Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, with a little crunch from the pecans. Keep waffles warm in the oven as they complete cooking and come off the waffle iron. The ricotta adds tenderness, richness, and great texture to the waffles. Breakfast, brunch, or breakfast-for-dinner never looked better! Serve with butter, maple syrup, and additional pecans, if desired.
Prep Time::15 mins
Cook Time::15 mins
Total Time::30 mins
Servings::5
Yield::5 waffles
Ingredients
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups buttermilk
½ cup ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 ½ teaspoons maple extract
cooking spray
¾ cup chopped pecans
Directions
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
Whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
Combine buttermilk, ricotta cheese, and eggs in a large bowl; blend with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in melted butter and maple extract. Add flour mixture to buttermilk mixture and stir until just combined but still lumpy; don't overmix or the waffles will be tough and chewy.
Lightly spray the waffle iron grids with cooking spray, if needed, following the manufacturer's instructions for cooking. Add about 1 cup of batter depending on the size of your waffle iron, spreading evenly, and sprinkle batter with about 2 to 3 tablespoons pecans.
Cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, making sure the waffle is fully cooked before lifting the lid (the steam slows down once the waffles are done). Remove waffle, place on a baking sheet without stacking, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and place in the preheated oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.
Cook's Note:
If you don't have maple extract, go ahead and use vanilla as a substitute. For those busy mornings or when time is at a premium, freeze the waffles individually on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once frozen, put them in a resealable plastic bag, and then into the freezer. Add the frozen waffle to the toaster and cook until warmed through.