Banana Waffles Recipe — Golden, Soft & Naturally Sweet

It was a Thursday morning, bananas going soft on the counter, kids already asking for breakfast. I didn’t want banana bread — I wanted something warm, golden, and ready in under 30 minutes. So I pulled out the waffle maker.

This banana waffles recipe uses ripe bananas and Greek yogurt for a batter that’s tender inside, crisp outside, and naturally sweet without a lot of added sugar. If you love a simple banana oat pancakes kind of morning, this one’s going to be your new favourite.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

I get asked all the time why I keep coming back to this recipe over boxed mix. Here’s the honest answer — it’s faster, it tastes better, and you probably already have everything you need in your kitchen right now.

• One bowl, minimal mess. Everything comes together in two bowls and under 10 minutes of prep — perfect for busy mornings before school drop-off.
• Naturally sweet from ripe bananas. The riper your bananas, the less added sugar you need. Nature does most of the work here.
• Crisp outside, soft and tender inside. The Greek yogurt is the secret — it activates the baking soda and gives that perfectly mellow, fluffy texture.
• Freezer-friendly. Make a double batch on Sunday and reheat straight from the freezer in the toaster. Weekday mornings sorted.
• Kid-approved. My three never leave a single one on the plate.

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Ingredients

Here’s everything you need for this banana waffles recipe. Nothing fancy, nothing you don’t already have on a regular Tuesday morning.

The Bananas

Two large, very ripe ones — deep yellow with plenty of brown spots. The browner they are, the sweeter and more flavourful your waffles will be. Frozen bananas that you’ve thawed work just as well. I actually keep a bag of peeled overripe bananas in my freezer specifically for mornings like this.

The Greek Yogurt

This is the ingredient that makes the difference. 3/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt gives the batter a slight tang and reacts with the baking soda to create that soft, mellow texture inside while keeping the outside crisp. No Greek yogurt? Buttermilk or plain regular yogurt work as a straight 1:1 swap.

The Eggs

Two large eggs give the waffles structure and help them hold their shape in the waffle maker. If you’re looking for an egg-free version, check the Variations section below — ripe bananas are one of the best natural binders in baking.

The Brown Sugar

Just 1/4 cup of packed light brown sugar adds a gentle caramel warmth that pairs beautifully with the cinnamon. If your bananas are very ripe and almost black, you can drop this to 3 tablespoons — nature’s already doing the sweetening.

The Oil

3 tablespoons — I use grapeseed because it’s light and doesn’t compete with the banana flavour. Sunflower oil, avocado oil, or melted coconut oil all work. Melted butter is also delicious if you want something a little richer.

The Vanilla & Cinnamon

Just 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon — they round out the banana flavour and make your kitchen smell like a cozy bakery at 9am. Don’t skip them.

The Flour

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour gives the lightest, most tender result. Want something heartier? Swap up to half the flour for blended rolled oats — similar to what we use in our banana oat pancakes for a wholesome, fibre-rich version. For gluten-free, a 1:1 GF flour blend works well — more on that in Variations.

The Leavening

The combination of both — 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda — is what gives these waffles their lift. The baking soda works specifically with the yogurt’s acidity. Don’t substitute one for the other.

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How to Make Banana Waffles

Two bowls, a fork, and 10 minutes of prep. That’s all this takes. Follow these steps and your first waffle will be golden and ready before your coffee’s done brewing.

Step 1 — Make the Wet Batter

1. Mash the bananas. In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth. A few small lumps are fine — they add texture and won’t affect the final waffle.

2. Mix the wet ingredients. Add the Greek yogurt, brown sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to the mashed bananas. Whisk everything together until combined. Then add the 2 eggs and whisk again until the batter is smooth and homogeneous.

The batter will look thick and golden — that’s exactly right.

Step 2 — Make the Final Batter

3. Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4. Bring the batter together. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined — do not overmix. A few streaks of flour are fine. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the waffles tough.

The batter should be thick and pourable — not runny, not stiff.

Step 3 — Cook the Wafflesv

5. Preheat your waffle maker. Plug in your waffle maker and wait until the indicator light signals it has reached the right temperature. I use the BELLA Fits-Anywhere Flip Belgian Waffle Maker — the 180° flip gives perfectly even heating on both sides and the ceramic non-stick coating means zero sticking, zero spraying needed. If you’re using a different appliance, a light brush of oil between each waffle doesn’t hurt.

