Upgrade Frozen Waffles With This Game-Changing Oven Trick

Sometimes, usually on weekends, it's fun to make a fancy waffle recipe from scratch, like buttermilk Belgian waffles or, for a more unique spin, sweet and savory sweet potato waffles. Other times, though, you simply don't have the time — or all the necessary ingredients — to whip up a homemade batter from scratch. In instances like these, frozen waffles seriously come in handy, and if you're going to heat some up from time to time, you need to know about this game-changing trick: Sprinkle water on top of the waffles before popping them in the oven.

This tip comes from New York chef Gianna Stanley, who told Business Insider, "This reintroduces moisture and will help you get an even better texture." After eight minutes in the oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit, your breakfast should be evenly cooked and crispy with a texture closer to waffles made from homemade batter. Eight minutes may be longer than the waffles would take in the toaster, but it's worth the extra time (and minimal extra effort).

Even with this water trick, frozen waffles are never going to be as good as their homemade counterpart, which is why the way you dress them up matters. For example, make sure you have a high-quality maple syrup on hand — in Tasting Table's ranking of popular maple syrup brands, we put Crown maple syrup at the top. You can also add a dollop of whipped cream along with some fresh fruit. Alternatively, take inspiration from a more complex recipe; you may not have time to make a batch of our banana and maple walnut waffles, but you can add slices of fresh banana and chopped walnuts to the top of frozen waffles to make them a bit more filling (and delicious).

You can also use the waffles as the "bread" in a breakfast sandwich — this method makes the sandwich more interesting while taking some of the attention off of the non-homemade waffles. Feel free to use our ultimate egg sandwich recipe or our pesto prosciutto breakfast sandwich for inspiration; just swap out the recommended bread for fresh-from-the-oven frozen waffles.

Then, of course, there's always the sweet route — pop the waffles in the oven after dinner for a quick and easy dessert. Dress them up with whipped cream and a drizzle of a quick, two-ingredient hot fudge sauce, a dollop of strawberry compote, or a spread of honey apple butter.