Hong Kong Egg Waffles (sometimes referred to as egg puffs, eggettes or bubble waffles) is a popular street dish. The sweet, waffle-like batter is cooked in a special mold. The end result is a waffle with crisp edges and soft oval “eggs” or “bubbles” which can be easily broken off for snacking.
I made these successfully a few years ago, but it’s definitely been a while. We had some friends visiting this weekend and they expressed interest in wanting to try my egg waffles. I haven’t made the snack since moving and I hadn’t figured out the right setting with me new stove, so the ones I made for them weren’t as pretty as I had hoped.
For the mold, I purchased a Nordic Ware Egg Waffle a few years ago, as it was the only option I could find. It cooks on the stove top, so you do need some time to fiddle around and figure out the ideal temperature and cooking times for your own stove. But it works pretty well. (Update: I’ve been informed by several people that there is now a plug-in version, which I am tempted to buy as it is easier to operate and slightly cheaper.)
Unsatisfied with my Saturday results, I spent most of Sunday researching recipes and playing around with different cooking times. After about a dozen waffles (Mr. K was having way too much fun eating all the rejects), I finally had some pretty ones to show off.
I have yet to be able to get an entire one uniform in color. I think this is because the pan does cook on the stove top and so the heat distribution is not completely even. The commercial ones seem to have more success because they are built like traditional waffle irons that you plug in and cook and it heats evenly across the pan. These are still super tasty and fun though!
After so many trials, here are some tips I’ve learned for the best results:
* Let the batter sit for an hour before cooking.
* Evaporated milk is a key ingredient. I tried substituting it with regular milk and the consistency of the batter isn’t the same. It made the batter thinner and stick to the pan.
* Custard powder is another key ingredient that effects the softness of the waffles. I use Bird’s custard powder which can be found at Fresh & Easy or Amazon. I’ve also had successful results substituting with vanilla pudding powder mix, but I like using custard powder when I can.
* Tapioca starch is also a key ingredient. I’ve seen some recipes that use cornstarch which often is a substitute, but I felt like the results were better with tapioca starch. You can find it in Chinese grocery stores, near the glutinous rice flour, potato flour, etc.
* The first waffle will be a throwaway one. Similar to your first pancake, the first one will be pale, might not come out in one piece, etc.
* Make sure you preheat both sides of the pan first before you start and brush oil on both sides. When your pancake is ready, slowly peel it out, starting from one end and with some help, you should be able to get it out in one piece. It usually rolls up a little as it start to come out of the mold and it’s often served rolled up since it is a street dish.
* It may take a few tries before you find the ideal cooking temperature and time. Mine needed about 4 minutes on each side, but flipping at 2-minute intervals.
Hong Kong Egg Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tbsp tapioca starch
- 1 tbsp custard powder
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 tbsp evaporated milk
- 150 ml water
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add all ingredients and mix with a whisk until only very small lumps remain. Set batter in the fridge for one hour.
- Read instructions on whether your pan can be placed directly onto stove or if it needs a wire rack and do accordingly. Pre-heat each half of the waffle pans on medium-high heat until hot (about 1-2 minutes).
- Lightly brush each pan with vegetable oil (don't use spray). Turn heat to medium (I set mine at dial at 4).
- Pour 3/4 cup of the batter into the middle of the egg waffle pan and then immediately flip pan, making sure to hold pan together tightly so it doesn't leak. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip to other side and cook for 2 minutes. The egg waffle will now require one more cook on each side. Timing may vary depending on stove, but mine needed 2 more minutes on each side. (You first waffle will like still be pale yellow and may have cooked unevenly. Like the first pancake, this is your throwaway one. The ones after should look light brown when they are finished.)
- Remove the side of the pan the finished egg waffle is clinging to, and hold it above a plate with the waffle upside down. Using a chopstick or spoon, gently loosen it from the pan, starting on the top edge, using gravity to help it release. It will start to curl as it falls off and you should be able to get it out in one piece (except for the first waffle).
- Repeat with the remaining batter (re-greasing pans first) and then serve immediately.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
thx for sharing both recipe and detailed tips, which are very helpful, will make some soon
We’re glad you found it helpful!
