Dye-Free Valentine’s Waffles

Happy Love Month! @lunchesandlittles here to share the perfect Valentine’s Day, or Valentine’s Week recipe (though, really- these would be perfect any day). Our Dye Free Valentine’s Waffles are healthy, pretty, kid-approved and would you believe that beautiful color is all-natural?! Do you have any guesses as to what we used? Keep reading, because we’re tickled pink to be back on the Munchkin Blog today sharing this one- AND Munchkin’s brand-new Lunch™ Bento Box with Stainless Steel Utensils!

Now, if you already follow us over on our feed, @lunchesandlittles you know that we are kind of lunchbox obsessed. With three little ones ranging from preschooler to second grader, we have different lunch needs, and we love trying out different lunch boxes. And last month when we got our hands on Munchkin’s new Lunch™ Bento Box we were pleasantly surprised. This box has all of the features we look for in a box- and then some…. a kid-friendly size and design, big handle, lots of compartments, dishwasher safe- even utensils that fit right into the box (a feature we haven’t seen anywhere else!). And let’s just talk about the $20.00 price point. We get so many questions about lunchboxes over on our feed, and sometimes people are quite surprised with the price tags that some come with, but the new Lunch™ Bento Box with Stainless Steel Utensils is so affordable- in fact, it’s one of the least expensive options that we have featured over at @lunchesandlittles, and still does not compromise on quality. Today we are excited to be featuring these boxes (available in a green-blue-yellow and pink-yellow-green combos) alongside our Dye-Free Valentine’s Waffles.

We love making waffles around here. They’re perfect for making ahead of time on the weekends and re-heating during the weekdays, making them great for busy school mornings. We typically make mini waffles because they are such a great (and fun!) size for the little ones, and when we recently came across a mini heart waffle maker, we knew we had to get it (linked here: mini heart maker) and take our waffle up a notch!

So, now let’s talk about the color of these waffles… the secret is BEETS! We know that a lot of people get really intimidated by beets, but there’s no reason to! Yes, beets are known for their earthy-flavor, but when added to foods in small amounts the taste is very minimal. And It only takes a little bit of beets/beet juice to achieve the beautiful pink color seen here. So, what do you think? Would you try these with your little one(s)? Don’t skip a beet (see what we did there?), and make these today!

Check out the full recipe/ instructions below, and be sure to tag #munchkininc and #lunchesandlittles in your posts! *And, as always, before starting, be sure to read through the entire recipe below, to ensure best results!

Dye-Free Valentine’s Waffles

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose white flour
• 1/2 cup ground cornmeal
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp butter*
• 2 large eggs*
• 1 and 3/4 cup milk*
• 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup canola oil (or other neutral oil)
• 1- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract (more/less depending on taste)
• 1-2 small peeled red beets, steamed (amount and size of beets dependent on preferred color of waffles)*
• 3/4 cup chopped strawberries (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• In a large mixing bowl combine your flours, cornmeal, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to gently combine ingredients.
• In a separate bowl, combine butter (melted), eggs, milk, vinegar and oil. Whisk to combine.
• Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract and whisk again until all ingredients are well incorporated and smooth.
• Now, add your wet ingredients to the dry. Mix until well-incorporated. Set batter aside for 20 min at room temperature.
• While batter sits, steam beets. You can also use ready-to use beets (we love and use Love Beets), or even Beet Juice or Beet Powder (Love Beets has those too!). If using beets- place steamed beets into a high-powered blended and pulse until smooth, adding water as necessary, to thin out. You want the mixture to be thick, but pourable. If adding strawberries you want to pulse/add the puree during this step.
• Add beet/berry puree to waffle mix and stir to combine. *Adjust amount of puree based on desired color.
• Once desired color of batter is achieved, cook waffles per your waffle iron’s instructions.
• Repeat until all your batter is used up.
• Sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar, and/or sprinkles, and/or fresh fruit, and/or butter/syrup (we packed up some syrup for the kids to take with them in their lunchboxes with these). Yummm!
• Another fun idea: make beet syrup: simply take a few drops of beet juice and add it to your syrup, then pour your syrup over top your waffles! So festive!

* Make this recipe vegan/dairy-free by using a butter alternative, flax-eggs and a dairy-free milk option.

Store extra waffles in the freezer in an air-tight container or resealable bag- perfect for quick breakfasts during the week!

For more quick and easy recipes be sure to check out our feed, @lunchesandlittles where we are making meals fun and sharing easy, family-friendly recipes just like this all of the time. And of course, be sure to check out www.munchkin.com for feeding supplies and more for your little ones, like the brand-new Lunch™ Bento Box with Stainless Steel Utensils and the Multi Toddler Plates (in purple), shown in these photos. Munchkin tableware is fun, practical and just the right price too!