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I Set Up a DIY Waffle Station and Now Every Brunch Is a Hit
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items Hosting brunch used to stress me out. Timing eggs, flipping pancakes, plating everything while guests just sat there watching. Then I set up a waffle bar where everyone builds their own, and suddenly I actually enjoy my own parties. If you host even ...
Sections
7
Waffle Makers That Handle a Crowd
Batter Mixes Worth Keeping in the Pantry
Fresh Fruit and Toppings Station
Syrups and Sauces Nobody Can Resist
Crunchy Bits and Sprinkle Toppings
Drinks That Go With a Waffle Brunch
Waffle Makers That Handle a Crowd
The first time I hosted with a single tiny waffle iron, people were lined up for 45 minutes. Never again. These actually keep up when eight hungry adults show up at once.
Grab this if you have more than four people showing up. Two waffles cook at once, so the line moves fast and nobody gets hangry standing around your kitchen island.
Double Flip Belgian Waffle Maker (WAF-F40NAS)
Toss a couple of these at each end of the table. Kids go wild making their own tiny waffles, and at this price you can buy three without thinking twice.
Dash Mini Waffle Makers in Electric Grills & Skillets
Use the flip feature and your waffles come out evenly crispy on both sides. My first waffle maker gave me one soggy half every single time, so this was a relief.
Hamilton Beach Belgian Style Flip Waffle Maker 26010MNC
Perfect for anyone who always ends up with batter pooling to one side. The rotation spreads it evenly. My brother-in-law, who burns everything, nailed it on his first try.
BLACK+DECKER Flip Waffle Maker, Silver, WM1404S
Keep this one if counter space is tight. It stores vertically, which saved me when I lived in my old apartment with about two feet of counter total.
Presto, Waffle Maker, Ceramic FlipSide, 7"
Pair this with a good batter and the deep pockets hold a ridiculous amount of syrup. For the person who treats syrup like a beverage, this is the one.
Oster, Nonstick Belgian Waffle Maker, 8"
Bring this out for Valentine's brunch or when kids are involved. Heart-shaped waffles shouldn't make adults that happy, but they absolutely do. Every single time.
MyMini Heart Waffle Maker
Batter Mixes Worth Keeping in the Pantry
I used to make batter from scratch for guests. Then one Saturday I slept through my alarm and grabbed a box mix. Nobody noticed. Some of these are honestly better than my recipe.
Swap your regular mix for this if you want protein without tasting it. My gym-obsessed friend ate four and didn't feel guilty, which is saying something.
Kodiak Buttermilk Power Cakes Flapjack & Waffle Mix 2Kg
Try adding a splash of vanilla extract and a tablespoon of melted butter to the basic recipe. Takes it from cafeteria to restaurant in about ten seconds.
Bisquick, Pancake and Baking Mix, 40 oz, Original
Pour this batter thick. The waffles puff up tall with deep pockets, which is exactly what you want when you're loading toppings. Took me three brands to land here.
Tips For Making Perfect Pancakes
Get this for the friend who reads every ingredient label at your house. It's clean, organic, and actually tastes good instead of like cardboard virtue.
Birch Benders Organic Classic Pancake & Waffle Mix, 16oz
Stock up on this one. It's cheap, it's reliable, and it makes a huge batch. When I'm feeding ten people I don't want to open four different boxes.
Pearl Milling Company Buttermilk Pancake Mix with Protein
Keep a box of this in the back of your pantry for when your gluten-free friend shows up. Saved me from a very awkward brunch last Easter.
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake & Waffle Mix, 24oz
Snag this if you're on a budget and feeding a crowd. Honestly tastes nearly identical to the pricier brands when you load it up with toppings anyway.
Great Value Pancake Mix in Pancakes & Waffles
Fresh Fruit and Toppings Station
Plain waffles are fine. But the moment you line up bowls of berries and whipped cream, people pull out their phones and start taking pictures. The toppings are the whole point.
