Remember those graham cracker-like waffles cones you’d get from the store that were always stale? So clever in concept. So disappointing in execution. Banish those memories with these easy homemade waffle cones. Crisp yet tender, buttery and sweet, and entirely impossible to say no to…–Rose Levy Beranbaum
How to Glam Up Your Waffle Cones
If you’d like to decorate the top of your waffle cone, in a small bowl, melt together 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate with 2 teaspoons coconut oil. Invert each cone and dip the rim into the chocolate, then sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles, shredded coconut, or chopped nuts.
Waffle Cones
Equipment
- An electric waffle cone maker or pizzelle maker (optional); cone-shaped rolling form (or make your own with the Variation beneath the recipe)
Ingredients
For vanilla waffle cones
- 2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ounces (a scant 1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
For chocolate waffle cones
- 2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter
- 1 1/3 ounces (a scant 1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (sifted before measuring)
- 1 large egg
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the vanilla waffle cone batter
- In a 1-cup glass measuring cup in the microwave or in a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Let it cool until it’s no longer hot, about 5 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, lightly whisk together the egg and salt. Add the sugar and whisk until light and foamy, 30 to 60 seconds. Whisk in the melted butter and vanilla until combined.
- Add the flour and use the whisk to stir it in. When all the flour has been moistened, whisk until smooth, about 15 seconds.
Make the chocolate waffle cone batter
- In a 1-cup glass measuring cup in the microwave or in a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Let it cool until it’s no longer hot, about 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and cocoa.
- In a medium bowl, lightly whisk together the egg and salt. Add the sugar and whisk until light and foamy, 30 to 60 seconds. Whisk in the melted butter and vanilla until combined.
- Add the flour mixture and use the whisk to stir it in. When all the flour mixture has been moistened, whisk until smooth, about 15 seconds.
☞ TESTER TIP: If the batter starts to thicken as it stands, it’s fine to stir in up to a few tablespoons of water.
Cook the waffle cone batter
- If using a waffle cone maker or pizzelle maker, follow the manufacturer’s instructions, using about 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter for each cone. It will probably take about 80 seconds for the vanilla batter and only 60 seconds for the chocolate batter. Roll each hot disc into a cone shape using the store-bought or homemade cone form. The cone will firm up within seconds so you can remove it and continue to use the form with the remaining cones while they’re still warm and malleable. Use immediately.undefined If using an oven, see the ‘How to Bake Your Waffle Cones in the Oven’ variation below.
- Place each shaped cone in a glass to help keep its shape while it cools and crisps, which will happen in just a few minutes.
☞ TESTER TIP: If your cones have a small hole at the bottom, no worries. Simply drop in a mini marshmallow or blueberry to stop ice cream from leaking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Bake Waffle Cones in the Oven And Make Your Own Waffle Cone Shaper
First, you’ll need to make something to help you shape the tender baked cookie into a waffle shape. Draw a 12-inch (30-cm) circle on a file folder or other sturdy paper. Draw lines to divide the circle into 4 equal wedges. Cut out the wedges.
Roll a wedge to form a cone shape. Overlap the two sides of the wedge by 1/4 inch (6 mm) and tape the edges together to secure the cone’s shape. Repeat with the other 3 wedges.
Cut four 9-inch (23 cm) squares of aluminum foil. Wrap the outside of each paper cone with foil, taping the edges. Fold the excess foil over the open top of the cone to secure the foil to the cone. (If necessary, staple the foil near the edge of the open end of the cone.)
Lightly coat the outside of each foil-wrapped cone with nonstick cooking spray. Place the inverted cones on a countertop until ready to use.
To bake your waffle cone batter in the oven, trace out 5-inch (127-mm) circles on a couple of sheets of parchment paper and line two rimmed baking sheets with the parchment paper. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Use an offset spatula to spread a 1 1/2 tablespoons of the batter for each cone very thinly on a baking sheet, smoothing then as thinly and as evenly as possible. Work with only 2 rounds of batter on a baking sheet at a time. Bake until set, 12 to 15 minutes. The batter should look set and when you lift the edge with a spatula, it should not be met with any resistance. Use a spatula to carefully flip each disc onto a dish towel. Quickly roll each hot disc into a cone shape using the cone form. This can take some practice. No worries. And kindly note as you practice that any thick spots in the cone may break. That’s okay. It’s not a personal failing on your part. They’ll still taste amazing. Or if you get frustrated, simply drape the baked cones over the bottom of an upturned dish rather than fuss with making the cones and call it a waffle bowl.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
These cones are a fun addition to the quarantine craze of easy homemade ice cream and a perfect weekend project that the kids will love.
I suspect this recipe would work better with a waffle cone maker, but I couldn’t find one in my area. Making them in the oven worked just fine, but it took some tweaks and experimenting to get the baking time figured out.
