Keto Red Velvet Waffle Recipe
Published February 9, 2020 • Updated February 26, 2026
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These red velvet chaffles are fluffy and spongy with real buttermilk tang and a hint of cocoa. I make them for breakfast, Valentine's Day, or any morning I want something that tastes like dessert.
I started making these after I nailed my keto chaffle recipe and wanted to push it somewhere more interesting. Red velvet was the obvious direction because the flavors (buttermilk, cocoa, cream cheese) already work in a low carb batter without weird substitutions.
The key here is the cream cheese. I use it instead of shredded mozzarella because it gives the batter a mild, creamy base that lets the buttermilk and cocoa actually come through. Shredded cheese works in a basic chaffle, but here it fights the flavor you’re going for.
I’ve pushed the cocoa to a full teaspoon and that’s about my ceiling on this one. The batter is so small that anything past half a teaspoon starts tipping bitter. Half a teaspoon gives you color and warmth. A full teaspoon is deeper, almost fudgy. Past that, it overpowers everything else.
These come out spongy, not crispy. That’s by design. The soft, cake-like texture is what makes them work as a dessert or a base for the layered cake version I talk about below. If you want crunch, I cover a workaround further down the page.
If you like this style of waffle, I have a whole lineup worth trying: keto chocolate chip waffles, gingerbread chaffles, and eggnog chaffles. This one sits in the dessert category for me, but I eat it for breakfast more often than not.
How to make these chaffles
- Preheat your waffle maker. I plug mine in while I mix the batter so it’s ready to go.
- Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. The batter should be thick but pourable. Add food coloring a few drops at a time until you hit the shade you want.
- Pour about a third of the batter into a mini waffle maker. Close the lid and cook 3-5 minutes until steam stops coming out the sides. That’s your doneness cue.
- Remove and set on a wire rack. Letting them cool on a rack instead of a plate keeps the bottoms from getting soggy.
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Ingredients
1 egg -
1 oz cream cheese
-
2 tablespoons coconut flour
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1 tablespoon buttermilk
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2 teaspoons sugar free sweetener
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1/2 teaspoon baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder
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red food coloring
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Whisk all ingredients
Whisk together all of the ingredients. Add a few drops of red food coloring to achieve desired shade of pink or red.
Pour batter
Pour about 1/3 of the red velvet batter into the waffle maker if using a mini waffle maker. If using a large waffle maker, pour all of the batter. Close the waffle maker and let cook for 3-5 minutes or until waffle is golden brown and set. Waffle is meant to be spongy and will not crisp up, so cook until set and browned.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use almond flour instead of coconut flour?
I've tested both. You can swap in 1/3 to 1/2 cup of almond flour for the 2 tablespoons of coconut flour. The texture comes out slightly denser and less spongy, but it still holds together in the waffle maker. Coconut flour absorbs more liquid, which is why you need so much less of it. If you prefer almond flour across the board, my almond flour pancakes use a similar batter approach.
Can I skip the food coloring?
You can. Without it, you get a light brown chaffle that tastes exactly the same. I use food coloring because the color is half the fun, especially for Valentine's Day. If you want a natural option, beet powder works, though I haven't tested it in this specific recipe. Start with a small amount and work up, because beet powder can shift the flavor if you add too much.
What can I substitute for buttermilk?
I've tested this: regular milk with a splash of apple cider vinegar works. Use the same amount (1 tablespoon of milk) and add about half a teaspoon of vinegar. Let it sit for a minute before mixing it in. The tang is a little less pronounced than real buttermilk, but the cocoa carries most of the flavor so you won't miss much. Sour cream is another option. A reader of mine used it and reported the chaffles came out fine.
Can I make these in a regular waffle maker?
Yes. I pour all the batter in at once (instead of splitting it into thirds) and cook for 5-7 minutes. The chaffle comes out larger and thinner. I prefer the mini waffle maker because the smaller, thicker chaffles hold up better when I stack them into the cake version. But a full-size maker works if that's what you have.
How do I know when the chaffle is done?