Slice these thin the night before and toss them with a tiny bit of sugar. By morning they're juicy and syrupy and people will think you did something fancy.
Driscoll's Fresh Strawberries Organic and Hydroponic
Throw a handful on top of hot waffles so they burst a little from the heat. For anyone who thinks blueberry waffles only come from the freezer section, this is the move.
Shop Driscoll Berries Fresh and Frozen
Slice these right before serving, not the night before unless you want sad brown coins on your table. A little lemon juice keeps them looking fresh if you're paranoid.
Instacart
Peel and segment these into a bowl for the person who wants something lighter. They add a bright pop that cuts through all the heavy sweet stuff.
Fresh Mandarin Oranges, 3 lb Bag
Use these as the fancy topping. Something about raspberries on a waffle makes the whole spread look like a magazine shoot, and they taste incredible with chocolate.
Fresh Raspberries, 6 oz. Container
Warm these up in a pan with a little brown sugar and butter. Took me five minutes and someone asked if I went to culinary school. I did not.
Great Value Frozen Sliced Peaches, 16 oz
Grab a bag as backup for when fresh fruit runs out mid-brunch. Thaw them in the microwave for 30 seconds and nobody will know the difference once they're on the waffle.
Great Value Triple Berry Blend, 48 oz (Frozen)
Syrups and Sauces Nobody Can Resist
Maple syrup alone is fine, but the second I put out four different drizzle options, people started going back for round two. A good sauce table turns one waffle into three.
Pour this into a small pitcher so it looks intentional. The real stuff tastes completely different from the corn syrup versions. Once you switch you genuinely can't go back.
Kirkland Signature Organic Pure Maple Syrup 33.8 Ounce
Keep this out for kids and for adults who pretend they grabbed it for their kid. We all know. No judgment. It belongs on a waffle bar.
HERSHEY'S Chocolate Syrup, The Iconic Classic Flavor
Drizzle this over whipped cream and fresh strawberries. My neighbor did it at my last brunch and I stared at her plate for a solid five seconds before copying her.
Smucker's Sundae Syrup
Warm this in the microwave for 15 seconds so it drizzles instead of clumps. Game over for anyone with a sweet tooth. Expect the jar to be empty in twenty minutes.
The One Nutella Alternative We Didn't Want To Stop Eating
Set this out quietly next to the regular syrup for anyone watching their sugar. No big announcement needed, they'll find it and appreciate you thought of them.
Great Value Reduced Calorie Sugar Free Syrup, 24 fl oz
Bring this one out if you want people to make dessert waffles. A drizzle of caramel plus sliced bananas plus whipped cream and suddenly brunch becomes the best meal anyone's had all week.
Torani Salted Caramel Flavored Syrup, 12.7 fl oz
Spread a thin layer on a hot waffle before adding anything else. It melts into the grooves and creates this jammy base layer that makes every other topping taste better.
Bonne Maman Raspberry Jam 370 gr - Selai
Crunchy Bits and Sprinkle Toppings
Texture changed everything. Soft waffle plus soft fruit was fine, but the moment I added bowls of nuts and granola, people started building actual masterpieces.
Toast these in a dry pan for three minutes before setting them out. The smell alone will pull people into the kitchen faster than any brunch invitation.
Fisher Chef's Naturals Gluten Free
Toss these on right when the waffle comes out of the iron so they melt slightly. For the person who treats breakfast like dessert, this is non-negotiable.
Great Value Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips, 12 oz Bag
Sprinkle these on for a tropical vibe. Pair with banana slices and chocolate and suddenly you're eating a waffle that tastes like a vacation. In your kitchen. On a Tuesday.
Great Value Sweetened Coconut Flakes, 14 oz
Chop these roughly and throw them in a small bowl. They add a crunch that balances all the sweet stuff, and your health-conscious friend will feel seen.
