Can you microwave frozen waffles?

Frozen waffles are a great way to start the day. But there are some waffle mistakes that we all make, and they can be a breakfast disaster. If you don’t have time to fire up the toaster or the grill, what are your best options for heating frozen waffles so you get the crunch and not the crumble?

Did you know you should never have a frozen waffle that has been thawed? Why, you may ask? Well, the texture will be different because the waffle becomes soggy. If you can get it into the toaster, you may not be able to get it out.

Cooking waffles should be easy, and it is, but some variables can turn your breakfast into a nightmare. There is nothing quite worse than trying to eat a crumbling soggy waffle.

This article looks at how to best prepare waffles to get the crunch at breakfast time. We answer many frequently asked questions giving you the low down on waffles.

Let’s get into it.

Do frozen waffles expire?

Frozen waffles eventually expire, but in the freezer, they have a long shelf life of around a year to the expiry date and about three months after that until they should be discarded.

So don’t blame expired waffles on your soggy crumbly waffles in the morning. If your waffles aren’t up to scratch, it’s the way they are being cooked and has nothing to do with the waffle.

Waffles are supposed to be quick and easy. Pop in the toaster until crispy, cover with butter or syrup, and set until lunchtime. But if you overslept and expect the same from the microwave, you have a shock coming.

You can’t even rush fast food. Good things come to those who wait!

Ok, it happens to all of us, you overslept, and the breakfast needs to be extra fast, and the toaster is just ain’t going to cut it this particular morning, so your head is in gear, and you place the frozen waffle in the microwave.

Logically, that’s why microwaves were invented, right? Get your food hot double quick. Well, the disappointment comes after nuking the waffle. The waffle is soggy without a sign of a crunch; worse still, you spread a little butter, and it falls apart.

But here is why your waffle is soggy from the microwave. The frozen waffle that is soggy has been allowed to defrost in the microwave, releasing its moisture and steaming the waffle like in a Chinese bun! It should have been zapped on full power in intervals.

There is more to microwaving frozen waffles than meets the eye.

Do frozen waffles need to be refrigerated?

Frozen waffles are designed to be cooked from frozen, so never place one in the fridge before it’s cooked. If you pull your frozen waffle from the freezer, there should never be a time that it sees the inside of the refrigerator. It will start to thaw.

The waffle pastry thaws quickly. It’s designed to go from frozen into a pan, an oven, or a toaster but not a fridge.

Your frozen waffles have specific operating parameters for storage and cooking, and they are all listed on the packet of the waffles. Once you deviate from the process, there will be a change with the end product, either soggy or tough, and it is down to how it has been handled and cooked and not the product.

However, cooked waffles that are left over should be placed in the fridge to preserve them for longer.

Do frozen waffles need to be covered?

Frozen waffles are prepackaged and suitable for the freezer. There is no other requirement to add further packaging.

If you have leftover waffles that need to be placed in the fridge, it is a good idea to place them in an airtight container. The air-tight container will prevent the waffles from absorbing strong odors from the fridge, such as garlic or onion, which would make the waffles less appetizing.

How long can frozen waffles sit out?

2 hours. It will be the same for cooked waffles; within twenty minutes, the frozen waffles will have thawed sufficiently to allow bacterial growth.

In two hours, the bacteria growth in the waffles will have accelerated to enormous proportions making the food unfit for consumption.

You risk food poisoning if you eat waffles that have been sitting for two hours.

The information is from the USDA and can be checked on their website.

Can you put warm waffles in the fridge?

Let the waffles cool to room temperature before placing them in the fridge. Once you introduce heat into the fridge, the interior temperature could rise. For food safety reasons, warm food should not be placed in the fridge.

Your fridge temperature hovers just below 4℉. Temperatures above this are considered to be the food danger zone. The food danger zone is a temperature range from 40 to 140℉.

In this temperature range, bacterial growth accelerates. After just two hours, the bacteria will have reached significant levels, potentially making any other food stored in the fridge inedible due to its risk of causing food poisoning.

When the waffles are cool, place them in an airtight container to keep them fresh.

How long do unopened frozen waffles last?

Typically the best before date on frozen waffles is 12 months. After this, the waffles are still ok for around three months before they should be discarded.

Food stored in the freezer does not last forever, and it is a common mistake that people think frozen food can last indefinitely.

However, the best before dates on frozen foods are predictions by the manufacturer of how long the food’s peak quality will be and not if the food will last longer. Still, it may have a different texture and possibly less flavor after the best-before date.

How long do frozen waffles last in the fridge?

Frozen waffles should not go in the fridge. However, cooked frozen waffles can if they are cool.

The cooked frozen waffle has a similar shelf life in the fridge as homemade waffle, which is a maximum of seven days if stored in an airtight container.

Do frozen waffles go bad?

Frozen waffles do have a limited shelf life in the freezer. It is a common misconception that food frozen at 0°F and below has an indefinite shelf life.

However, the reality is often different from the aspirations of manufacturers, and frozen waffles last anything from 10 months to a year before the expiration date comes around. It’s been a long time.

But the expiration date does not mean the product is bad. It means it has passed the assessment of the product’s peak quality.

The frozen waffles could last another six months or three months. But they will start to degrade and lose texture and flavor the older they become.

However, you can freeze cooked waffles successfully, and if stored and frozen correctly, they can last for several months in the freezer.

How to freeze-cooked waffles?

It’s a relatively simple process to freeze cooked waffles. The waffles can be cooked frozen waffles or homemade waffles. The process is the same.

How to freeze cooked waffles.

• Gather the number of cooked waffles you have and trim off the crumbly parts, if any.
• Place four or five waffles on a baking tray and freeze for 1 ½ hours until frozen solid.
• Place the frozen waffles in an airtight container, and place parchment between each waffle.
• Remove as much air from the bag as possible and seal the bag tight.
• Mark the bag with the freezing date and expiry date.
• Freeze for 6 to 7 months.

How to cook a frozen waffle in the microwave?

It should be highlighted once more how crucial it is to keep a close eye on your waffles while they cook in the microwave before we move on. 

The outcome could be a disaster if you overdo it with the microwave. It’s about short, sharp, high-power pulses that cook the waffle quickly and make the edges crunchy.

You may have to try more than once to perfect the balance of power and time.

Here we go.

• Place the frozen waffle on a microwave-proof plate. A microwave crisper would be better for a crunchy base.
• Set the power to maximum.
• Set the timer for 15 seconds and note how many times you need to cook the waffle to skip this stage when you have the correct balance of power and time. After 15 seconds, check the waffle. If it is not, start to get piping. Now adjust the timer to thirty seconds and zap the waffle again.
• Check again. You may decide to flip the waffle for the final zap of power until it is cooked perfectly.
• Waffles cooked at full power will be extremely hot and should be left to cool as it could cause a severe burn.

It is not an exact science, and frozen waffles are not designed to be microwaved, but they can be cooked successfully with a bit of practice.

Final thoughts

Cooking a frozen waffle in a microwave is a tall order if you are to get it perfect. But it can be done, and once the technique is mastered, the process can be repeated continuously.

However, the best result from cooking frozen waffles is always going to be from the preferred ways of cooking, like a toaster, oven, or frying pan.