I followed the directions for the cone molds and found them easy to make. I traced 5-inch rounds onto 2 parchment paper sheets to use as the guide for spreading the batter. I cooled the sheet pan in between batches and used the same parchment-lined pans.
I melted the butter in the microwave for 1 minute at full power, being sure to cover the top with a paper towel to keep it from splattering.
In my oven, I found 12 to 13 minutes to be the right amount of time so that the cones were still pliable enough to get a tighter cone shape. The batter was firm in the middle and lightly browned on the edges.
For added fun, I dipped the top edges of my cones in chocolate melted with a bit of coconut oil (1/2 cup dark chocolate and 2 teaspoons coconut oil) and then sprinkled them with rainbow jimmies (or sprinkles).
How to BakeHow to Bake
This ice cream cone is indeed crunchy and crispy and the flavor is buttery, sweet goodness.
We found the recipe to be simple and quick with all the timings accurate. We tried the vanilla batter and baked it for 15 minutes.
We followed the instructions to make our cone forms from paper and aluminum, which were easy and worked as described. However, we made a mistake in spreading the batter too thick so we ended up with four 5-inch taco shell-ish shaped cookies that didn’t quite wrap around our forms.
Even though we didn’t have ice cream in the house, we wanted to try this recipe as soon as we saw it, so we filled one of our cones with sweet cashew cream, blueberries, and chocolate chips (yum), and another with a chocolate spread, smushing the two halves together. We realized we had made a high-end Milano—a really good one. The cookie or cone is tasty enough for us to try this recipe again, to be more exacting about spreading the batter thin on the sheet and it will be fun to do.
I made only the vanilla version of these. The batter is easy and really tasty. I don’t have a ton more to add other than that I had no idea how easy it is to make waffle cones. I made the cone molds as the recipe instructs. That was simple enough.
I’m sure if you have a waffle cone maker this would make perfect waffle cones. Well, I don’t have one, so I was really curious if the other method works. It kind of works but it requires practice and some skill with the offset spatula. I found that the batter had to be very, very thin and as even as possible to get a piece that is good enough to make into a cone. Any thick areas will just break. Each cone needed about a heaping tablespoon of batter that I then spread into a 5 inch circle as thinly as possible. Baking them for closer to 12 minutes worked well for me to get good browning.
Wrapping those around a cone mold was a still a bit tricky as they were a bit uneven no matter what I did. Due to the unevenness it was also tough to properly get a neat closed cone. The resulting cones, though, were indeed delicious and crispy. However, would I go through the process of making waffle cones in the oven again? Not likely but I like to know that I can if I wanted to. If anything, this recipe makes me want to get a waffle cone maker and do it all properly.
I really loved these chocolate waffle cones! Flavorwise, they reminded me of the chocolate wafer cookies that are used for those rectangular ice cream sandwiches I grew up eating as a kid. I used the oven method, which works but isn’t ideal. I’d say only make cone shapes if you have a waffle cone iron; otherwise if you use the oven method, make ice cream bowls instead. With the oven method, you just can’t get the same even thickness and texture as a waffle iron, so they were a bit tricky to bake and handle. No regrets though!
You have to work fast when you’re rolling them, and although it’s hard to get a tight enough roll to avoid a hole at the bottom, don’t worry so much. Just give the bottom a good pinch while it is still warm and it will seal it. Enjoy them immediately after they cool for optimal crispness. I had a few left and put them in a container; the next day they had softened, but my husband and I both still really enjoyed them, they just had more of a soft cookie texture. I’ll definitely be adding a waffle iron to my wish list.
I used cake flour. I didn’t add any water to my batter, but it definitely thickened by the time I made the last one.
I tried the vanilla ones, too—not my favorite. They just weren’t special enough. They didn’t crisp the way the chocolate ones did. They just tasted like soft cookies—kind of like soft fortune cookies.
When you want a quick treat in the summer heat, cake and ice cream takes just too long…but how about a fresh cookie cone with your favorite ice cream? In about 15 minutes or less, you’ll be enjoying a fun dessert that the kids will love to help make…
The next time, I’ll brown the butter and maybe use some brown sugar in the mix and not just white sugar. I melted my butter in a small pot which I put in the freezer for a minute to cool off.
I used a pizzelle maker and this recipe made 6 beautiful pretty ruffled cones. I used a smallish wooden former for the cones. I did have to put a small marshmallow in the bottom of the cone. The cookie cones were tasty and crisp after they cooled. I made the vanilla and will try the chocolate ones later in the week as we have a birthday social on Saturday. Would be fun to have cones for adults!
And, as a final note, our little white rescue pooch was more than happy to be a tester to all we were willing to give him. He would not stop asking for more after the first piece we gave him! Now I have to go online and find the perfect cone former!
