The History of Waffles in the United States

Lance Geiger of The History Guy recounted the surprisingly long history behind waffles, albeit in different forms. While waffles had been around for a couple of centuries, it wasn’t until the introduction of the electric waffle iron in the 1900s and instant waffle mix in 1935, that waffles became popular in the United States.

If you think that waffles are a simple treat, you might be surprised. They go back further in history than you might imagine. And there are more kinds of waffles than there are, well, squares on a waffle iron.

Waffles From the 18th Century

Historian Jon Townsend prepared a simple recipe for waffles from the 18th Century.

This is about a recipe for waffles from the 18th century. The recipe calls for flour, cream, sack (a type of wine), nutmeg, sugar, eggs, and yeast.