Hi Kirbie,
Thanks for your wonderful recipe! Since I only buy 2% milk, how much 2% milk should I use to replace evaporated milk? How much water do I use if I switch to 2% milk?
Could I use cornstarch to replace tapioca starch?
Unfortunately, 2% milk won’t work in place of the evaporated milk.
Just bought a bubble waffle maker and went hunting for some recipe ideas. Came across your recipe and, man, am I so glad I did! This recipe is simple and delicious! Thank you for a great share.
We’re so glad you loved it!
Can this be made oin an ordinary waffle maker instead
Cheers
Helen
We haven’t tried it in a regular waffle iron, but it should work.
It was so good ? ,I made it for a party and 2 people bought waffle makers on amazon right away.I infused every 4th square with a lemon whip cream.Just syringe with a wide needle.Some were making weird animal noises while eating.?
I’m so glad it turned out well!
My grandkids love this recipe! We’ve been making it for 4 or 5 years! 🙂 Sometimes we half the sugar and drop in some chocolate chips. A fun treat for Saturday mornings at Grandma’s house!
I’m so glad your grandkids are enjoying the waffles!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I was born in Hong Kong and still have most of my family there… whenever I go visit this is THE thing I must eat and I was thrilled when I started seeing it pop up in HK cafes and snack shops (mostly bubble tea shops) in North America too. Your recipe for the taste spot on, though I like mine chewier so I doubled the tapioca starch. Other than that, this is the perfect recipe. So glad I found this and didn’t need to do too much trial and error. Looking forward to using it as a base for stuffed bubble waffles too!
I’m glad you liked it! I like the chewier version too but it’s not something I came across until more recently (and after this post was published as it’s a few years old). I have been wanting to make a chewier version
Hi! I am wondering if I can substitute milk powder instead of the custard powder? Also if I don’t use either, what effect will there be? Thanks!
not using the custard powder will change the texture. milk powder doesn’t work as a substitute
Great recipe! Thanks for sharing! How do I get the bubble waffles to look golden and shiny, almost waxy looking, like they do on YouTube? I’m testing out recipes, but the bubbles come out an uneven color on my electric, commercial, machine. Thanks!
A lot of the more modern recipes found at tea shops use rice flour or glutinous rice flour which helps create that shiny coating and adds a chewiness to the waffles. This recipe is more traditional so these are more cake-like. Also cooking the waffle longer will help having an even color all around. It’s harder to get an even color with the electric machine.
Hi. I am using a Teflon coated electric bubble waffle maker which I am first spraying with canola oil. My waffles don’t come out as crispy or firm as they look on-line. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks
It sounds like maybe you need to cook them longer. The electric waffle makers take longer to cook and crisp up. So even if the indicator says they are ready, I would try leaving them in there a little longer
I just got the Hammacher Schlememer catalog and there it was an electric Hong Kong Waffle maker, My daughter was so excited. 28 years ago my sister, her kids, my daughter and I would drive into Chinatown and we would always stop at the Hong Kong cake lady’s stand. We just loved them. Then at one point she closed up shop. So disappointed. Looked for a recipe and found your website. Now to just order the waffle maker
This is one of my favorite treats! And the electric waffle maker is much easier to use!
You can substitute corn startch for custard poweder in the same quantity and it works just the same. A little extra villian extract if you want the same taste:)
thanks for the tip!
Tried out your recipe and it tastes quite similar to the ones I’ve had before except I realized that I left out the vanilla extract so I’ll have to try again. My mom also tried it out and thinks maybe 3 eggs might be better but we are going to experiment some more! I also have the the CucinaPro Bubble Waffle maker and found that the outside exterior is a bit of a hit/miss to make it crunchy/soft but I think playing around with the cooking time might be the key for an electric one..
I’m glad it worked out for you!
I tried again with 3 eggs and 5 mins for cook time but it turned out too soft overall. I did another test with your exact recipe but changed the cooking method by pouring the batter with a pitcher which makes it easier to distribute and flipped the electric waffle maker over immediately then flip it back 2.5 min later. I now have the correct texture! Crunchy on the outside and browned nicely while its soft on the inside although there is some refinement needed with my maker still perhaps I need to re-apply the oil every 2nd waffle.
Hi!:) Thank you for sharing your tips. Works really swell!:) but i do have a question… does your loose crispiness also after awhile (awhile as in say 5 mins after)?
