Ingredients

For the Waffles

• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the Toppings

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Juice from 1/2 a lime
• Cayenne pepper
• Chili powder
• Paprika
• Sriracha (optional)
• 1 cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese

Preparation

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter or oil.
2. In a separate bowl, blend together the dry ingredients, then quickly and gently combine the wet and dry ingredients.
3. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes, to allow the cornmeal to soften.
4. In the meantime, mix the mayo, minced garlic, and lime juice together. Add cayenne pepper, chili powder, paprika, and sriracha (if using) to taste.
5. Drop the batter by 1/3-cupfuls onto a hot waffle iron and bake until the waffle iron stops steaming.
6. Top with the spicy mayonnaise and crumbled cheese.
7. Sprinkle on more cayenne pepper and/or chile powder as desired, and serve with lime wedges.

Cook’s Notes

The waffles are best fresh out of the waffle iron because they start to get soft once they get to room temperature. You can always reheat them in the oven to get them to crisp up again.

If you have the corn-shaped pans for making cornbread sticks, I think it would be really cute to dress those up elote-style as well!