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Toddler-Friendly Heart-Shaped Waffles
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Have a little cutie in your life? We have the perfect Valentine’s Day breakfast to make them feel all the love!
What better way to spoil your toddler on Valentine’s Day morning than with heart-shaped waffles? Toddlers have more energy than most, and this toddler waffle recipe will gear them up for a day full of running, jumping, and, well, “toddlering.”
Although we made this Valentine’s Day toddler-friendly waffle recipe with tiny hands and tummies in mind, the truth is you could serve these up to anyone! They are quick and easy, with all of the prep being completed in a blender or food processor, and are packed with whole, satiating ingredients.
While you could serve these on any day, we think this festive meal is one of the best Valentine’s Day breakfast ideas!
What makes a waffle toddler-friendly?
Largely the ingredients. We also used a cute small heart-shaped waffle iron, perfect for tiny hands, but you could totally use a regular waffle iron and cut it up for your little one.
We used whole, protein-rich ingredients like whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt, and eggs. We also steered clear of artificial coloring and overly sweet toppings and opted for strawberries, maple syrup, and vanilla extract for flavor and color.
Tips for making the perfect waffle
Hot, hot, hot! Wait for your waffle maker to completely preheat before pouring your waffle batter in. Most waffle irons come with a feature (typically a light or switch) to tell you when your waffle maker is ready for action.
We know mornings with kids can be hectic, and you might be racing to get them fed and out the door. It may be tempting, but don’t rush this step!
Pouring your batter into an iron that isn’t hot enough will end up in a sticky, mushy mess—not the perfect crispy waffles we all know and love.
Bonus tip—a smaller waffle iron takes less time to heat up.
Consider investing in a small waffle iron for your kids. They store away easily, warm up fast, and have easier clean up. Wins all around!
The batter is typically going to be thicker than you think it should be. Too much liquid in your batter will cause overflow out of the waffle maker. Additionally, you will not get that dense, chewy bite unique to waffles.
Homemade Heart-Shaped Waffles Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we use for our heart-shaped waffles:
Whole wheat flour
As the name suggests, this flour is made from whole wheat, whereas white (all-purpose) flour is made from wheat once the bran and germ (the most nutrient-dense parts) have been removed.
For little developing minds and bodies, we like to pack in as much nutrients as we can. We have not attempted this waffle recipe with other types of flour, so we don’t recommend a substitute.
Eggs
Eggs help the waffle batter to bind together, and they also add more protein and healthy fat—yay! We choose free-range eggs when possible.
Baking Soda
When combined with heat and the other ingredients, baking soda causes a chemical reaction that causes tiny bubbles in the batter, lending to an airy and fluffy inner waffle when it hits the waffle maker. Yum!
Maple Syrup
This is our sweetener of choice for a toddler breakfast. We try to steer away from overly processed sweeteners in general, but this is particularly helpful to omit at the start of the day to avoid a mid-day crash.
Maple syrup goes on top of waffles, so why not inside of them?
We choose maple syrups that are 100% maple. Be sure to read the back of the bottle—you’ll be surprised how many non-maple ingredients can be included.
Vanilla extract
A little vanilla extract goes a long way, adding both flavor and balance.
Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
The quintessential Valentine’s Day fruit! If you can’t find fresh strawberries near you this early in the year, frozen will work just fine. Be sure to thaw them before combining them with other waffle batter ingredients.
If you like other types of fresh berries (like blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries), feel free to use those alongside your favorite waffle toppings.
Valentine’s Toddler Friendly Heart-Shaped Waffles
What better way to spoil your toddler on Valentine’s Day morning than with heart-shaped waffles? This toddler waffle recipe will gear them up for a day full of running, jumping, and “toddlering.”
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor. If using frozen strawberries, be sure to thaw them first.
- Blend or pulse until combined.
- Put waffle batter into the waffle iron (once fully preheated) and follow the instructions of the waffle iron.
- Top your favorite waffle toppings (cream cheese, nut butter, yogurt, butter, syrup, fruit, sprinkles, whipped cream, melted butter, etc.!)
Notes
You can batch these waffles ahead of time and store leftover waffles in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They can also be transferred to the freezer for easy breakfasts (perfect for chaotic mornings). If reheating, we recommend using a toaster oven or a regular oven on broil (low), cooking for 1-2 minutes, flipping, and cooking for another 1-2 minutes to return them to their original crispiness.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 regular-sized waffleCalories: 101kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 5gFat: 1.5gSugar: 5g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Heart-Shaped Waffles FAQs
What is the secret to good waffles?
The secret to good waffles is, of course, getting a good outer crunch. Having some element of fat in your batter will help crisp things up. Ideally, using 2% or 5% Greek yogurt will help, although we only happened to have 0% on hand when we made this recipe, and it worked fine too.
If you want to make these waffles dairy-free, you could try a different type of yogurt, but we have not tested that.
The other secret to good waffles is also the toppings. Coating with Greek yogurt, nut butter, and other seeds (like flax, chia, and hemp) is a tasty way to boost omega-3 fats, known to promote healthy brain function.
When you’re making waffles in a double batch or larger quantities, place the cooked ones on a wire rack or on a baking sheet in a warm oven to ensure your waffles don’t get soggy.
What is best on waffles?
We thought you’d never ask!
Of course, you can go classic with melted butter and maple syrup. You can also top them with Greek yogurt, nut butter, freeze-dried strawberries, or other fresh berries. If your toddler likes things more savory, cream cheese works well here, too.
Toppings are an opportunity for additional nutrients and, of course, fun. Colorful (red 40-free) sprinkles, a dollop of whipped cream, or mini chocolate chips would be very festive and, in our experience, toddler-approved.
How do you make heart-shaped waffles?
It’s easy! Simply purchase a heart-shaped waffle maker, like this one for regular-sized waffles or this one for mini-sized heart waffles.
