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One of our family traditions is that when there is a birthday, the birthday boy or girl gets to choose a special dinner for a family-only celebration on the actual day.

My oldest son turned eight this month, and he asked to celebrate with breakfast for dinner. So of course, I made his favorite breakfast food, fluffy buttermilk waffles. Buttermilk waffles are my specialty, and I’ve shared my recipe here. We paired the waffles with scrambled eggs, fruit, sausage, and of course, maple syrup.

Setting the scene:

To make it feel like a special dinner, we decorated the kitchen and table with balloons, a “Happy Birthday” banner, and an 8-candle. For his gifts, I bought him two books: “The Wild Robot” and “The Ghost on the Mountain” (a choose-your-own-adventure book).

He also received a game for his Nintendo and some Pokémon cards. It was just enough to make my son feel loved and celebrated.

After setting the table, I made the Buttermilk Waffle batter. I make a large batch of batter, with four boys, we eat a lot. This recipe is easy to halve or prepare in a mixing bowl with a lid (like this one) and store in the refrigerator for up to three days.

When making breakfast, the order in which you prepare and cook is important so that you don’t end up with cold eggs, flat waffles, or hard, cold sausages. I prepare my batter first. Next, put the sausages in the oven, and start making waffles; they take about 2 minutes each. Next, prepare the scrambled eggs ( I make 2 eggs per person). In a pot on a very low heat, warm the maple syrup.

Delicious, Fluffy Buttermilk Waffle Recipe:

Makes about 16 waffles:

Dry ingredients:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons white sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients:
- 4 room temperature eggs
- 4 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter melted

Directions:

Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and stir with a whisk
Combine the wet ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, stir with a whisk
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix with a whisk or spatula
- Be careful not to overmix- it makes waffles flat.
- Batter should be well combined, but still lumpy. Bonus points if you can still see streaks of egg whites. (see picture below)
Pour 1 cup of batter onto the center of a hot waffle iron.
Serve hot with fresh fruit, maple syrup, or your favorite topping!

Perfectly mixed waffle batter. The lumps make it fluffy!

Tools:

When cooking, the proper tools make all the difference in the taste of the food.

A few years ago, I bought a vertical waffle iron, and I will never use another waffle Iron again. The waffles come out crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. They are golden brown, and the batter is evenly spread every time.

This Waffle Iron is the one that I use. It comes with a measuring cup to ensure a perfect pour every time. It beeps when it is ready for the batter, and beeps when the waffle is done. It’s the best!

Other necessary tools for this recipe are:

Measuring Cups and spoons – This complete set is stackable for compact storage, durable, and comes with a level bar to ensure accuracy.
Mixing bowls (at least two) – I like these with the lids to store leftover batter.
Whisk
Spatula

This is one way that we keep birthday celebrations simple, joyful, and rooted in family. Our children have larger parties in addition to our family celebration for milestone birthdays. In my opinion, nothing beats starting their new year together.

What birthday traditions does your family follow? Drop some celebration ideas in the comments!