Once you smell the sweet and warm vanilla aroma of these Hong Kong egg waffles, you’ll want to try their addicting soft, chewy, and crispy texture. These popular Chinese waffles were created in the streets of Hong Kong and Macau, but you’ve probably seen them in many US boba shops paired with ice cream and syrup. Making them at home can be quite laborious if you use a manual cast-iron egg waffle mold, but I’ve written down my best tips on blooming the batter, stove temperature, and making the manual waffle iron closure easier to handle.
What’s a Hong Kong egg waffle?
Hong Kong egg waffles go by many names: puffles, bubble egg waffles, egglet, and puff waffles. Egg waffles originated from Hong Kong and Macau and are named gai daan jai, which translates to “little chicken egg.”
What makes these egg waffles different from other waffles is their shape, vanilla flavor, and crisp al dente texture. Puffles have a hexagon shape with little oval cells that resemble mini eggs throughout the waffle. The vanilla flavor is strong due to the use of vanilla extract and vanilla custard powder, a thickening ingredient that infuses flavor and helps create the waffle’s texture. The texture combines mochi-like pandan waffles, crispy Belgian waffles, and tender liege waffles.
These famous Chinese street waffles became popular in the US, particularly in southern California. If you’re a SoCal native you may have visited Cauldron Ice Cream for their puffle cones & ice cream. They’re available at many other boba shops here too. You can find Hong Kong egg waffles in their traditional vanilla flavor or other new flavors like matcha, ube, and chocolate.
Ingredients in this Hong Kong egg waffle batter
The ingredients in this Hong Kong egg waffle batter are broken down into wet and dry ingredients. We recommend mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately so they stay fresh until cooking them and then combining them an hour before you want to make the waffles.
The wet ingredients:
- White cane sugar gives a nice sweetness to these waffles. They are rather on the sweet side, so you can lower this if you prefer.
- Eggs help add structure and give the waffles a tender and rich flavor.
- Evaporated milk offers a good milky flavor in addition to the custard powder we use.
- Water is a good base for these waffles because it adds moisture and an airy texture.
- Vegetable oil promotes a crispy texture and prevents the waffle from sticking to the mold.
- The vanilla extract enhances the custard flavor.
The dry ingredients:
- All-purpose flour is the base dry ingredient to make soft egg puffles.
- Rice flour is what gives the egg puffles an extra crispy texture. Most Hong Kong waffles are too gummy and soft, so we like to add rice flour for a more crunchy texture that lasts even after cooking.
- Tapioca starch gives a little chewy texture to the waffles without being gummy.
- Custard powder enhances the rich vanilla flavor and creamy texture of the waffles. Using custard powder helps replicate the flavor of Hong Kong waffles we’ve had in the stores; however, it’s not entirely necessary. You can replace custard powder with cornstarch, just note that the flavor will be less vanilla-forward.
- Double-acting baking powder is one of the most important ingredients because it allows the batter to rise and give us a springy, soft texture inside each egg puffle. Note, we use Rumford double-acting baking powder that works in two stages: once when mixing with liquid ingredients and second when heat is applied. If you use a different type or brand, this may affect your waffles.
The waffle iron & cooking tips
Here are some tips for easier and crispy egg waffles:
- Let your batter rest on the counter for at least one hour. This allows the batter to loosen the leftover clumps and build more gluten to create a fluffy texture. The resting time does not affect the baking powder and gives us a fluffy and light consistency.
- If you’re using a manual egg waffle iron, like this Nordic Ware mold, use a clamp to keep your hands from hurting. You’ll need ample pressure to keep the iron closed during cooking, and having a clamp helps.
- Only fill the iron to 75% with batter because it will expand as it cooks.
- Preheat the iron on the stove before adding the batter. Move the iron around a lot while cooking and flipping it at least 3-4 times to ensure you get an even heat.
Making the batter ahead or freezing waffles
While we recommend resting the batter to allow the flour and liquid to bloom for one hour on the counter, we don’t suggest making the batter the night before. Waiting too long to make the waffles will change the efficacy of the baking powder and the gluten in the batter and give you a gummy waffle texture. Double-acting baking powder first reacts (or rises) when it combines with liquid, and the second reaction occurs during heating. Alternatively, you can prep the liquid and dry ingredients separately. When you’re ready to make the waffles, combine them an hour before you want to eat waffles.
If you have leftover waffles, you can keep them in an airtight container on the counter for up to two days. You can also freeze egg puffles in an airtight container for up to two weeks to preserve them longer. When you want to eat leftover egg waffles again, use a toaster oven to refresh them until they’re toasty (about 4-6 minutes). You don’t have to defrost the egg waffles and place them directly from the freezer to the toaster oven. I find that they’re just as tasty and fresh.
See my other waffle recipes
- Vietnamese pandan waffles
- Crispy Belgian waffles
- Vegan pandan waffles
- Crispy ube waffles
- Sourdough discard waffles
- Pandan pizzelles
- Japanese soufflé pancakes
Hong Kong Style Egg Waffle Recipe
Ingredients
Wet
- 200 g (1 c) white cane sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 59 g (4 tbsp) evaporated milk
- 250 g (1 c) water
- 50 g (4 tbsp) vegetable oil plus more for the iron
- 7.2 g (1 tsp) vanilla extract
Dry
- 180 g (1 ½ c) all-purpose flour
- 73 g (½ c) rice flour
- 15 g (2 tbsp) tapioca starch
- 15 g (2 tbsp) custard powder
- 10 g (2 tsp) double-acting baking powder
Equipment Used
- kitchen scale or measuring cups and spoons
- sifter
- mixing bowls
- spatula
- ladle
- egg waffle iron
- clamp optional
Instructions
Prepare the batter
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the 200 g white cane sugar and 4 large eggs with a whisk until incorporated.
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients: 59 g evaporated milk, 250 g water, 50 g vegetable oil, and 7.2 g vanilla extract. Whisk until incorporated.
- In another bowl, combine all the dry ingredients: 180 g all-purpose flour, 73 g rice flour, 15 g tapioca starch, 15 g custard powder, and 10 g double-acting baking powder.
- Sift the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients bowl.
- Use a spatula to gently combine all the ingredients. It’s okay if there are a few lumps. Don’t overmix the batter; otherwise, it will create a tough waffle texture. The final batter texture should look like the photo here.
- Place a towel over the bowl and let it sit on the counter at room temperature for one hour.
- After one hour of rest, the batter should have little gas bubbles. Mix the batter gently.
Making the egg waffles
- Heat up the waffle iron over medium heat and then wipe down with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
- Add enough batter so that it fills 75% of the mold.
- Quickly close the lid (and add the clamp over the handles if you want to alleviate your hands cramping from holding it closed), AND immediately turn the pan over so that the batter fills the top and bottom of the pan. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, flipping halfway. You’ll know it’s done cooking when you can smell the waffles and when you open the lid, it is golden brown.
- TIPS: Keep the pan tightly closed during the entire cooking process. Occasionally, move the pan circularly around the stove so it heats evenly.
- Open the lid and check to see if the waffle is golden brown. It’s okay if it sticks to one side. Use a pair of tongs or a fork to gently lift the waffle from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack in a sheet pan. If you are molding the egg waffle into a cone, do so now before it sets. Allow the waffle to rest on a rack for at least 2-3 minutes. It should get crispier as it cools.
- Close the pan and allow the pan to preheat for at least 30 seconds. Mix the batter if it needs it. Repeat steps 3-5 with the next batch of waffles. In later batches, you may need to turn down the heat to prevent burning.
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