Tips & Tricks For Waffle Bowls—And a Recipe!

Let’s talk waffle bowels!

We love waffle bowls in the summer as a sweet treat—and a clever take on the ice cream/waffle cone pairing. Of course, there are more clever uses for waffle bowl makers—cookie dough works well here, as do cinnamon rolls.

For a savory treat, we like using a corn bread mix for taco bowls. Breakfast bowls are great too.

If you are parent of a picky eater, waffle bowls are a clever way to give a new spin on classic dishes. 

Before we get to the reviews, here is a recipe for Egg & Cheese Hash Brown Waffle:

Recipe: Egg & Cheese Hash Brown Waffle

recipe Egg & Cheese Hash Brown Waffle Bowl Best Mini Waffle Bowl Maker

PREP TIME: 5 min

COOK TIME: 10 min

SERVES: 1-2

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
  • 3 eggs
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped chives, plus some for garnishing
  • salt & pepper
  • sour cream, for serving, if desired

Instructions

  1. Plug in your Waffle Bowl Maker to preheat.
  2. Lay out frozen hash browns on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels for at least 15 minutes. While potatoes are thawing gather the rest of the ingredients. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together eggs and milk. Stir in potatoes, cheese and chives, season with ½ tsp of kosher or sea salt and ¼ tsp ground black pepper. Spray the top and bottom cooking surface with cooking spray.
  3. Scoop ½ cup of potato mixture and place into the Lower Cooking Surface of the Deluxe Waffle Bowl Maker. Close the cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until the waffle bowl is crisp. After removing the waffle bowl, add in your favorite breakfast fillings such as scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage or sour cream.

Best Budget-Friendly: DASH Mini Waffle Bowl Maker

This waffle bowl maker is a reader favorite and we agree—it makes impressive waffles at a price that is easy on the wallet.

What We Liked

• Compact size makes it easy to store away in a drawer.

• Includes recipe book, a nice plus.

• Great for teens.

• Easy clean up.

• Perfect size for ice cream bowls.

What Needs Work

• Lid does not stay up on its own—and can splash hot batter if you aren’t careful!

• Waffle bowls come out with slightly different thicknesses since lid isn’t perfect centered on maker.

• Takes a while to make several bowls (cook time is about 3-5 minutes). If you want to make more than one at a time, consider our next pick.

Best For Belgian-Style Waffles: Double Waffle Bowl Maker by StarBlue

We liked the ridges of these waffles from this maker—perfect for those folks who like thicker, Belgian-style waffles. And yes, this maker does two waffles at a time . . . great if you have a family and need to turn out more waffles in a shorter time.

What We Liked

• Also great for potato baskets.

• Easy to clean.

• Our kid testers loved using this one.

• Handle stays cool.

• Lid locks.

What Needs Work

• Exterior can get hot, so be careful if using with kids to avoid burns.

Best Smooth Bowls: Salton WM1907 Bowl Waffle Maker

And now for something different: this maker, by Canadian brand Salton, makes smooth bowls. That is, the inside is smooth and the outside has the waffle ridges. We liked how quickly this maker heats—it was ready in about 2 minutes in our tests. 

What We Liked

• Smooth bowls were a hit with our kid testers.

• Easy to use.

• Quickly heats.

• Handle stays cool.

What Needs Work

• A bit pricey.

Best Tried & True Brand: Presto 03500 Belgian Waffle Bowl Maker

Yes, this brand traces its roots back to 1905 in Wisconsin and their waffle makers are reliable and well-made, if you prefer to have a tried and true brand here. We also found this waffle maker easier to clean compared to others we tried.

What We Liked

• Includes recipes.

• Easy to use.

• Clean up was easier than others in our tests.

• Fun for kids.

• Makes thick waffles.

What Needs Work

• Pricey.

About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

How We Pick Products To Recommend

We often turn to our readers (3 million strong!) to find products to recommend. We ask our parent readers for their favorites and consider their real-world experiences in our recommendations.

When we test a product, we always purchase it with our own monies. We do not take free samples, as we believe that compromises our independence.

We also fact check manufacturer information with our own measurements. If a maker claims a product weighs X pounds, we will weigh it to make sure. If the battery life is supposed to be six hours, we will see how it stands up in the real world.

In some cases, we will do interviews with experts in the field to get additional feedback on products.

To get hands-on time with products, we regularly meet one-on-one with gear companies and even tour manufacturing facilities. (When we do this, we pay our own travel expenses).

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

We make our living from affiliate commissions, but we always recommend what we think are the best bets for our readers (not the ones that are the most expensive). We are always looking for products that offer the best bang for the buck.

Our independence is a key reason why we have been doing this so long. As we mentioned above, when we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!