We are all about breakfast in our house. When I came across this cute mini heart waffle maker on the Target app, I just had to have it! In fact, it was perfect for Valentine’s Day. This cute little waffle maker was only $9 so it sold like hot cakes! I actually was lucky enough to catch one of Target’s restocks. If you fail to get as lucky as I did you can always purchase a regular mini waffle maker at the same price. Amazon is expected to restock their inventory soon but definitely not for $9! Or if you don’t mind paying a few extra dollars + shipping … You can always buy the same exact waffle maker on the Crate & Barrel website.
Since it’s the perfect size for my little, I figured I would jazz the waffles up a bit by adding red food coloring and sprinkles (because who doesn’t like sprinkles!?). Jeremiah could’ve cared less, he just wanted to eat. Meanwhile, the girls were beyond stoked! The waffles definitely live up to the name of the waffle maker “mini” … BUT since they are so small, the waffles are ready in about 2 minutes. The interior is also non-stick which is a huge bonus for me. The waffles come off very clean which means there’s no scrubbing afterwards! I strongly dislike cleaning my Belgium waffle maker because of that. The instructions for the mini-waffle maker suggests spraying cooking spray on the plates. I actually decided to skip that step simply because I already had oil in the batter. With that being said, the waffles STILL CAME OFF CLEAN! Personally … I love this little thing! This maker might actually be my go-to over my Belgium waffler maker.
Buttermilk waffles hold a special place in our family’s heart. The key to buttermilk waffles is to make sure you use stiff peaked egg whites. It will give your waffles a fluffier texture. I usually use my KitchenAid to whisk my egg whites simply because I’m too lazy to do it by hand. It takes too long and it’s tiring. If you have an electronic hand mixer, I recommend using that over whisking by hand. Be sure to fold (not stir) your stiff peaked egg whites into your waffle batter after you’ve mixed the dry and wet ingredients together.
I only used about 3 drops of food coloring gel because I wanted the waffles to have more of a pink-ish color rather than red. You’re more than welcome to add more drops depending on how red you want the batter. Keep in mind that your batter will be a shade or two lighter once you fold in your egg whites! This time around I tried a different buttermilk waffle recipe. I was actually pretty nervous because I didn’t want to let me kids (mainly myself) down. This recipe calls for vegetable oil instead of butter. All-in-all the waffles were a success!! If you want to try this recipe, here you go!
Valentine's Day Buttermilk Waffles
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 cups buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs separated
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- maple syrup **for serving**
Instructions
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Preheat waffle maker and coat with nonstick oil spray.
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Add egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer, mix until stiff peaks form
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Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl,whisk together buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg yolks, and vanilla.
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Whisk wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then gently fold in egg whites. Pour about ½ cup batter into each waffle mold, and then cook according to waffle maker directions. (NOTE: THIS MINI HEART WAFFLE MAKER USES LESS THAN ¼ CUP OF BATTER)
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Serve waffles immediately.
Recipe Notes
NOTE: THIS MINI HEART WAFFLE MAKER USES LESS THAN ¼ CUP OF BATTER. Base your batter portion on the type of waffle maker being used.
As always, tag me on Facebook and Instagram if you decide to try this buttermilk waffle recipe! Remember that Valentine’s Day should be EVERYDAY not just celebrated on February 14th. Until next time …
