Pink Waffles
Pink Waffles are a fun recipe to serve for Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, or a girl’s birthday. Beets add a beautiful natural color with no dye, plus nutrition to this classic breakfast dish. This waffle recipe can be made both gluten-free and dairy-free.
These pretty and tasty Pink Waffles get their bright color the natural way using roasted beets blended right into the batter. You get a fun, cheerful breakfast without red dye or food coloring.
The beet flavor is very mild (promise: they don’t taste “beet-y”), and you can make them gluten-free and dairy-free with simple swaps.
These are so adorable and fun for spring holidays like Valentine’s Day or Easter, or at anytime of year for your favorite little girl’s birthday breakfast.
How to Get Bright Pink Waffles (No Dye)
- Use fully cooked beets. Roasted beets give the strongest color and blend smoothly (look for pre-roasted, unflavored beets in the refrigerated produce area).
- Blend until totally smooth. The smoother the batter, the more even the pink color in every bite.
- Expect a slightly deeper color in the batter. Waffles often cook up a touch lighter than the raw batter. If your batter looks “barely pink,” add a little more beet and blend again (small amounts at a time).
- If you hate beets: you can swap in fresh strawberries to make them pink (color will be softer and the flavor will be fruitier).
Recipe Benefits (From a Nutritionist)
- Kids (and adults, too!) love to have fun with their food. Pink is perfect for Valentine’s day, birthdays, Mother’s Day, Easter, or any other special day.
- Use all-purpose flour or a gluten-free 1-to-1 blend to fit your needs.
- Roasted beets add a lovely color and nutrition without any strange taste. I promise, you won’t taste them!
Key Ingredients
- Beets are high in fiber and rich in antioxidants. They are the perfect way to add a gorgeous pink color.
- Coconut oil adds fat without dairy, keeping the waffles moist.
- Gluten free baking mix adds structure to these baked whole waffles.
- Almond milk brings everything together, blending the beets to the perfect hue.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Steps Overview
Step One: Add the dry ingredients to a food processor.
Please see the full recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Step Two: Add the cooked beets (or strawberries as a substitute) and blend until smooth.
Step Three: Measure the batter and pour into a hot waffle iron.
Step Four: Cook according to the recipe card below.
Top with all your favorites including plenty of maple syrup and enjoy!
These are also great topped with fresh berries and coconut flakes, if desired.
I hope you agree that these pink velvet waffles make the perfect breakfast and beat any waffle mix.
Pink Waffles Troubleshooting
My batter is lumpy.
This can happen if your melted coconut oil hits cold milk and firms up, creating little oil “bits.” (A reader mentioned exactly this.)
Fix: use room-temp milk, or let the melted oil cool slightly before blending. Blending longer also helps smooth it out.
My waffles aren’t crisp.
Make sure the waffle iron is fully preheated, and cook until the waffle releases easily. Keep finished waffles warm on a plate in a low oven while you cook the rest.
My waffles are sticking.
Lightly spray the iron before each waffle (especially if your iron is older).
They’re not pink enough.
Use fully cooked beets and blend completely smooth. If needed, add a bit more beet and blend again (go slowly so you don’t thin the batter too much).
My batter feels too thick/too thin.
Different flours (especially gluten-free blends) absorb liquid differently. If too thick, add a splash more milk; if too thin, add a spoonful of flour and blend again.
Recipe Substitutes
- If you hate beets, you can use fresh strawberries instead.
- Feel free to use butter or ghee instead of coconut oil if you aren’t on a dairy-free diet.
- You can use regular dairy milk instead of almond milk if you aren’t dairy-free (see my other recipe for Dairy-Free Pancakes).
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
- Reheat for crisp edges: toaster is fastest; oven works well for a big batch.
- Keep warm (short term): place cooked waffles on an oven-safe plate in a 150–170°F oven for up to 20 minutes while finishing the batch.
- Fridge: store cooled waffles in an airtight container.
- Freezer: freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a bag/container.
Recipe FAQs
Definitely! Select a brand that is listed as a 1-to-1 substitution for all-purpose flour (I used the Bob’s gluten-free flour). This means it has the right proportions of ingredients to act the same way when cooked. You can also use a homemade blend of brown rice flour and tapioca starch.
Use any non-dairy milk that fits your diet. Be sure it is an unsweetened variety. Coconut oil is used as the fat so there is no dairy in this recipe.
Yes! You can use an equal amount of strawberries or dragon fruit to replace the beets, if you prefer. Pink strawberry waffles may be less vibrant than using beets.
Yes, you can prepare the batter up to 24 hours ahead of time. Pour the batter into a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a lid and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the waffles.
I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.
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Pink Waffles Recipe (No Dye)
Pink Waffles are a fun recipe to serve for Valentine’s Day, Easter, or a girl’s birthday. Beets add a beautiful color without dyes or food coloring plus nutrition to this classic breakfast dish. This recipe can be made both gluten-free and dairy-free.
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (you can use dairy milk if you aren’t on a dairy-free diet)
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (eliminate for a savory version)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (use gluten-free baking flour to make these gluten-free)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 medium roasted beets, about 1/2 cup of sliced cooked beets (look for pre-roasted unflavored beets in the refrigerator section of most grocery stores)
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Toppings (as desired; see recipe for suggestions)
Instructions
- In the base of a blender or food processor, combine the milk, egg, coconut oil, maple syrup, flour, baking powder, and beets. Blend or process on high until the mixture is fully combined and smooth.
- Preheat your waffle maker.
- Spray the waffle iron lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add about ¼ cup of the batter at a time, cooking the waffles for 5-6 minutes each.
- Serve the waffles with your choice of maple syrup, sliced strawberries, whipped cream, jam, apple butter, or whatever topping you like.
Notes
- You can easily double this recipe if you want more servings.
- To keep the waffles warm while the rest of the batch cooks, you can place the cooked waffles on an oven-safe plate in an oven set at 150-170°F for up to 20 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Waffle
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 336
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 100.7 mg
- Fat: 12.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 8.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 48.1 g
- Fiber: 2.5 g
- Protein: 7.5 g
- Cholesterol: 46.5 mg
This recipe was originally published in 2022; it was updated and re-published in 2026.
More Healthy Breakfast Recipes You Might Like
You may also want to check out my lists of Healthy Breakfast Ideas or the best 25+ Dairy-Free Breakfast Smoothies.
Don’t Miss These Pink Recipes
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and is a certified holistic nutritionist. She is a top wellness and food blogger with over 5 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send her a message through her contact form.
Thank you for the recipes that you have published for people who are lactose intolerant and also gluten intolerant. We found out not long ago that my 5-year-old grandson is both and when he does get something that isn’t, it’s a bad reaction for him. We have been looking all around our area to find things that he can eat without having problems. It’s hard but not impossible to do around here. Again, thank you for the recipes that you have shown.
That color tho!!!
Hai, what kind of glutenfree flour can I use? All purpose gf or a mix of rice, tapioca and potatoflour?
I used the gluten-free baking flour from Bob’s Red Mill. This recipe is pretty forgiving, though, so you can probably use either one that you mentioned.
Wow, delicious, fluffy waffles! You wouldn’t know they were gluten free! Batter was very lumpy, so I spent a lot of time squishing clumps to mix the dry ingrefients before using. I think it was the coconut oil becoming solid when the cold almond milk hit it. So next time I will try avocado oil.
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it this week.
June