6. Cook the waffles. Pour about 1/2 cup of batter into the centre of the preheated waffle maker — don’t overfill or the batter will overflow at the sides. Close the lid and cook for 3 to 4 minutes at 375°F (190°C) until the waffle is deep golden and releases cleanly from the plates. The indicator light will signal when it’s ready — but I always wait an extra 30 seconds for that perfect crisp exterior.

7. Repeat. Continue with the remaining batter. Keep finished waffles warm in an oven at 200°F (95°C) on a wire rack while you cook the rest.

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Lily’s Tips

I’ve made this banana waffles recipe more times than I can count. These are the four things that make the biggest difference between a good waffle and a really great one.

Don’t skip the resting time. Let the batter sit for 2 minutes before cooking. It gives the baking powder time to activate and makes the waffles noticeably fluffier.

Don’t lift the lid too early. Wait until the steam has almost stopped coming out of the sides — that’s how you know the waffle is cooked through. Opening too soon tears the waffle apart.

Use a fork, not a blender. You want some texture in the batter. Blending makes the batter too liquid and the waffles lose that soft, tender bite.

Grease between every waffle. Even non-stick waffle makers benefit from a light brush of oil between batches. It keeps the exterior golden and crisp every single time.

The banana stat you need to know. Brown-spotted bananas contain up to 80% more natural sugar than yellow ones — which means the riper your bananas, the less brown sugar you’ll actually need in this recipe.

“The riper your bananas, the less sugar you’ll need — nature does the sweetening for you.”

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Variations

This banana waffle batter is one of the most forgiving I know. The base works beautifully with swaps and add-ins — I’ve tested every version below in my own kitchen. Pick the one that fits your morning.

Banana Oat Waffles

Replace 3/4 cup of the all-purpose flour with blended rolled oats (oat flour). The texture becomes slightly denser, more wholesome, and even more filling — a great high-fibre option for weekday mornings.

Banana Chocolate Chip Waffles

Fold 1/3 cup (60g) of mini chocolate chips into the batter just before cooking. They melt slightly inside the waffle and create little pockets of warmth. My kids ask for this version every single weekend.

Peanut Butter Banana Waffles

Swap 2 tablespoons of the oil for 2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter. Whisk it into the wet ingredients. It adds a nutty depth and a little extra protein to keep everyone full longer.

Vegan Banana Waffles

Replace the eggs with 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 6 tablespoons water, rested 5 minutes), swap the Greek yogurt for coconut yogurt or oat yogurt, and use plant-based milk if needed to loosen the batter. For the full recipe, check out our vegan banana pancakes — the same swap logic applies perfectly here.

Gluten-Free Banana Waffles

Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. The batter may be slightly thicker — add 1–2 tablespoons of milk to loosen if needed. We also have a dedicated gluten free banana pancake recipe with detailed tips on the best GF flour blends for banana batter.

Banana Waffles for Baby

Skip the brown sugar and salt entirely, use 1 tablespoon of oil instead of 3, and mash the bananas very smooth. The natural sweetness of ripe banana is more than enough for little ones — and this version is perfect for baby-led weaning (BLW).

Banana Bread Waffles

Use very overripe bananas (almost black) and add 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg alongside the cinnamon. The result tastes exactly like banana bread in waffle form — deeply caramel, soft, and comforting.

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How to Store

These waffles were made to be prepped ahead. Here’s exactly how I store them so they taste just as good on Wednesday as they did on Sunday.

Counter: 1 day — waffles lose their crispness quickly at room temperature. Best eaten fresh off the waffle maker.

Fridge: Up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the toaster for 1 minute to bring back the crisp exterior — the microwave works but softens them.

Freezer: Up to 3 months. Let waffles cool completely, then freeze flat on a baking sheet for 1 hour before transferring to a zip-lock freezer bag. Reheat straight from frozen in the toaster (1–2 minutes) or oven at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes.

Meal prep tip: I make a double batch every Sunday — 30 mini waffles go straight into the freezer. On school mornings, 2 minutes in the toaster and breakfast is done. No stress, no mess, everyone’s happy.

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Make Them This Weekend

These banana waffles have become a Sunday staple in our house. Once you try them, I don’t think you’ll go back to box mix. The batter takes 10 minutes, the waffles freeze beautifully, and honestly — the smell of cinnamon and banana filling the kitchen on a slow morning is reason enough to make them.

If you love these, try our banana protein pancakes next, or keep it simple with these gluten free banana pancakes on busy mornings.

Love, Lily 🍌