Bubble Waffles
on Jul 20, 2020, Updated Jan 17, 2025
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Cute, fun and delicious, these trendy Bubble Waffles are also sometimes called Hong Kong Waffles, Egg Puffs, or Puffles. They're tender and eggy on the inside, crunchy on the outside, perfect for breakfast, dessert, or an indulgent snack..
Bubble Waffles originated in Hong Kong and started getting super popular everywhere else several back. They have a honeycomb-like texture and are very often served folded into a cone shape, filled with ice cream — a newfangled waffle cone. Bubble waffles are a little sweeter and more eggy than regular American waffles. They are cute and delicious, crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. You may see them called Hong Kong Egg Waffles, egg puffles or egg waffles or puffle waffles. And they are so easy to make, as long as you have a bubble waffle maker!
My younger son orders Bubble waffles when he sees them on a breakfast menu, preferably topped with ice cream and whipped cream. Of course, this is not exactly a reasonable breakfast, more like a dessert, but sometimes I am an indulgent mother. He is a skinny kid, and I figured he should eat waffles with ice cream, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce (or strawberry topping!) while he can.
Serve bubble waffles with a seasonal fruit salad for some balance!
Table of Contents
Bubble Waffles: Cute and fun and delicious, these are also sometimes get called Egg Puffs or Puffles. They can be shaped into a cone, or served up like regular waffles with whatever toppings you like!
How to Use a Bubble Waffle Pan
The bubble waffle pan I use is from Pampered Chef. It heats on the stove, but electronic versions are also available. (If you have an electric bubble waffle maker, plug it in and follow the machine’s directions.)
To use a stovetop bubble waffle iron, spray each side of the waffle puff pan with nonstick spray. Preheat the Waffle Puff Pan on medium heat for 3 minutes. Pour in 3/4 cup of waffle batter, making sure to fill all the bubbles. Flip the waffle maker over and cook for 3 minutes. Flip the waffle maker again and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the puffles.
Ingredients
- Flour
- Baking powder – Baking powder makes your bubble waffles puffy and light.
- Corn starch
- Egg
- Milk – A combo of milk and water thin the batter for these waffles.
- Water
- Butter – When it comes to baking, use unsalted butter, always!
- Vanilla extract – A drop of vanilla extract rounds out the flavors of your bubble waffles.
- Toppings – I decided to serve my waffles in a more traditional waffle format (Is this because I’m lazy? Who’s to say?), but still keep to the ice cream thing. And go for the gold in terms of toppings — a full-on dessert bubble waffle. These days, we will take any simple pleasures that are available to us, and this — this is a lovely, if slightly guilty, pleasure.
Variations and Substitutions
- Want your bubble waffle in a cone shape? When you remove the waffle from the pan, it will be soft and pliable while it’s still hot. Mold your waffle into a cone as soon as you can hold it comfortably in your hands. As it cools, it will crisp up. You can use a clean dishtowel to protect your hands.
- If you want chocolate waffles, add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the dry ingredients.
- Add up to 1/4 cup of crushed cookies, cereal, or pretzels to your batter if you’d like to shake up the flavor and texture of these waffles.
How to Make Bubble Waffles
- Whisk together the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt.
- Combine the wet ingredients: Whisk together the egg, sugar, milk, water, butter, and vanilla.
- Make the bubble waffle batter: Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture just until combined. There should be a few lumps.
- Prep the waffle maker: Spray each side of the waffle pan with nonstick spray. Pre-heat the Waffle Puff Pan on medium heat for 3 minutes (if you have an electric bubble waffle maker, plug it in and follow the machine’s directions).
- Cook the first side: Pour in 3/4 cup of waffle batter, making sure to fill all the bubbles. Flip the waffle maker over and cook for 3 minutes.
- Flip and repeat: Flip the waffle maker again and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve: Remove with a fork and top with your favorite toppings (maple syrup, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, berries!), or mold into a cone shape while it’s still warm, and fill with ice cream when it is cool.
FAQs
Bubble waffles usually have more egg in the batter, which makes them more pliable and gives them a slightly eggier taste. They are thinner than regular waffles, and they are often shaped into cones while still warm and then used to hold ice cream or other fillings.
Well, you can call them bubble waffles for sure, but they are also referred to in Cantonese as gai daan jai (雞蛋仔). In English, they also sometimes get called Egg Puffs or Puffles, or sometimes eggette, pancake balls, pancake waffles, egglet, and puffle. In New York City and other cities with robust Chinatowns, they might be called Hong Kong cakes.
Bubble waffles are a widely popular form of street food in Hong Kong. That’s why they’re also sometimes called Hong Kong waffles!
What to Serve With Bubble Waffles
More Dessert Recipes
- Butterscotch Brownies, aka Blondies
- Creamy Rice Pudding
- Simple Butterscotch Pudding
- One Pot Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
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Bubble Waffles
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt; whisk to combine. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, milk, water, butter, and vanilla. Whisk the egg mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined.
- Spray each side of the waffle pan with nonstick spray. Pre-heat the Waffle Puff Pan on medium heat for 3 minutes (if you have an electric bubble waffle maker, plug it in and follow the machine’s directions). Pour in 3/4 cup of waffle batter, making sure to fill all the bubbles. Flip the waffle maker over and cook for 3 minutes. Flip the waffle maker again and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove with a fork and top with your favorite toppings, or mold into a cone shape while it's still warm, and fill with ice cream when it is cool.
Notes
- Want your bubble waffle in a cone shape? When you remove the waffle from the pan, it will be soft and pliable while it’s still hot. Mold your waffle into a cone as soon as you can hold it comfortably in your hands. As it cools, it will crisp up.
- If you want chocolate waffles, add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the dry ingredients.
- Add up to 1/4 cup of crushed cookies, cereal, or pretzels to your batter if you want to shake up the flavors in these waffles.
Any chance I could skip buying another appliance I would rarely use and just do these in my regular waffle iron?
yes, but it won’t have the bubble waffle texture, and will be thicker. You would have a harder time forming it into a cone, but if you just want to make straight waffles this batter will work fine!
Deliciousness
Deliciousness!!!