Waffles with Ham and Pecan Praline Syrup
Waffles with Ham and Pecan Praline Syrup – waffles baked with ham right in the batter and topped with delicious pecan praline syrup.
Cold winter weekend mornings just beg for a hearty breakfast, don’t they? Something warm and substantial to fill your empty tummy and fuel you for the day.
One of my favorite weekend breakfasts is waffles. I make them in countless varieties.
Sometimes I add berries, sometimes nuts, and sometimes I crumble some bacon into the batter. Top a steaming waffle with a pat of butter and a drizzle of syrup and it’s all good.
Well, recently I was asked by the people over at Smithfield to try some of their new spiral cut smoked ham flavors and come up with a unique recipe using one of them. Of course I said yes because Smithfield is a brand that I’ve used for a long time and I know I can always count on it for delicious products.
Well, y’all, they sent me over three big, beautiful hams. One was the always delicious honey glazed, but the other two were really special.
A Variety of Glazed Hams
One had a caramel apple glaze and the other a pecan praline glaze. Wow. If you enjoy ham you’ll really love these.
I knew right away that I wanted to use one of these hams for a breakfast recipe. So after pondering a bit, I came up with something that truly satisfied my Southern bent for the sweet and savory combination.
I took the pecan praline ham, minced it finely and incorporated it into my favorite whole wheat waffle batter. I also made a pecan praline syrup to top them with. Talk about delicious!
Every single bite of these waffles is just bursting with savory, salty, sweet flavor. I really hope you’ll give these a try. They’re something special :-)
How to Make Waffles with Ham and Pecan Praline Syrup
Let’s Go Step-by-Step
I always like to show you the photos and step-by-step instructions for my recipes to help you picture how to make them in your own kitchen. If you just want to print out a copy, you can skip to the bottom of the post where you’ll find the recipe card.
Start by making the Pecan Praline Syrup
You can make this syrup ahead of time and store it in the fridge. If you do that, be sure to re-warm it while you’re making the waffles.
Combine the sugar, buttermilk, butter, honey, and baking soda in a large saucepan. It’s the combination of buttermilk and sugar that gives it that great praline flavor. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
Cook for 7 minutes. The syrup will caramelize and take on a rich brown color as it cooks. Be careful not to let it burn.
Remove the syrup from the heat and stir in the vanilla and pecans. Be careful – the mixture will be very hot. Allow it to stand off the heat and cool while you make the waffles.
Make the Waffles
Finely mince the ham. You’ll need a cup of minced ham for the batter and a little bit more to top the waffles with. You can do this with a knife on a board like I did, or in the food processor.
If you use the food processor, be careful not to take it too far. You can make a paste out of it before you know it :-)
While the waffle iron is heating, whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl until frothy. Add all the remaining ingredients except the ham and continue whisking until the batter is smooth.
Fold in the minced ham.
Pour enough batter for one waffle onto the center of the hot waffle iron. Bake according to the manufacturer’s directions for your waffle iron.
Carefully remove the hot waffle from the iron. Repeat until all the batter is used.
Top waffles with Pecan Praline Syrup and additional chopped cooked ham.
🧾 More Recipes You’ll Like
- Cinnamon Brown Sugar Waffles
- Crescent Roll Breakfast Stacks
- Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
- Ham and Cheese Quiche
Questions? I’m happy to help!
If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox.
My Southern Table cookbook
by Lana Taylor Stuart
Waffles with Ham and Pecan Praline Syrup
Ingredients
For the syrup:
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup pecans
For the waffles:
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 cup finely minced cooked ham
Instructions
Make the Syrup
- Combine the sugar, buttermilk, butter, honey, and baking soda in a large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat. Cook for 7 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and pecans. The mixture will be very hot. Allow it to stand off the heat and cool while you make the waffles.
Make the Waffles
- Heat the waffle iron while you mix the batter.
- While the iron is heating, whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl until frothy. Add all remaining ingredients except the ham and continue whisking until the batter is smooth. Fold in the minced ham.
- Pour the batter from a measuring cup or pitcher onto the center of the hot waffle iron. Bake according to you’re the manufacturer’s directions for your waffle iron.
- Carefully remove the hot waffle from the iron.
- Repeat until all batter is used.
- Top waffles with Pecan Praline Syrup and additional chopped cooked ham.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally sponsored by Smithfield
This looks awesome. I think this would make a great Christmas brunch. We are featuring breakfast at Saturday Dishes. Hope you can link this.
Wishes for tasty dishes,
Linda @ Tumbleweed Contessa
This does make a great addition to brunch! Hope you like it.
Gorgeous waffles. I’m all about praline syrup for breakfast. I’d eat it by the cup if I could.
All of the favorite breakfast flavors, on one glorious plate! Can’t wait to try that Smithfield ham.
Miss P
You’re going to like that ham and you’re going to love the waffles!
Great breakfast recipe!
Thanks, Maria!
Oh wow!!! This looks delicious. Love waffles & what could be better than Smithfield ham to go with them. Got to try this.
This is soooo good, Neena! You should try it when you have some leftover ham :-)