Mistakes Everyone Makes With Frozen Waffles

Sometimes, you wake up on a Sunday with plenty of energy, decide to visit the farmers' market to get some fresh eggs and produce, and whip up a healthy breakfast as the birds sing outside your window. If you can manage that kind of breakfast more than once a week, we envy you — because for most of us, breakfast is just another task to complete in our mad dash from our beds to the office, no more eventful than flossing or making sure the cat is fed. On these types of mornings, breakfast is comprised not of a beautiful frittata brimming with fresh veg, but is rather stashed somewhere in the back of the freezer. And one freezer breakfast rises above all the rest: the humble frozen waffle.

Whether you're begging your family members to leggo your Eggo or you're more of a crunchy, Kashi household, a frozen waffle can be a great way to start the day. If you have some extra time on your hands, a pat of butter and a drizzle of syrup make it into a decent, if sugary, breakfast. But eating it on the go is always an option too, if you don't mind your waffles dry and crispy.

But what you may not know is that frozen waffle mistakes are common. Why ruin this freezable delicacy when you could enjoy it in its purest form? These are the mistakes everyone makes with frozen waffles that you should avoid.

Look, we've all been there, so we get it. Everyone has those busy mornings when rushing out of the house seems like a monumental task akin to trying to find a seat in a college town IHOP at midnight. You don't always have time to grab breakfast at all, let alone turn on the toaster. But if you can avoid this frozen waffle sin, you'll probably save yourself from a depressing breakfast you'll want to forget about completely. Frozen waffles, when microwaved, turn exceptionally wet and gummy. You're not going to get the crisp edges you want, and your waffle is going to break apart under the stress of even the smallest amount of butter.

Of course, if you want a soft, flaccid, anemic-looking waffle that jiggles when held by a corner for breakfast, then the microwave is exactly the kitchen tool you should turn to when it's time to heat up your breakfast. But if our tastes are any indication, the vast majority of waffle-eaters are going to want to avoid this sad, sad fate. Unless the toaster, oven, air fryer, and stove have stopped working, you shouldn't ever dream of microwaving your frozen waffles.

Frozen waffles kind of seem like an in-between breakfast solution. While they certainly don't feel or taste homemade, they can produce a kind of breakfast that you'd ideally sit down at the table to eat, unlike a breakfast Hot Pocket-like product that's obviously meant to be eaten on the go. After all, if you're going to be smothering your waffles in butter and syrup, you probably don't want to try to eat them while you're speeding down the highway. But you may not realize that you can easily turn the frozen waffles in your freezer into a to-go snack anytime you're craving something sweet.

Insider gave us the idea of cutting our frozen waffles into strips so we can easily take them on the go wherever we're headed. Of course, you can always eat them plain, but if you have a small dish you can put syrup and butter into, then you can also make yourself a sort of dippable situation as well. It may seem like a dubious way to eat your waffles, but trust us — it's actually really fun. This is a great option for kids who aren't fantastic at wielding a fork and a knife yet, but we won't tell if the adults want to use this trick, too.

When it comes to frozen foods, you'll often have to think about thawing. For example, if you have a frozen chicken breast in the freezer, you're not going to want to take it out and immediately put it in the oven. This will result in an over- or under-cooked chicken breast that could be either unsafe or completely unappetizing. Therefore, when it comes to other frozen foods, like frozen waffles, you may assume that thawing is your best bet for getting the perfect crisp on your sweet breakfast treat. But ultimately, that's just not the case.

In fact, per Insider, thawing your waffles is actually a really bad idea. That's because thawing your frozen waffles causes them to get soggy, which is the last thing you want. Instead, you'll want to cook your waffles as soon as you take them out of the freezer — don't give them too much time to sit out on the counter and thaw. Since frozen waffles are already cooked, you're just trying to heat them up, not cook them all the way through again.

