So many of us think that there’s only one kind of waffle. Boy, you could not be more wrong. Today, I’d like to introduce you to the magical world of the perfect waffle.

We’re making not just any waffles, but the three best versions of waffles that I can think of. First, we have the traditional sort of quick little baking soda waffle that you throw in the pan, and it’s done. Then we’re gonna make a classic Belgian Liege waffle, the one that you rise. A lot of people don’t make this because they think, “Oh my gosh, I have to put the yeast waffles to rise.” Listen, you just have to wait for like 40 minutes to do that. It’s not that bad.

And then the third would be a classic mochi waffle. I originally wanted to do these mochi ones with ube, but I couldn’t find any in time because they’re really freaking hard to find. I’ll do another guide, further in-depth about mochi, later. But despite all that, we’re gonna make these three waffles and decide if there really is a perfect waffle of all time.

The Easy More Americanized Waffles

Start with a medium-sized bowl and add:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

Give that a mix.

To that, add:

• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs plus 1 extra egg yolk

Start whisking that together, and once it starts to form a batter, slowly stream in ¾ cup gently melted unsalted butter. Once everything is incorporated and homogeneous, you’ve got your lovely batter. That’s really it.

Now all you have to do is preheat your favorite waffle iron, spray it with cooking oil, and add enough batter to fill the iron about three-quarters of the way around. Gently close it completely and let it cook, flipping almost immediately after you’ve closed it, assuming it can flip. Let it cook until it reaches a beautiful golden brown and is cooked through, which could be anywhere between two to five minutes, depending on the size of your waffle iron.

Pop that bad boy out of your iron, and that’s a gosh darn beautiful waffle if I’m being honest.

The Good Classic Part of Butter and Maple Syrup

To serve, give it that good classic pat of butter and a generous glug of pure, high-quality maple syrup. Something about those syrup drizzles activates a carnal desire part of the human brain and my body is ready for it.

The Classy Yeast-Risen Belgian Liege Waffle

This is a classy yeast-risen batter, which gives it its undeniably special flavor.

Start with:

• 1 cup whole milk

Heat it to around 95°F, then whisk in:

• 2 teaspoons instant yeast

Let that sit for five minutes at room temperature.

In a separate medium-sized bowl, add:

• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
• 2 room temperature eggs
• 1 egg yolk

Whisk that together, then stream in:

• 6 tablespoons gently melted unsalted butter

Emphasis on gently. Don’t get all excited and make your butter piping hot unless you plan on making scrambled eggs in the bowl.

Mixing and Kneading the Dough

In a large bowl, add:

• 3½ cups all-purpose flour

Make a small well, add your yeasty milk mixture and your egg mixture, then start mixing by hand until a shaggy dough forms.

Begin kneading for about five minutes, giving it a few slaps and folds here and there until you get a smooth dough. Yes, it will be sticky. Don’t worry.

Lightly shape that into a ball, place it in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise at room temperature for one hour or until doubled and juicy.

Adding the Pearl Sugar

Punch all the gas out of your dough and add:

• 1½ cups pearl sugar

Knead that in until evenly dispersed throughout the dough. There shouldn’t be any remaining in the bowl.

Divide your dough into 6 to 12 pieces, depending on the size of your waffle maker. Cover them with greased plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes.

Sure, the dough looks like it’s been rolled in crumpled styrofoam, but I can assure you it’s gonna be very jummy.

Cooking the Liege Waffles

Heat up your waffle iron, spray it with cooking spray, and add enough dough to fill about three-quarters of the iron.

Close it firmly to disperse and let it cook for about 20 seconds. Give it a flip if you can, and let it cook until beautifully deep caramelized and golden brown.

Carefully remove it from the iron and serve it topped with berries of your choice. Here I used strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries, although I’m not really a huge fan of blueberries.

Optionally hit it with a light dusting of powdered sugar.

And that is your beautiful Liege waffle.

The Last Final and Arguably Most Exciting One of the Day

Now we have our last, final, and arguably most exciting waffle of the day: the mochi waffle.

In a large bowl, add:

• 1 egg

Whisk that together, then while constantly whisking, stream in:

• ¾ cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons gently melted unsalted butter

Once combined, add:

• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ cup granulated sugar

Once creamy, add:

• 1½ cups mochiko sweet rice flour

Whisk everything together until you get a thick, almost paste-like batter.

Pour that into a piping bag and set it aside while making the banana foster.

Making the Banana Foster

In a large pan, add:

• ¼ cup unsalted butter

Heat over medium heat until melted, then add:

• ¾ cup light brown sugar

Stir to disperse, and as soon as it melts and begins to simmer, add:

• 3 bananas sliced into half-inch thick coins

Keep them evenly separated and let them cook in the buttery sugar mixture for about one minute or until caramelized on the underside.

Flip them all individually. Yes, it’s tedious, but we like precision here.

Now hit that with:

• A small pinch of salt
• A light sprinkling of ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ cup good quality rum

Pump the heat up to medium-high and as soon as the liquid comes to a simmer, ignite the steam using a kitchen torch. Stand back if you want to keep your eyebrows.

Constantly shake the pan to stir and emulsify the sauce as it forms into a beautiful glaze coating each banana slice.

Once the flame goes out, cut off the heat, and that right there is your rum caramel banana foster.

Back to Our Waffles

Heat your waffle iron and fill it with your batter. If you want more than four mochi waffles, you’ll likely need to double this recipe.

Close your waffle iron and allow it to cook until a beautiful, almost cloud-esque-looking waffle emerges from your waffle iron.

Something about this waffle looks almost cartoonish and special at the same time.

To take it even further, add a fat quenelle of chantilly cream, which is basically slightly sweetened whipped cream, followed by a generous helping of banana foster and a drizzle of the rum salted caramel.

Lord, have mercy.

The Taste Test

The traditional waffle is kind of like an upscale adult Eggo waffle. There’s a certain beauty to that, and it’s easy and fast to make. What’s wrong with that?

The Liege waffle has this ultra-chewy, crispy, caramelized outside with a brioche-like interior. It almost tastes like bread in the best possible way.

But the mochi waffle? That one was the best by far.

Even without the toppings, texturally, this is what every single waffle should be. Caramelized to perfection, slightly crunchy, chewy, and unbelievably satisfying.

Then the banana foster comes in, the whipped cream comes in, and it all starts coming together into one ridiculous bite.

It honestly gets better as you keep eating it.

Every Waffle Is Delicious

At the end of the day, every waffle here is delicious. It all comes down to the eating experience that you want.

Personally, the mochi waffle was the most interesting in texture and flavor while still keeping everything beautiful about what a waffle is.

And the best part? It doesn’t even require that much extra prep. Just go get some rice flour, put it together, and you might just have one of the best waffle experiences of your gosh darn life.