Grains and starches

Waffle nutrition, in full.

Weigh out 1 round waffle and you are looking at 218 calories, with 5.9 g of protein inside them. The source is the USDA entry “Waffles, plain, prepared from recipe”. Beyond the headline number, it is notable for selenium and riboflavin. The selector beneath handles other portions, and the nutrient table responds to it.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

Numbers come from USDA FoodData Central record 175039 and are worked out locally, with no sign-up.

How many calories are in waffle?

1 round waffle supplies 218 calories, which scales to 291 per 100 g. Each serving listed underneath was weighed by USDA rather than estimated.

How much protein does waffle provide?

Protein in 1 round waffle comes to 5.9 g. Against the 50 g Daily Value, that covers 12 percent. You would not choose waffle for protein: just 11 percent of its calories come from it.

By calories rather than by weight the split is 11 percent protein, 44 percent fat and 45 percent carbohydrate, so in practice it is mostly a carbohydrate rather than anything else.

What to know before you cook waffle

Waffles are leavened batters baked between patterned metal plates to produce a grid pattern. You can buy them frozen, fresh in chilled packets, or as dry mixes. Look for deep pockets to hold butter. Avoid pale, soft specimens, as these turn soggy quickly. Seek out Belgian styles with pearl sugar for a caramelised crunch.

Steam escaping from the iron indicates when the batter is cooking. Opening the iron too early tears the fragile structure apart. The most common mistake is stacking cooked waffles, which traps steam and makes them limp. Keep them in a warm oven on a wire rack to preserve the crisp exterior while cooking the rest.

In Belgium, yeast-risen Liege waffles are eaten warm from street carts without toppings. American tables pair them with fried chicken and maple syrup, or butter and fruit. Scandinavian kitchens serve thin, heart-shaped versions with sour cream and cloudberry jam. Toast frozen store-bought waffles to restore their intended texture.

The complete waffle breakdown

Against the Daily Value, 1 round waffle stands out for selenium (63 percent of the Daily Value), riboflavin (20 percent of the Daily Value), thiamin (16 percent of the Daily Value). The table follows the selector above, so change the serving or the method and it updates.

Watch the sodium: 511 mg in 100 g, or 22 percent of the recommended maximum for a day.

Waffle against a daily budget

Against the standard 2,000 calorie reference, 1 round waffle takes up 11 percent of the energy and supplies 12 percent of the protein. For a figure that fits you, start with the TDEE calculator, then set grams with the macro calculator.

Cooking with waffle: three recipes

From the Calorie Counter Team: three dishes built around waffle, with per-serving nutrition calculated from the USDA data for every ingredient that goes in.

Breakfast · British

Poached Eggs on Waffles with Spinach

Toasted waffles topped with wilted spinach and poached eggs for a savoury breakfast.

15 min · serves 2

382kcal

16gprotein

23gfat

29gcarbs

Ingredients

• Plain waffles 150 g
• Fresh spinach 200 g
• Unsalted butter 15 g
• Large eggs 120 g
• Salt 2 g
• Ground black pepper 1 g

Method

1. Heat the waffles in a toaster or oven at 180C for 5 minutes until hot.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the spinach, and cook for 3 minutes until wilted.
3. Poach the eggs in gently simmering water for 3 minutes until the whites are set.
4. Place the waffles on plates, divide the spinach between them, and top each with a poached egg.
5. Season the eggs with the salt and black pepper before serving.

Built from 6 USDA ingredient records. A cooked dish never matches its raw sum exactly, but it stays close.

Lunch · American

Waffle BLT Sandwich

A toasted waffle sandwich filled with grilled bacon, fresh tomato, lettuce, and mayonnaise.

15 min · serves 2

728kcal

19gprotein

49gfat

52gcarbs

Ingredients

• Plain waffles 300 g
• Smoked bacon 90 g
• Tomato 100 g
• Iceberg lettuce 40 g
• Mayonnaise 30 g

Method

1. Cook the bacon in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat for 6 minutes, turning once.
2. Toast the waffles in a toaster for 3 minutes until crisp.
3. Spread the mayonnaise evenly over one side of each toasted waffle.
4. Layer the bacon, sliced tomato, and lettuce leaves onto two of the waffles.
5. Top with the remaining two waffles, press down gently, and cut in half to serve.

5 USDA records went into this total. It describes the ingredients as weighed, not the dish after cooking losses.

Dinner · French

Baked Waffle and Mushroom Strata

A baked savoury pudding of cubed waffles, sautéed mushrooms, cheddar cheese, and egg custard.

45 min · serves 4

473kcal

22gprotein

30gfat

30gcarbs

Ingredients

• Plain waffles 300 g
• Brown mushrooms 200 g
• Olive oil 15 g
• Cheddar cheese 100 g
• Large eggs 200 g
• Whole milk 250 g
• Salt 3 g

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C and grease a 20-centimetre baking dish.
2. Slice the mushrooms and fry them in the olive oil over medium heat for 6 minutes.
3. Cut the waffles into 2-centimetre cubes and toss them with the cooked mushrooms and grated cheddar cheese in the dish.
4. Whisk the eggs, milk, and salt together in a bowl, then pour the mixture over the waffle cubes.
5. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until the custard is set and the top is golden brown.

Summed from 7 USDA records and divided by servings. Heat alters weight and a few nutrients, so read it as a close figure.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

Waffle as part of a meal

A sample plate, not a prescription: waffle plus two sides, each line sourced and the sum shown.

Grains and starches: where waffle sits

Here is how waffle sits among its neighbours per 100 g; the form column keeps raw and cooked apart.

Questions about waffle

How many calories are in 1 round waffle?

Count 218 calories. The source is the USDA record “Waffles, plain, prepared from recipe” (FDC 175039), which lists 291 calories per 100 g.

Is there much protein in waffle?

5.9 g in 1 round waffle, or 7.9 g per 100 g. That is 12 percent of the 50 g Daily Value.

Does waffle fit a calorie deficit?

It can fit any calorie target; no single food decides the outcome. What matters here is that 1 round waffle costs 218 calories and returns 5.9 g of protein, so 11 percent of its energy is protein — which means it needs a protein-rich partner on the plate.

How much carbohydrate does waffle contain?

25 g in 1 round waffle, of which 0 g is fibre and 0 g is sugar.

How do you prevent waffles from sticking to the iron?

Brush the iron plates with oil or melted butter before pouring the batter. Avoid using aerosol cooking sprays, as these contain additives that leave a sticky, permanent residue on the non-stick coating over time.

Can you freeze leftover homemade waffles?

Yes, freeze them on a baking sheet before transferring them to a bag. This keeps them separate. Reheat them directly from the freezer in a toaster or hot oven to make them crisp again.

Sources

• Waffles, plain, prepared from recipe — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 175039
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9