What? Are you reading that right? If you're not supposed to put your frozen waffle in the microwave and it's not supposed to go in the toaster, where exactly should it go? Well, let us start by saying that putting your frozen waffle in the toaster isn't a totally terrible idea. Will it come out nice and crispy? Yes. Will it satisfy your breakfast cravings? Also yes, probably. But if you are looking for the absolute best way to cook your frozen waffle, if you want to mistake it for a restaurant-quality feast (well, kind of), then take it from Yahoo! News: Cook your frozen waffle on the stove.

While the stovetop method does take longer than the other methods of cooking a frozen waffle, it's by far the most delicious. Tyler the Creator came up with this method, and we think it's genius. Before you cook your waffle, spread butter on both sides. Then, turn the stove on to medium high and cook on both sides until the waffle becomes nice and golden brown. Then, sprinkle some cinnamon on top, if that's your kind of thing.

When you pre-butter your waffles, they soak up all of that fatty goodness, leading to a delicious breakfast you can't get any other way.

Of course, you may not always have the time and attention necessary to cook a frozen waffle on the stove. After all, if you have that much time, you may as well try to make a waffle from scratch instead. If you're looking for a cooking solution that's easier than the stovetop but more interesting than the toaster or microwave, it may well be time to bust out your air fryer. Ah, the air fryer: It's the must-have kitchen appliance of the moment, and a worthy competitor to the Instant Pot. Trendy as they may be, we don't think we're going to see air fryers going away anytime soon.

If you have one, then you probably know that it cooks an extremely wide variety of foods. Why not give it a go with your frozen waffles? Waffles come out super crispy with this method, and you're definitely not going to have to worry about the soggy factor. Plus, it's kind of a set-it-and-forget it thing, so you can continue getting ready for your day while you're cooking a delicious breakfast.

There are a lot of mistakes you can make when you're cooking frozen waffles that make your waffle taste a lot worse than they should, but there are also mistakes you can make that simply allow you to miss out on how transcendent the perfect frozen waffle can truly be. One of those mistakes? Forgetting to pre-butter your waffle. Listen, even if you're not following Tyler the Creator's advice and cooking your waffle on the stove, we think that this is an important step to take (yes — even if you decide to cook your waffle in the microwave).

That's because the butter adds some extra flavor to an otherwise pretty plain breakfast. Additionally, it can be difficult to take a waffle dripping with butter on the go with you, which may think you have to leave it out entirely. But when you butter your waffle ahead of time, you won't have that problem because it will have already soaked into the starch. Of course, pre-buttering doesn't work with all methods. If you have a bread slot toaster, this will make a big mess. But if your chosen cooking methods can take a little bit of fat, pre-buttering your frozen waffle will take you a long way on the road to deliciousness.

A plain old regular waffle is always a great option, especially if you pre-butter. But if you really know your waffle stuff, you know that it doesn't always appear on a plate alone. Take, for example, the very famous dish of chicken and waffles. This dish proves that a salty-sweet combination involving waffles is bound to be delicious, and it's definitely worth trying if you want to see how amazing waffles can truly be. But you may not always have the energy to throw together chicken and waffles, which is probably the case if you're using the frozen ones anyway.

That doesn't mean you can't get some savory to add to your sweet when it comes to your frozen waffle. In fact, a frozen waffle is an excellent invitation to make a waffle sandwich. Imagine stacking up all your favorite breakfast items and stacking them into a waffle — yeah, it sounds amazing. Add whatever you like, from sausage to bacon to eggs to even hot sauce. And of course, don't forget the butter ... and plenty of it. When it all comes together, you'll see that the waffle breakfast sandwich is truly one of the most delicious breakfasts of all time. Even though it might take some extra effort, it's well worth it in our books.

It may seem like you can keep anything in the freezer for as long as you need it, and it won't go bad. And while the food may not exactly spoil, it doesn't mean you're going to end up with a desirable meal once you heat it up after it's been in your freezer for over a year. Waffles may seem like an exception to this rule, but Insider assures us that they're really not. New York chef Gianna Stanley told the outlet, "The official expiration date may be years away, but frozen waffles taste best when eaten within three months of opening the box. The longer the waffles sit in your freezer, the more bland they'll taste when you eventually eat them."