I watch for steam. When you first close the lid, steam pours out the sides. Once the steam slows to almost nothing, the chaffle is set. That usually takes 3-5 minutes in my mini waffle maker. The outside will be browned but the inside stays spongy. Don't expect it to crisp up like a shredded cheese chaffle.
Can I add protein powder?
I haven't tested whey protein in this specific recipe, but collagen peptides work well. I've added a scoop (about 10g) without changing the texture noticeably. Whey protein can make baked goods rubbery if you use too much, so if you try it, start with half a scoop and see how the batter handles it.
What sweetener works best?
I use a granular erythritol blend for this recipe. Powdered erythritol dissolves faster and gives a smoother batter, so that's my preference when I have it on hand. Stevia drops work too, but I start with 3-4 drops and taste the batter before adding more. I'd avoid monk fruit sweetener here because it can have a cooling aftertaste that doesn't pair well with the cocoa.
I'd been avoiding chaffles for months because I assumed they'd taste like scrambled eggs pressed into waffle shape. Finally made this one and I get why people make them now. The buttermilk is what changes it, that little bit of tang makes the batter read more like actual waffle batter than egg batter. Mine came out paler than the photos, probably because I went light on the food coloring, and I was using a full-size waffle maker instead of a mini one so I had to guess at the batter amount. They ended up thicker than intended, which actually made the inside texture more spongy than crispy, and I didn't hate it. I'm still working out the right amount of coloring to get that deep red rather than maroon, but that's a learning curve thing, not a recipe problem. First chaffle I've made that I'd bother making again.
Brought a double batch to Easter brunch this weekend and the thing that got me was watching someone pick one up and immediately start looking around for the box it came from. The red is so vivid and the texture when you pull it apart is actually fluffy, not the dense spongy thing you get with a lot of keto waffles. My friend who was doing the box-hunting thing could not figure out the buttermilk tang. I kept saying 'no, I made them' and she kept saying 'from what' until I listed the whole thing (one egg, cream cheese, coconut flour, buttermilk, a little cocoa) and she had this look like she was being pranked. That specific reaction is why I save this recipe. Making these again for actual Easter and doubling the batch.
Swapped buttermilk for sour cream since I was out, came out denser but the cocoa flavor was way more intense. Might actually like it better.
Made these for Valentine's Day brunch at my sister's and her husband immediately asked if we'd ordered from somewhere because of the color. Once she told him I made them, he didn't believe it. The buttermilk tang actually comes through in a way that tastes like something from a real bakery, not a diet version. I'm not a baker at all and these took me maybe 15 minutes.
Red velvet was the one thing I thought I was just done with on keto. Made these Valentine's morning and the batter comes together so fast. That cocoa and cream cheese combo is exactly right. Not identical to what I grew up with, but close enough that I had to sit with my coffee for a minute. Might push the cocoa a little more next time.
Push the cocoa. Full teaspoon is about my ceiling on this one, the batter's so small it tips bitter fast past that. The 'close enough' version is what I was going for.
Swapped the buttermilk for regular milk with a splash of apple cider vinegar (didn't have any on hand) and the batter worked fine. Waffles came out a little less tangy, but the cocoa carries most of the flavor so no big deal. One tip: letting the batter rest a minute after mixing helps it thicken and the middles come out less eggy. Might just be my waffle maker, but worth trying.
Yeah that ACV swap is basically making buttermilk anyway, so no surprise it held up. The resting tip is interesting though, I haven't noticed that with my waffle maker but worth trying if yours runs that way.
the texture is way fluffier than i expected for a chaffle. used cream cheese like it said and they came out spongy. can i double the batch and freeze these?
Yeah the cream cheese really does make them spongy, way different than regular chaffles. I freeze these all the time - I let them cool completely, then stack them with parchment paper between each one. They reheat great in the toaster.
Had some*
Ha, waffles beat ice cream tonight then.
Excellent! I had done keto red velvet ice cream I was going to eat tonight, so now I just made these (used sour cream instead of buttermilk didn’t have any of any vinegar to sour sone milk) but they look good, smell good, and I’m sure will taste amazing!
Sour cream held up then. Makes sense, the fat content is close enough to buttermilk that the texture comes out the same.