A wonut is a hybrid of a waffle and what pastry?

A wonut is a hybrid of a waffle and a doughnut.

The name combines “waffle” and “doughnut,” and the food brings together techniques associated with both. Wonut mixtures use waffle batter and doughnut dough, which are cooked in a waffle iron and, in the best-known preparation, deep-fried and decorated with doughnut-style toppings.

The wonut became popular in Chicago in 2014, particularly at Waffles Cafe in the Lake View community area. The café’s owner, Alex Hernandez, is credited with creating the version that attracted widespread attention. Food blogs, Instagram posts, and coverage from outlets such as Thrillist helped the hybrid spread quickly beyond Chicago.

The wonut belongs to a broader wave of mash-up pastries that included the cronut, but it is not simply a doughnut with a grid stamped onto it. Its identity comes from combining waffle structure and cooking with doughnut ingredients, frying, and toppings. Names such as doffle, wownut, waffle-donut, and waffle nut have also been used for similar products.