Red Velvet Cake Mix Waffles (with Cream Cheese Frosting)
The rich and velvety texture, along with the delectable cream cheese frosting, will have you falling in love with waffles all over again. Plus, they’re incredibly easy to make, so you can enjoy a special breakfast without much hassle.
Some recipes exist for a reason. This is the one you make when you want someone to feel special without spending three hours in the kitchen.
One box of red velvet cake mix. Three eggs, some milk, oil. A cream cheese frosting that takes about four minutes to pull together. And a waffle iron that does all the heavy lifting. What comes out the other side is a stack of deep crimson waffles with cream cheese frosting piped between every layer — the kind of breakfast plate that makes people stop and take a photo before they eat it.
It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day. Also for birthdays. Also for a random Sunday when the week has been long and someone in the house deserves something that looks like effort, even when it wasn’t.
The cake mix is the whole secret. You’re not making waffle batter from scratch — you’re making waffle batter from a box that already has the flavor, the color, and the structure built in. All you’re adding is the wet ingredients. The result tastes like red velvet cake in waffle form, which is exactly what it is.
What ingredients do you need for this red velvet waffles recipe?
Cake Waffles:
- Red Velvet Cake Mix
- eggs
- milk
- vegetable oil
- Cream Cheese Frosting:
- cream cheese
- unsalted butter, softened
- powdered sugar
How do you make this easy recipe? Step by Step Instructions:
In a mixing bowl add the cream cheese and butter. Blend together until smooth with a hand mixer.
Add the powdered sugar and mix again until a thick frosting has formed. Set aside.
Plug in your waffle maker and let heat up. In another mixing bowl, add the red velvet cake mix, eggs, milk, and oil. Mix together all at once until combined and smooth.
Once the waffle maker is hot, add about a 1⁄4 cup of batter into the machine. Let spread into the waffle maker and close. Cook for a couple minutes, until your machine says it is done. Remove from the waffle maker and set aside on a plate.
Repeat until you have made all the waffles. The best height to stack the waffle cake is 4 waffles high.
Transfer the cream cheese frosting into a piping bag fitted with a metal tip.
Place the first waffle on a plate, then piping the cream cheese frosting in the center, then top with another waffle.
Repeat twice more and top the last waffle with a few pipes of frosting and red velvet cake crumbles. Enjoy as is or top with maple syrup!
How to Build the Waffle Cake Stack
The stacking process is simple but a few details make the difference between a clean, impressive presentation and a leaning, frosting-sliding mess:
Let the waffles cool for 2-3 minutes before stacking. Hot waffles + cold frosting = the frosting slides off immediately. A brief rest firms the waffle surface enough to grip the frosting.
Pipe, don’t spread. The instructions call for a piping bag with a metal tip, and that’s the right call — spreading frosting with a knife on a textured waffle surface tears the waffle and creates an uneven layer. If you don’t have a piping bag, a zip-top bag with a small corner cut off works perfectly.
Pipe in a spiral from outside in, leaving the very edge of the waffle bare. This prevents frosting from squishing out the sides when you place the next waffle on top, which is what causes the messy-stack problem.
The top layer gets the showstopper treatment. A few generous pipes of frosting on top, then crumble one small piece of leftover waffle (or a small square of unfrosted waffle) over the frosting. The red crumbles against white frosting is the photo moment.
Four waffles high is the sweet spot. Three looks sparse. Five starts to tip. Four gives you /the dramatic height in photos and a manageable eating experience.
FAQ
A standard 4-inch round waffle maker works perfectly — you get 8-10 individual waffles from one box of cake mix, which makes 2-3 stacks of four. A Belgian waffle maker also works but produces thicker, airier waffles that are harder to stack neatly. Mini waffle makers (dash size) can work for smaller individual stacks but require adjusting batter amount to about 2 tablespoons per waffle.
Yes — and this is actually the best approach for events. Make all the waffles, let them cool completely, store in a single layer or with parchment between layers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Make the frosting separately and refrigerate. Stack and frost right before serving for the cleanest presentation.
