy options available to you:

• Make pumpkin or butternut squash waffles
• Use cornflour, rice flour, almond flour, chickpea flour, or some other alternative to standard wheat flour
• Include lots of healthy fats in nuts
• Include lots of healthy sugars with fruits
• Try to reduce the amount of oil or butter you use

As with everything, moderation is the way to go. Enjoy!