We Made JFK’s Famous Waffles, and Here’s What We Learned

John F. Kennedy portrait

Like everything else they do while in office, the food preferences of the United States Presidents are meticulously documented. The eating habits of the commanders in chief become the object of scrutiny, and can even help shape the popularity of certain dishes. Thomas Jefferson, for instance, is credited with introducing multiple recipes to the New World, including macaroni, ice cream, and French fries. John Tyler had a popular type of pie named after him, and Ronald Reagan was famous for keeping a jar of Jelly Belly jelly beans on his desk.

The 35th President, John F. Kennedy, is no exception. In fact, among the documents on his presidency preserved in the National Archives is a small recipe card featuring his family waffle recipe. Over the years, various cookbooks requested family recipes from the Kennedys, and one that was frequently shared was this waffle recipe, which JFK often requested himself from the White House chefs.

As a lover of both history and waffles, I decided to make these waffles for myself and see if I could bring the Kennedy experience to my own kitchen. Here’s what I discovered about JFK’s famous breakfast dish.

A Classic Family Meets a Classic Dish

A breakfast staple dating back to ancient Greece, waffles are more than just pancakes with ridges. They were originally thin wafers eaten on special occasions, and, in another presidential twist, Thomas Jefferson was purported to have brought the first long-handled waffle iron to America. In the decades since, waffles have undergone several makeovers, from fluffy Belgian varieties to frozen Eggos. But no matter their shape or price, they are a quintessential breakfast dish.

It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that this recipe was so beloved by President Kennedy, who was a lover of the classics. According to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, JFK was fond of a smattering of traditional meals, such as New England fish chowder, corn muffins, and chocolate. However, he was also noted as being “a small eater and he often had to be reminded that it was dinner time.”

Making the Waffles

I was confident when I set out to make these waffles. A longtime baker, I'd consider myself slightly above novice, especially when it comes to breakfast. Waffles hold a special place in my heart. They were the food I craved above all else when I stayed home sick as a kid. The first thing I registered for when I was getting married was a good waffle iron, and now it's one of my favorite weekend treats to make for my own daughter.

To my surprise, the hardest part of the whole experience began before I even heated up the waffle iron. I could not find cake flour. My grocery store shelves were stocked with all-purpose flour, bread flour, even gluten-free almond flour, but it took three Target runs to finally find cake flour, which, as I learned, has a slightly lower protein content than all-purpose flour, making it extra fine and light — ideal for waffle-making.

Aside from the flour, the ingredient list is pretty standard, though with slightly more flair than a traditional waffle recipe. Each ingredient goes one step further than you would find in a basic recipe. Buttermilk instead of regular milk. Separated egg yolks and whipped egg whites folded into the batter instead of a whole egg unceremoniously cracked in. Butter instead of vegetable oil. Reading the ingredient list alone gives you a hint to how fluffy and rich these waffles will be.

With that said, nothing in the recipe was too difficult, especially for an experienced waffle maker. Even a beginner could whip these up easily, as long as you pay attention to the recipe.

So, that being said, make sure to read the recipe extra carefully. There are a few tricky points, such as an extra tablespoon of flour on top of the 1 cup already in there, or 7/8 cup of milk, if you opt out of buttermilk. Also, expert chefs be warned: The baking powder, which is typically combined with flour at the beginning of a bake, isn't added until the very end. Those four heaping tablespoons will give the waffles an extra fluffiness, so just trust the recipe.

Also note that these are a bit more delicate than a thick boxed mix, so you'll want to spray your waffle iron and be extra careful peeling them from the heat.

Drumroll, Please…

The end result was light, fluffy, and delicious — not surprising given the work that went into them. Like each individual ingredient, the waffles themselves felt like an elevated dish taken to a slightly higher level.

There's no sugar in this recipe, which means these aren't the sweet dessert waffles you may dream about. But add fruit, whipped cream, or any other desired toppings and that will easily make up for it — though the recipe itself advises you serve with "hot maple syrup and melted butter." That's exactly what I did, and it was the perfect topping for these fluffy creations.

I can confidently say these waffles were much better than a box recipe, slightly better than a simple from-scratch recipe, but perhaps not quite reaching the peaks of gourmet brunch.

All in all, the process was a little involved and time-consuming, but the end result was a delicious, rich batch of hot and tasty waffles. If you have a White House chef at your disposal, you might request these every day. But for this mother of a toddler, I'll stick to boxed mixes and save these for a special weekend treat.