These Red Velvet Waffles are so easy to make and are the BEST Valentine's Day breakfast or Mother's Day brunch recipe. They're topped with an easy Cream Cheese Glaze that takes just 2 minutes to make without a mixer.
Go ahead and indulge in these crispy, fluffy red waffles, whether it's breakfast or dessert.
Easy red velvet waffles
Here's a secret about making red velvet waffles: they're just as easy to make as regular waffles, but require 2 special ingredients: cocoa powder and red food coloring.
The cocoa powder gives these waffles a hint of chocolate flavor, while the red food coloring makes them a gorgeous red color that is perfect for a special breakfast.
Simply add the cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and the food coloring to the wet ingredients. You'll need about 2-3 teaspoons of food coloring for this recipe (depending on how strong the color is), so make sure you have enough before you get started, otherwise you'll end up with pink waffles (though there is nothing wrong with that!). I used this basic liquid red food coloring to make these red velvet waffles.
You can use any kind of waffle maker for these waffles - Belgian waffle maker, or a thinner waffle maker. We used this heart-shaped one that we absolutely love for the thin, crispy waffles. It's small and doesn't take up a lot of storage space, but makes nice sized waffles.
Related recipe: Red Velvet Buttermilk Pancakes (from my sister site Babaganosh)
Easy cream cheese glaze
This cream cheese glaze comes together in under 2 minutes, without a mixer of any kind... because who wants to drag out their mixer when making breakfast first thing in the morning?! Definitely not me.
All you need is:
- 4 oz cream cheese (half a block)
- 3-4 tablespoons milk (any kind)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
Just heat the cream cheese, milk, and vanilla in a microwave-safe bowl for 30-45 seconds until the cream cheese is super soft, and mash together with a fork (watch out for splashing!). Add the confectioner's sugar and stir together until no lumps remain.
I hope you make the cream cheese glaze for these waffles! You can thank me later. :)
More breakfast recipes: Sweet Potato Muffins
Ingredients for red velvet waffles
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
- 2 eggs
- 2-3 teaspoons liquid food coloring
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
You'll also need: a waffle iron (any kind you have!) and all the usual baking equipment, such as bowls and measuring spoons/cups.
More breakfast recipes: Blueberry Muffins
Instructions
Step 1: Combine all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt) in a large bowl and mix well.
Step 2: Combine all the wet ingredients (milk, vegetable oil, eggs, food coloring, vanilla extract) in a medium bowl and whisk together until the oil is mostly mixed in with the milk and isn't very separated. If needed, add more food coloring to make a red liquid instead of a pink one.
Step 3: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together until just combined. Do not overmix. Let sit while you preheat the waffle iron.
Step 4: Preheat the waffle iron. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for whether to grease or not to grease the waffle iron.
Step 5: Add about ½ cup of waffle batter to the waffle iron (or more for Belgian waffles, follow the manufacturer's instructions for how much batter to add, each waffle iron is different!). Cook for 2-3 minutes, or follow the manufacturer's instructions. The waffles should have light golden color on top of the red and be a little crispy on top without being too dry.
Carefully remove with a fork and store on cooling rack to prevent them getting soggy while you prepare the rest of the waffles. Alternatively, you can keep the waffles in the oven on the "keep warm" setting while you prepare the rest of the waffles.
Step 6: Prepare the cream cheese glaze for serving with the waffles (see instructions above), along with your favorite toppings.
Related recipe: Cinnamon Maple Pancakes
Red velvet waffle topping ideas
While you can serve these waffles with regular maple syrup, I love the contrast of the white cream cheese glaze and whipped cream on the red waffles. So why not switch things up, right? Here are some other waffle topping ideas to try:
- Chocolate chips
- Confectioner's sugar
- Red sprinkles or chocolate sprinkles
- Sliced strawberries or fresh raspberries
- Crushed pecans or walnuts
- Chocolate sauce
I hope you get a chance to make these waffles and love them as much as we do!
More breakfast recipes to try: Baked Baguette French Toast with Blueberries
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Red Velvet Waffles with Cream Cheese Glaze
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk any kind
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- 2-3 teaspoons liquid red food coloring or as needed to make red batter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 oz cream cheese (half a block)
- 3-4 tablespoons milk (any kind)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
Special equipment
Instructions
- Combine all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt) in a large bowl and mix well.
- Combine all the wet ingredients (milk, vegetable oil, eggs, food coloring, vanilla extract) in a medium bowl and whisk together until well combined. If needed, add more food coloring to make the liquid red, not pink.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Preheat the waffle iron. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for whether to grease or not to grease the waffle iron.
- Add about ½ cup of waffle batter to the waffle iron (or more for Belgian waffles, follow the manufacturer's instructions for how much batter to add, each waffle iron is different!). Cook for 2-3 minutes, or follow the manufacturer's instructions. The waffles should have light golden color on top of the red and be a little crispy on top without being too dry.
- Carefully remove with a fork and store on cooling rack to prevent them getting soggy while you prepare the rest of the waffles.
- Prepare the cream cheese glaze: Combine the cream cheese, 3 tablespoons milk, and vanilla extract in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30-45 seconds, or until the cream cheese is soft, then mix together with a fork. Add the confectioner's sugar and mix until smooth. Stir in more milk if you want it syrupy. Serve over warm waffles.