Name: Whole Wheat Waffles
Yield: Four 4 section waffles
Ingredients: 1¼ cups whole wheat flour; 1 cup wheat germ; 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1 tablespoon nutmeg; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 cups milk; ½ cup vegetable oil; 2 eggs

Why it works: Wheat and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,418 recipes. Both carry (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal, which smells cucumber, melon. The science ↓

Whole Wheat Waffles

Four 4 section waffles

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

Heat waffle iron according to the manufacturer's directions.
Combine dry ingredients and mix well.

Make the batter

Add milk, vegetable oil, and eggs, and mix until smooth.

Cook the waffles

Pour 1 cup of batter onto the oiled waffle iron, and cook according to the manufacturer's directions.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

862Calories

27 gProtein

29 gFat

121 gCarbs

Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 7 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Nutmeg	1 tsp ground (2.2g)	12
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Wheat	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Wheat + milktop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,418 recipes

Shared aroma: (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, melon).
Flour + nutmegtop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together18,623 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Wheat + nutmegtop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together359 recipes

Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
Wheat + flourtop 12% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,373 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour + milktop 14% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together78,219 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Whole wheat flour: Provides the main structure and a nutty, hearty texture.
Eggs: Bind the batter and add structure as they set on the iron.
Milk: Hydrates the flour and gives the batter its pourable consistency.
Vegetable oil: Adds fat for tenderness and helps keep the waffles from sticking.
Baking powder: Releases gas to lift the batter so the waffles rise and stay light.
Wheat germ: Adds toasty flavour and a slightly denser, grainy texture.