Bat-Shaped Halloween Waffles
These bat-shaped Halloween waffles are a spooky treat sure to delight your kids for a festive breakfast or snack. So easy they can even help make them too!
Spooky season is upon us, and your Halloween treats don’t have to be limited to candy and desserts! Surprise your kids by bringing some Halloween fun to breakfast with these bat-shaped Halloween waffles. (Bonus: they work as a snack or dessert too. Because waffles are delicious all day long!)
While we have lots of fun recipes for fall, from baked apple cider donuts to fluffy pumpkin pancakes, this is one for the kiddos! Bat-shaped waffles are perfect for Halloween parties and school lunches, and no matter your kids’ ages, they can help you assemble them.
About this bat-shaped Halloween waffle recipe
These bat-shaped Halloween waffles start with a simple batch of fluffy buttermilk waffles. Make them in a Belgian waffle maker, then cut them into fours; each piece is one wing. A chocolate-dipped strawberry is the bat’s body, and you’ll affix little candy eyes to this for the face. Easy!
Because this recipe is so simple, it’s frustration-free for even the littlest kitchen helpers. And if you have older kids, you can let them pipe on silly faces to put their own spin on these bat-shaped Halloween waffles!
What you need
- For the waffles: Buttermilk pancake mix (not Bisquick; you want an actual pancake mix like Krusteaz), granulated white sugar, egg, half-and-half, salted butter, brown food coloring
- For assembling: Strawberries, melting chocolate wafers, candy eyes
- For serving: Maple syrup
A note about the strawberries: The strawberries are the bat’s body, so you’ll want to look for ones that aren’t too large or too small and that have a nice triangular shape to them, as seen in the photos.
How to make them
Prepare. Preheat your waffle iron and grease it with cooking spray, if needed.
Make the waffle batter. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the pancake mix and sugar.
In another bowl. use a hand or stand mixer to beat the egg white until soft peaks form, about 2 to 4 minutes.
Mix the egg yolk, half-and-half, and butter into the dry mixture, then fold in the egg whites.
Stir in the brown food coloring.
Tip: Add more sugar for a sweeter, crunchier waffle. You can use up to 1/2 cup.
Cook the waffles. Cook the waffles according to the instructions on your waffle maker, then cut them into fours.
Tip: For most waffle makers, this means using about 1/4 cup of batter and pouring it into the middle of the waffle maker. Gently spread it, then close and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it beeps. Use a medium heat setting, such as a 3.
Assemble. Put two pieces of waffle together to form the wings.
Dip a strawberry into the melted chocolate and place it in the center of the wings, then press on the candy eyes.
Serve. Let the bat-shaped Halloween waffles sit until the chocolate hardens. Serve with maple syrup, if desired.
Tip: To expedite the cooling process, you can place the waffles in the refrigerator.
FAQs
Yes, you can substitute whole milk, heavy cream or a 1:1 ratio of the two instead of using half-and-half.
Whipping the egg whites is important for getting a light, fluffy, thick waffle. I recommend using a metal bowl if possible, or at least a glass one rather than plastic. The egg whites will foam and turn white as you beat them; you’ll have soft peaks when you can lift the beaters straight up and the tips of the egg whites curl down.
You need to be gentle with the egg whites when folding them into the waffle batter, but still be sure that you get them fully mixed in. There shouldn’t be any large streaks of egg white, but keep in mind that the more you mix your batter, the tougher your waffles will turn out.
How to make these bat-shaped Halloween waffles your own
These bat-shaped Halloween waffles are easy to customize to your family’s tastes and preferences. Here are some ideas!
- Switch up the waffle recipe. If you’re avoiding food coloring or don’t have brown on hand, you can simply make chocolate waffles instead.
- Can’t find candy eyes? Pipe on royal frosting or melted white chocolate for the eyes instead, or use mini M&Ms.
- Substitutes for the strawberries: If the strawberries aren’t looking so great at the grocery store, you can make the body out of a chocolate-dipped marshmallow or banana.
Make Ahead Ideas
You can make these bat-shaped Halloween waffles in advance or make the waffles up to 7 days ahead of time and assemble the bats later.
Storage Suggestions
The waffles should be stored in an airtight container once they’ve cooled. They will keep for 1 to 2 days at room temperature, 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator, and 2 to 3 months when frozen.
Reheating Tips
You can reheat the waffles in the microwave for a soft waffle or use a toaster, toaster oven or air fryer for a crispy result. Once the bats are assembled, avoid reheating, as you’ll melt the chocolate on the strawberries.
More waffle recipes
Get the Recipe: Bat-Shaped Halloween Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups buttermilk pancake mix (spooned and leveled)
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg, separated
- 1 ¼ cup half and half
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- strawberries
- 1 cup melting chocolate wafers
- candy eyes
- brown food coloring
- maple syrup (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your waffle iron and grease it with cooking spray if necessary.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pancake mix and granulated white sugar until combined.
- Use a hand or stand mixer to beat the egg white in a medium mixing bowl until soft peaks form, about 2-4 minutes.
- To the dry mixture, add in the egg yoke, half and half and salted butter and mix gently, just until combined.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the waffle mixture until completely combined.
- Add brown dye and mix until blended.
- Use your waffle’s measuring cup or pour about 1⁄4 cup of waffle batter into your waffle maker (in the middle) gently spread it, close and allow it to cook until it beeps. For most waffle makers you want to have it set to a medium setting, such as a 3. It should cook for 3-5 minutes. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for your waffle maker for best results.
- Remove the hot waffle and repeat until you use all of the waffle batter.
- Cut or break each larger waffle into fours quarters.
- Assemble two pieces out of the 4 to make a wing.
- Dip strawberry into chocolate and place it in the middle of the wings. Immediately put candy eyes on the strawberry. Let it sit until chocolate hardens.
- Serve with maple syrup, optional.
Notes
- Whipping the egg whites is so important to getting a light, fluffy, yet still thick waffle. I recommend using a metal bowl if possible or at least a glass one. If you make multiple batches of this recipe, keep in mind that you will still need to whip the egg whites and it will take more time the more eggs you have. I do not recommend trying to whip more than 3-4 egg whites at once as it can get more difficult for them to form the necessary peaks.
- You need to be gentle with the egg whites when folding them into the waffle batter but be sure that you get them fully mixed in. No one wants to take a bite of what is supposed to be a delicious waffle and realize it was an unmixed chunk of egg instead.
- Know your waffle iron. Each waffle iron cooks a little differently and there are a million to choose from. For a Belgian Waffle you generally want a medium golden brown color and want it hot enough that you get a little crisp on the outer edges. Most machines have a built in timer depending on the color you want for your waffles. I recommend making an extra batch of waffles the first time you try this recipe so that you can experiment with your iron’s settings.