The waffles are definitely best eaten right away! they will lose crispness as they cool down.
Dear Kirbie,
I have tried you recipe and it tastes amazing- the only thing is the spaces between the bubbles don’t seem to crisper up like they supposed to and the waffle comes too soft- please help. We use the same machine that vendors in HK use, the electric one on 180 degrees…
Have you tried cooking it longer to get it to crisp up? Also make sure to refrigerate the batter. it really does make a difference!
Great recipe.
Lived in Hong Kong 20 years. Loved it.
Also tried to find recipe for chow down food smelly tofu. Never able to find.Can you help me with this ?
I’m glad you enjoyed this. I have not attempted to make fermented tofu before
Delicious recipe. Just slightly sweet. It’s perfect! I made the bubbles using a cake pop maker because I couldn’t find the bubble waffle pan locally (and I didn’t want to spend $100 on a pan for my first time making them–might invest in one now though). Filled the wells about 75% and put on oven mitts and flipped the whole cake pop maker. They turned out great and I got the mother in law’s approval (WOW). Thanks for the awesome recipe!
I’m glad you got it to work! I’m not sure where you are located, but on Amazon, the pans I linked to are less than $40, so I think it’s worth it if you will be making them often. 😉
would love to get an updated recipe for the electric machine if you have bought one
I did get the electric one and I use it all the time! It doesn’t quite have exactly the same texture as the cast iron, but it’s pretty darn close and it’s so much easier to use since you don’t have to be constantly standing over the stove and flipping.
I tried this recipe on my electric maker. First time waffles turned out great: crispy from the outside, and soft on the inside. But whenever I tried to make them again, waffles were soft from the outside as well, not crispy at all. Do You know what’s the catch?
did you make sure to refrigerate the batter? I’ve found that is usually the difference. Also, maybe it is the waffle maker itself? If it worked before and is no longer working, perhaps your waffle maker is no longer reaching as high temperatures as it should
Hi, thank you for the instructions, my friends love this, especially with some ice cream and fruit wrapped up by the waffles. BuT I can’t find the little white bags that vendors sell it in. I see a picture you have with that bag. Where do you get those???
Mine is not a white bag, just some paper cones I made myself. You can usually find them on Amazon and other baking supply stores.
Hi,
I love these! I just made them. I was wondering if I can freeze the batter for next use? I was thinking of making a big batch and just freezing it, for easy preparation :). Please let me know.
Thank you.
Sorry I haven’t tried freezing the batter so I don’t know the answer. if you try, please let me know!
You can also try this recipe with a Mini Cake Pop Maker which you can get for as low as $11 on Amazon.
I’ve also seen people use regular waffle maker too. But I think while the flavor is the same, the texture isn’t quite the same right? also I really do love the egg shape where you pop and eat one by one. heh
You can find the Custard powder an any World Market.
thanks!
I found an egg waffle iron on amazon! It looks good for home use too!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00CDWPFYO?pc_redir=1411189264&robot_redir=1
thank you! Over the weekend, someone told me a similar one at Bed Bath and Beyond. I wonder how it is!
If you make these again, please post what the egg waffle iron looks like! I’m curious! : )
Your egg waffles look just like the ones at Eggettes. This is such a fun snack to eat.
Hi CC- if you click on the William Sonoma link in the post, you’ll see a nice picture of what it looks like =)
There’s something about these little bubbles that makes me want to eat SO MANY of them. (And I actually like the non-uniform color so it’s a major win in my book:)
Foods that are fun to eat are so much more dangerous! I have no self-control until every last little bubble is gone. =)
I bought the same tool and haven’t used it yet. Gonna try your recipe first before other random internet ones. Also thanks for the heads up on where to find custard powder. Been having a hard time finding those.
yes, custard powder is a pain to find! I hope you enjoy the egg waffles!
I finally bought myself an egg waffle pan last year and agree that these are finicky to make! I bought one for my parents as well, and they have had a blast trying to recreate our favorite street food from the NYC Chinatown. Thanks for the tips – I’ll have to try your recipe next time (we just used the recipe that came with the pan).
I really love these! But yes it is frustrating getting it to look as good as the ones you get on the street. I really want one of the electric ones but I can’t find any home-use ones.