Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These Belgian style protein waffles are crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. And with 20 grams of protein per waffle, you can meal prep them to enjoy for breakfasts all week!
Your Sunday breakfast menu definitely needs to include these Blueberry Buttermilk Protein Pancakes! They are so incredibly fluffy and tender inside, crisp on the outside, and lightly sweet with that classic buttermilk tang. Want to meal prep them? Go for it! They hold up well in either the fridge or freezer so you can enjoy them whenever you want.
Note: the photos for this recipe were updated in 2026. The recipe was re-tested at that time and remains the same as the original version.
Buttermilk FTW!
Part of the magic of buttermilk waffles (aside from the incredible flavor) is that the buttermilk reacts with the baking powder inside the batter to create ultra fluffy waffles! A couple notes for creating a successful buttermilk waffle:
- Don’t over mix your batter! You want to mix it until things are just combined – but no more. Some little lumps are fine, as long as there are no big clumps of exposed flour.
- Crank up the heat on your waffle maker! This will ensure a crisp outside rather than a steamy, soft waffle.
- Don’t have buttermilk at home? Go buy some! Seriously…it’s so much better than trying to make your own at home. If you want to sub it out, check out some options here.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to make these Blueberry Buttermilk Protein Waffles at home:
- Flour – All purpose flour works great. I haven’t tried any gluten free substitutions and can’t speak to how they’ll work in this recipe.
- Protein powder – A mix of whey and casein protein powder works best for the most “normal” waffle texture. Read more in the callout box below!
- Buttermilk – While you can make a buttermilk substitute at home, I really don’t think there’s anything that can truly replicate how buttermilk behaves and tastes in pancakes and waffles! It really does bring an amazing flavor and makes them really tender. If you’re interested in some of the food science behind it, check this article out.
- Applesauce – This is a favorite of mine in healthier baked goods to replace some of the oil or butter. You could also try mashed banana, though it will give these waffles a blueberry banana flavor instead of just blueberry.
- Eggs – Both eggs and egg whites are necessary in this batter to hold the waffles together. Since protein powder is taking the place of what would normally be flour, these waffles lack some of the gluten that would normally help hold things together.
- Butter – A little bit of fat from butter is helpful to get these waffles crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. I don’t recommend any substitutes.
- Brown sugar – This recipe doesn’t call for much sugar, but a little bit really does help with browning and crispiness on the outside of the waffle (plus the flavor, of course!). Regular granulated sugar would work if you don’t have brown sugar on hand.
why it matters:
Whey vs Casein Protein
Whey and casein behave very differently in recipes, and it’s important to use a blend of the two to get the best of both worlds for these waffles. If you were to use all whey in this recipe, the waffles would yield a rubbery texture and wouldn’t rise properly. Using casein all alone would thicken up the batter and dry them out. A 50/50 mix of the two brings the best of both worlds so you get a really tender waffle.
Some brands offer a pre-mixed whey and casein blend or even a protein powder meant specifically for baking, but I prefer to mix my own.
Meal prep waffles:
Tips for Making a Big Batch
Making a big batch of waffles may seem a little tedious because you usually have to make them one or two at a time, BUT it’s pretty easy to keep them fresh and crisp to feed a crowd or freeze them to enjoy later as a meal prepped breakfast.
- As you get the first batch of batter ready to go in the waffle maker, turn your oven on to the lowest setting. You can use the warming drawer for this, but if you’re like me and that’s just a storage space for pans, 100-150°F in the oven will work just fine.
- Line up a couple of half sheet pans with cooling racks – the racks are key to avoiding sogginess.
- As you churn out waffles, stick them on a cooling rack/sheet pan combo and place them in the oven to stay warm and crisp.
- Check on them every 10ish minutes to make sure they’re not getting too crisp.
Freezer directions: If you want to freeze the waffles, skip the oven altogether and allow the waffles to cool completely on the cooling racks. Freeze them in air tight containers or bags. To reheat, an air fryer or toaster oven works best – I recommend 280°F for 6-8 minutes (from frozen).
Shop for this Recipe
I have an older version of the double Belgian waffle maker pictured here, which is what I used to make this recipe. Other great waffle maker options are this classic single waffle maker by Breville and this one that makes thick Belgian-style square waffles (also by Breville).
Buttermilk Blueberry Protein Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour, (150 grams)
- 1 scoop Cellucor Whipped Vanilla Whey Protein, (32 grams)
- 1 scoop Dymatize Elite Casein Protein Powder, (33 grams)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- 1 1/4 cups blueberries, frozen or fresh, (185 grams)
- 1 1/4 cup low fat (1%) buttermilk, (10 fl oz)
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, (246 grams)
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar, (12 grams)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, (1 1/2 oz)
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat waffle iron to medium-high heat (I set mine to about 5 out of 6).
- In a small bowl, whisk wet ingredients (except blueberries) together until smooth.
- In a larger bowl, mix all dry ingredients, then add mixed wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in blueberries.
- Spray waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour 1/5 of waffle batter into waffle iron (~1/2 cup), flip waffle maker to other side and repeat. Cook for about 4 minutes or until waffle is cooked through (depending on your waffle maker, it will beep when it's ready). Repeat with final waffle.
- Serve waffles with maple syrup, butter, and fruit, if desired.
Tips & Tricks
Nutrition Information