Cake mix batters have more sugar than traditional waffle batter, which makes them more prone to sticking. Make sure the waffle iron is fully preheated before adding batter, spray generously with nonstick cooking spray between every single waffle (not just the first one), and wait until the steam stops completely before opening — opening early is the most common cause of tearing.
Yes, and it’s an upgrade. Buttermilk adds a slight tang that mirrors real red velvet cake flavor and makes the waffles a touch more tender. Substitute 1:1.
Absolutely. A zip-top bag with a small corner snipped off works just as well for stacking. For a more casual presentation, a spoon works fine — the visual effect is slightly less polished but still beautiful and just as delicious.
Tips and Tricks:
To get that perfect waffle form, preheat your waffle maker and lightly spray it with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in the batter.
If you want your waffles to have a richer taste, try substituting milk with buttermilk in the wet ingredients.
For an extra chocolatey kick, consider adding a handful of chocolate chips to the cake batter. The melted chocolate pockets will take these waffles to the next level.
To achieve the smoothest and creamiest frosting, ensure your cream cheese is at room temperature before combining it with the softened butter and powdered sugar.
If you love a breakfast that looks like it took effort but didn’t, my Chocolate Chip French Toast Bake is another crowd-pleaser that does all the work the night before.
Common Problems and How to Avoid Them:
Overmixing the Batter: To avoid tough waffles, mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined. A few lumps in the batter are perfectly fine.
Sticking to the Waffle Iron: Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions for your waffle maker. Lightly spraying the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray before pouring the batter can help prevent sticking.
Flat or Tough Frosting: For a smooth and fluffy frosting, whip the cream cheese and butter together until they reach medium peaks before adding the powdered sugar.
This red velvet waffle recipe works like a charm because it cleverly combines the convenience of using a cake mix with the delightful charm of waffles. The marriage of the velvety cake mix with the creamy cream cheese frosting creates a harmonious and irresistible combination.
So, let’s get started and turn that red velvet cake mix into delectable waffles that will make any morning feel like a celebration!
What are some other fun red velvet recipes to try?
Easy Red Velvet Waffles With Cake Mix
These red velvet waffles are great for any occasion, delicious mini red velvet waffles with cream cheese frosting sandwiched between.
Ingredients
- Cake Waffles:
- Red Velvet Cake Mix
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- Optional: Maple Syrup
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl add the cream cheese and butter. Blend together until smooth with a hand mixer.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix again until a thick frosting has formed. Set aside.
- Plug in your waffle maker and let heat up.
- In another mixing bowl, add the red velvet cake mix, eggs, milk, and oil. Mix together all at once until combined and smooth.
- Once the waffle maker is hot, add about a 1⁄4 cup of batter into the machine. Let spread into the waffle maker and close. Cook for a couple minutes, until your machine says it is done.
- Remove from the waffle maker and set aside on a plate.
- Repeat until you have made all the waffles. The best height to stack the waffle cake is 4 waffles high.
- Transfer the cream cheese frosting into a piping bag fitted with a metal tip.
- Place the first waffle on a plate, then piping the cream cheese frosting in the center, then top with another waffle. Repeat twice more and top the last waffle with a few pipes of frosting and red velvet cake crumbles.
- Enjoy as is or top with maple syrup!
Notes
Make this same recipe in an 8x8 pan for large square brownies.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 1152Total Fat 94gSaturated Fat 40gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 47gCholesterol 327mgSodium 413mgCarbohydrates 70gFiber 0gSugar 62gProtein 13g
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Hi! I’m Nellie. I am an entrepreneur, a busy mama of 3 and a wife to my high school sweetheart. I have been sharing content for over 12 years about how to cook easy recipes, workout tips and free printables that make life a little bit easier. I have been featured in places like Yahoo, Buzzfeed, What To Expect, Mediavine, Niche Pursuits, HuffPost, BabyCenter, Mom 2.0, Mommy Nearest, Parade, Care.com, and more!
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