So no, they won't go bad and make you sick, per se, but if you truly want to enjoy your frozen waffles how they were meant to be enjoyed, you won't leave them sitting there for months before you gobble them up. But considering just how easy they are to make, you probably wouldn't dream of doing that anyway, right?

As you've surely already realized, waffles are generally regarded as a breakfast food. They're something you eat first thing in the morning before you take on the rest of your day. And it fits in with the idea of American breakfast tending toward the sweeter side. But we're here to tell you something that you may have never heard before: You don't have to eat your frozen waffles for breakfast. That's right — you can branch out and have them any time of day.

Of course, there's always the iconic chicken and waffles, which is an entrée served at brunches and dinners alike. But you don't have to stop there. What about waffles for dessert? More and more, dessert spots are serving delectable dessert waffles topped with fruit, chocolate, whipped cream, sprinkles, and various sweet sauces, and we're here for it. After all, a waffle is basically just a cake anyway. If you're looking for a super-easy dessert to throw together at the last minute, you may just want to grab those frozen waffles you have in your freezer and get creative.

This one is more a matter of personal taste than anything, so don't take it to heart if you're a die-hard whole-grain frozen waffle fan. Let us be haters in peace. But in our opinion, whole-grain frozen waffles are an abomination. First of all, whole-grain foods often aren't that great after you freeze them. They don't have the same smooth texture you might expect from other varieties of waffles, so you're left with a hard, gritty waffle that's somehow soggy and too hard all at once.

Additionally, the taste isn't fantastic either. Look, we know that frozen waffles aren't exactly at the height of culinary luxury, but at least you have an ultra-processed concoction of barely-nameable ingredients that tricks your taste buds into thinking you're eating something that's actually enjoyable. But with whole-grain frozen waffles, you don't even have that.

And it's not just us: Eggo customers seem to agree with us as well. On the Eggo website, the whole-grain thick and fluffy waffles get just three out of five stars, which is among the lowest ratings of any of the company's waffle products. Our advice? Just pass up any whole-grain frozen waffles you see, and you'll be better off.

Sometimes, you just have to keep it simple with butter and syrup, and that combination is pretty much always going to hit the spot. If you want to keep it even simpler, you can do just butter (or just syrup, but the former is our preferred method). While that can be nice when you just need to get out the door and go, let's be honest — occasionally, you want more excitement in your life. And just because you're eating frozen waffles and not homemade doesn't mean you shouldn't indulge and add in a few extra toppings when you want your meal to feel extra special.

For example, you can make your meal feel just a little bit healthier with the addition of some frozen or cooked berries. Who doesn't love a fresh addition to a sweet treat? If you're eating your waffles for dessert, you can also indulge in some chocolate syrup or chocolate chips for something that feels special. Sprinkles, whipped cream, and even some cinnamon and nutmeg can also make a big difference. Why keep things boring when you can take an average, everyday meal and take it up a notch? Trust us, you're not going to regret putting in a little extra effort.

You may think that you can store frozen waffles anywhere in your freezer, but that's actually a mistake if you want to make sure you're keeping your waffles as fresh as possible. According to Insider, you'll always want to keep your frozen waffles at the very back of the freezer whenever possible. Why? It all has to do with how easily your waffles could thaw out. If you keep them in the freezer door (as many waffle-eaters do), they're more likely to thaw out little by little when you keep opening the door. This can result in textural changes and even freezer burn, which can drastically affect the taste of your waffles.

Therefore, try to keep those bad boys tucked into the very back where they won't defrost every time you get yourself some ice. This can also help keep you from eating too many of them all at once — don't worry, we're guilty of over-indulging in easily-accessible frozen waffles too.