Red Velvet Waffles Drizzled with Cream Cheese Icing

Call it breakfast or dessert — these red velvet waffles topped with strawberries, raspberries and a cream cheese drizzle are irresistibly delicious.

Looking for more red velvet breakfast ideas? Try the Red Velvet Muffins or Red Velvet Pancakes for another festive twist.

If you love red velvet as much as I do, you’ll appreciate how quickly these waffles come together. They’re essentially red velvet cake mix cooked in a waffle iron, which makes them a great shortcut for special mornings without sacrificing flavor. You can serve them for breakfast, as an after-school snack, or even as a dessert. They’re especially nice for holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or Christmas.

Why I Love Them

These waffles are easy, festive, and versatile. Using a cake mix keeps the prep simple, and the cream cheese drizzle adds just the right balance of tang and sweetness. The fresh berries add brightness and a little natural syrup from their juices. If you prefer to make everything from scratch, there are suggestions below for swapping in homemade waffle batter.

Ingredients

• 1 box red velvet cake mix (plus the ingredients called for on the box — typically water, oil, and eggs)
• 2 1/2 cups mixed berries: strawberries and raspberries work well
• 1 tablespoon sugar: optional, to macerate the berries and draw out juices
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened: the base for the drizzle
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar: for the cream cheese drizzle
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup milk, warmed: to thin the drizzle to a pourable consistency

How to Make Red Velvet Waffles

1. Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions.
2. Preheat your waffle iron. When it’s hot, spray it lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Pour the batter into the waffle iron, being careful not to overfill. Cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the waffles are set and slightly crisp.
4. Combine the berries and sugar in a bowl and stir. Let them sit 5–30 minutes to release their juices and create a little syrup.
5. Make the cream cheese drizzle by beating the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Whisk in warm milk, one tablespoon at a time, until the sauce reaches a drizzling consistency.
6. Serve waffles hot, topped with macerated berries and a generous drizzle of the cream cheese sauce.

Tips and Tricks

Any waffle maker will work, but I prefer a traditional waffle iron or a mini waffle maker for these because they require less batter per waffle than a Belgian-style iron. If your berries aren’t very sweet, toss them with the sugar about 30 minutes before serving so they have time to soften and create a light syrup.

Store leftover waffles in the refrigerator. They reheat well in the oven, toaster, or microwave. If you plan to serve these for a crowd, keep cooked waffles warm in a low oven while you finish the batch.

Change It Up

If you’d rather make waffles from scratch, use your favorite waffle batter and add a touch of cocoa and red food coloring for the red velvet flavor. You can also use a red velvet pancake batter cooked in a waffle iron. Skip the berries and serve with the cream cheese drizzle alone, or swap in other fruit depending on what’s in season. These waffles are also tasty with a drizzle of maple syrup.

More Fun Red Velvet Recipes

For other red velvet treats, consider cupcakes, gooey butter cookies, quick bread with a cream cheese filling, ice cream cake, or crepes — they all complement the same rich, tangy flavors.