Out of Milk, one case

Milk substitute for waffles

6 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 6 options

Use Unsweetened soy or oat milk

1 cup for every cup of milk

In waffles, unsweetened soy or oat milk replaces milk cup for cup with no other change. With no milk of any kind, use 1 cup water plus 1 tablespoon melted butter per cup: the waffles come out crisp but paler and plainer. Heavy cream and yogurt both work when thinned with an equal amount of water.

Verdict —: Works
Best for —: waffles from scratch
Pantry —: Likely in your cupboard

One casethe full milk card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Milk substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 cup milk	Verdict
1	Unsweetened soy or oat milkwaffles from scratch	1 cupWorks	Works
2	Evaporated milk + waterwaffles from scratch	½ cup + ½ cup waterWorks	Works
3	Heavy cream + waterrich weekend waffles	½ cup heavy cream + ½ cup waterTweak it	Tweak it
4	Plain yogurt + waterbuttermilk-style waffles	½ cup yogurt + ½ cup waterTweak it	Tweak it
5	Water + butterboxed waffle mix	1 cup water + 1 tbsp butterTweak it	Tweak it
6	Unsweetened almond milkdairy-free waffles	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it

What changesWhat changes, option by option6 options

Unsweetened soy or oat milk

close to milk; oat is a little sweeter

Both are close to milk in body, and both have enough protein and sugar to brown in the iron. They are the swaps least likely to be noticed.

Best for: waffles from scratch, boxed waffle and pancake mix, dairy-free waffles
Suits: vegan, dairy-free
Where it fails: Nowhere in waffles.

A sweetened or vanilla carton is fine in waffles, but it browns faster. Check the first waffle early.

Evaporated milk + water

slightly caramel-like, which suits waffles

Evaporated milk with its water added back is milk, so the batter behaves exactly as written.

Best for: waffles from scratch, boxed mix, pantry cooking with no fresh milk
Prep: Stir the evaporated milk and water together before adding to the batter.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Nowhere in waffles. Do not confuse it with sweetened condensed milk.

Heavy cream + water

richer and more buttery

Cream thinned with an equal amount of water gives a richer liquid than milk. The waffles are more tender inside and brown well.

Best for: rich weekend waffles, Belgian-style waffles, using up leftover cream
Prep: Whisk the cream and water together. If the recipe has a lot of butter or oil, you can cut it by 1 tbsp per cup of milk replaced.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Used straight, cream makes a thick batter and a heavy, soft waffle that does not crisp well.

Plain yogurt + water

lightly tangy

Thinned yogurt acts like buttermilk: mildly acidic, which makes a tender waffle with a light tang.

Best for: buttermilk-style waffles, waffles from scratch that use baking powder
Prep: Whisk the yogurt and water smooth first. With Greek yogurt, add a little more water until it pours like milk.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Flavored or sweetened yogurt, which browns fast and can stick to the iron. A batter left too thick steams instead of crisping.

Water + butter

plainer, less rich

Water supplies the liquid and the melted butter replaces the milk fat. Without milk sugar and protein the waffle browns less, but it crisps well.

Best for: boxed waffle mix, when there is no milk of any kind, crisp waffles
Prep: Melt the butter and add it with the water. Cook the waffle a little longer than usual, until steam stops coming out of the iron.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Waffles served plain show the missing flavor most. Under syrup and butter the difference is small.

Plain water with no butter also works in a boxed mix. Expect a paler, blander waffle.

Unsweetened almond milk

leaner, faintly nutty

Almond milk is thinner than milk, with very little protein or sugar. The batter works, but the waffles are paler and less rich.

Best for: dairy-free waffles, boxed mix
Prep: Add 1 tbsp oil or melted butter per cup to bring back some richness.
Suits: vegan, dairy-free
Contains: tree nuts
Where it fails: Color: waffles take longer to turn golden. Not for anyone with a tree nut allergy.

How it behaves in this recipe

In this recipeMilk

In waffle batter, milk is mostly the liquid. Its fat adds a little tenderness, and its sugar and protein help the outside brown. Any liquid makes a waffle; the ones with some protein and sugar make a golden one.

Tips for substituting milk

5 tips

Match the batter thickness, not only the measure. Waffle batter should pour slowly off a spoon; thin it with 1 tbsp water at a time if a swap leaves it too thick.
With water or almond milk, cook until steam stops coming out of the iron. Color arrives later than it does with milk.
Buttermilk works too: use it cup for cup, add ½ tsp baking soda per cup and cut the baking powder by 2 tsp per cup.
With thinned heavy cream, the waffle already has extra fat. Cut the butter or oil by 1 tbsp per cup of milk replaced if the recipe is rich.
Grease the iron for the first waffle when using a sweetened plant milk or yogurt, which are more likely to stick.

Questions

5 questions

Can I use water in place of milk in waffles?

Yes. Use the same amount of water and add 1 tablespoon of melted butter per cup to replace the milk fat. The waffles are crisp but paler and less rich. In a boxed mix that already contains dry milk, plain water is often what the box asks for.

Can I use heavy cream in place of milk in waffles?

Yes, thinned. Mix ½ cup heavy cream with ½ cup water for each cup of milk. Straight cream makes the batter too thick and the waffles heavy and soft.

Can I use yogurt in place of milk in waffles?

Yes. Whisk ½ cup plain yogurt with ½ cup water per cup of milk until smooth. The waffles come out tender with a light tang, much like buttermilk waffles.

Why are my waffles pale without milk?

Milk sugar and milk protein brown in the iron. Water and almond milk have little of either, so the waffle stays lighter. Cook it longer, until the steam stops, and use soy or oat milk next time if color matters.

How much do I use for 1 ½ cups of milk?

Soy or oat milk: 1 ½ cups. Water and butter: 1 ½ cups water plus 1 ½ tablespoons melted butter. Evaporated milk, cream or yogurt: ¾ cup plus ¾ cup water.