Blue Diamond Almonds, Whole Natural Raw Almonds, 14 oz
Use this as a base layer under fruit for anyone who wants their waffle to feel more like a meal. Adds substance without being heavy.
Quaker Oats and Instant Oatmeal for Breakfast
Put these out for kids or for any adult who wants a s'mores waffle. Chocolate chips plus marshmallows plus a drizzle of chocolate syrup. You're welcome.
Jet-Puffed Mini Marshmallows, 10 oz Bag
Toss a jar on the table and watch every kid lose their mind. Adults pretend they don't want sprinkles, then add them when nobody's looking. Every single time.
Customer reviews for Great Value Rainbow Sprinkles, 9 oz
Drinks That Go With a Waffle Brunch
Someone once showed up to my waffle brunch and I only had tap water and old coffee. Painful. Now I set up a little drink corner so people can serve themselves while they wait for the iron.
Brew a full pot and set it on a warmer. Nothing complicated. Just good, reliable coffee that everyone recognizes and nobody complains about.
STARBUCKS House Blend Medium Roast Ground Coffee
Pour this into a glass pitcher and it looks like you squeezed it yourself. Pairs perfectly with waffles and helps cut through all the sweetness on the plate.
Tropicana Pure Premium, No Pulp Low Acid Orange Juice
Mix this with warm milk for anyone who doesn't drink coffee. My sister-in-law specifically asks if I have this before she agrees to come to brunch.
TAZO Classic Chai Latte Black Tea Concentrate, 32oz Carton
Set this out cold in a pitcher with some sliced lemons floating in it. Takes four seconds and people act like you hired a caterer.
Simply Lemonade Bottle, 52 fl oz
Keep a few cans on ice for the person who doesn't want juice or coffee but still wants something besides tap water. Covers your bases without overthinking it.
La Croix Sparkling Water Variety Pack, 12 Fl Oz Cans
Pour this for kids so they have their own drink station situation. They feel grown up serving themselves and you don't have to get up seventeen times.
Great Value 100% Apple Juice, No Added Sugar, 64 fl oz
Warm up some milk and stir this in for cold-weather brunches. Works especially well if you're hosting between November and March. Pairs ridiculously well with a waffle.
Nestle Insant Hot Cocoa Rich Milk Chocolate Flavored Mix
Serving and Display Pieces That Pull It Together
The food matters but so does how you lay it out. I used to dump toppings in random mismatched bowls. Once I got a few matching pieces, the whole table looked like I planned it.
Use this for nuts, chocolate chips, and sprinkles so everything has its own little compartment. Keeps toppings organized and stops kids from mixing the entire table into one bowl.
Customer reviews for (2 pack) Better Homes & Gardens
Pour juice or lemonade in this and set it on the table. Costs almost nothing but makes the whole setup look intentional instead of thrown together.
Mainstays 2 Quart Round Pitcher, Plastic, Blue
Keep waffles warm in these if you're making a big batch ahead of time. Nobody wants a cold waffle. Learned that after my first brunch where half the food was room temperature.
Pelto Chafing Dish Buffet Set, Disposable Food Warmer
Grab these for lining up toppings in a row. Matching bowls make the whole spread look cohesive, and glass lets people see what's inside without lifting lids.
Mainstays 12-Piece Square Clear Glass Dinnerware Set
Write the topping names on these so guests know what's in each bowl. Especially helpful if someone has allergies and needs to know what's got nuts.
80Pcs 4 x 3 Inches Mini Chalkboard Table Tent Sign
Switch to these instead of your real plates when you're feeding a crowd. Cleanup after brunch used to take me an hour. Now it takes about five minutes and a trash bag.
Great Value 10 Inch Disposable Paper Plates
Keep a big stack next to the waffle station. Syrup and chocolate drizzle everywhere is inevitable. Thin napkins won't cut it. You need the thick ones. Trust me on this.
Vanity Fair, Disposable Napkins, 80 Count, Extra Absorbent