Gluten-free Dairy-free Pizza Waffles

Think a pizza hot pocket, but inside a waffle instead! These Gluten-free Dairy-free Pizza Waffles are one of those recipes that feels a little fun and a little genius—crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and packed with classic pizza flavor in every bite. My kids were bored of sandwiches and I needed a lunchbox option that was realistic and kid-approved.

This is one of those 30-minute meals that saves your sanity on busy days. Everything comes together with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand, and the waffle iron does all the hard work. No dough to roll, no oven to heat, and no mess from flour-covered countertops. Just mix, pour, cook, and enjoy.

I like to make a double batch of my Paleo Crispy Waffles or Protein Waffles on Monday and then use this for Monday waffle breakfast and then to make pizza waffles for lunchboxes or snacks throughout the week. 

These pizza waffles are gluten-free, dairy-free, and easily adaptable with a nut-free option, making them a great choice for families with food sensitivities. Perfect as an easy side for dinner or as a quick, portable snack or lunch to keep your kiddos full!

Why You’ll Love These Gluten-free Dairy-free Pizza Waffles

• Easy to make with minimal prep
• Ready in about 30 minutes from start to finish
• Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free
• Can be made with a nut-free option
• Perfect for a quick snack, simple dinner, or lunchbox addition
• Crispy, dippable, and kid-approved

Ingredients

• Gluten-free Waffle batter – I always use my Paleo Crispy Waffles or Protein Waffles for an extra protein boost. But you can use whatever mix or recipe your family loves with this recipe!
• Pepperoni – Regular pepperoni or turkey pepperoni work equally well in this recipe. If you are looking for a pepperoni that is responsibly sourced with minimal ingredients, Applegate is a great option. 
• Dairy-free Mozzarella Cheese – There are a lot of not great dairy-free cheeses out there. Learn which brands are my favorite on the blog post HERE.
• Pizza sauce – Really most marinara or spaghetti sauces will work for this. But, if I’m grabbing one from the store, I get this basic pizza sauce from Walmart. 

That’s it. Simple, familiar ingredients that come together in a totally new way.

How to Make It

• Prepare your waffle batter according to your favorite gluten-free recipe
• Preheat your waffle iron and lightly grease it
• In the hot waffle iron, use a spatula to spread a thin layer of half the normal amount of waffle batter you use for that size waffle maker. For example, for my favorite mini Eggo-sized waffle makers, I normally use 1/4 cup of batter to make a waffle. So, for pizza waffles, I start with only 2 tablespoons of waffle batter. If you add too much batter, it will overflow and make a mess. Layer should be thin!
• Add a layer of pepperoni, then sauce, then cheese, and another layer of pepperoni. For my mini 4-inch waffle iron this looks like:
  • 4 slices of pepperoni
  • 1 tablespoon sauce
  • 1 tablespoon cheese
  • 4 more slices of pepperoni
• Spread another thin layer of waffle batter on top of the last layer of pepperoni, the same amount as before (in this example, the 2 tablespoons)
• Cook according to your waffle iron directions.
• Serve warm with extra pizza sauce for dipping or cold in lunchboxes or snacks on the go. My boys also like to toast them up like an Eggo to reheat. 

These freeze beautifully too, making them perfect for meal prep. Just pop leftovers into the toaster for a quick reheat.

My Favorite Waffle Irons

Yes, you do need a waffle iron to make these Gluten-free Dairy-free Pizza Waffles. I have two waffle irons I love: this mini waffle maker by dash and this double-sided Belgium waffle iron for keeping up with the masses. Though it works with both, I usually use the mini waffle maker for this recipe, as it makes the perfect toaster and portable size!

Other Easy Snack Recipes You Will Love

If pizza waffles are your kind of food, you’ll definitely want to check out these blog posts and recipes:

• 50 Gluten-free Dairy-free Snacks
• My Protein Muffin Recipes – around 15 grams of protein per muffin!
• 10 Kid-friendly Paleo Snacks
• Chunky Monkey Smoothie

Whether you’re feeding a crowd, packing lunches, or just trying to get something on the table without stress, these Gluten-free Dairy-free Pizza Waffles are a recipe you’ll come back to again and again. Simple, cozy, and realistic—just the way weeknight food should be.

Gluten-free Dairy-free Pizza Waffle

Autumn @wholefoodfor7

An EASY snack or lunhbox item that is quick to make and has protein. Gluten-free, dairy-free, with paleo and nut-free options. Freezer-friendly and kid-approved!

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 18 mini 4-inch waffles, or 6 large 7-inch waffles

Calories 247 kcal

1/2x1x2x3x

Ingredients

 

• 4 1/2 cups gluten-free waffle batter see notes and below for my favorite Paleo Waffle recipe!
• 144 slices pepperoni
• 1 1/4 cups dairy-free mozzarella cheese see notes for my favorite
• 1 1/4 cups pizza sauce

Instructions

 

• Prepare your waffle batter according to your favorite gluten-free recipe.
• Preheat your waffle iron and lightly grease it.
• In the hot waffle iron, use a spatula to spread a thin layer of half the normal amount of waffle batter you use for that size waffle maker.

  For example, for my favorite mini Eggo-sized waffle makers, I normally use 1/4 cup of batter to make a waffle. So, for pizza waffles, I start with only 2 tablespoons of waffle batter. If you add too much batter, it will overflow and make a mess. Layer should be thin!
• Add a layer of pepperoni, then sauce, then cheese, and another layer of pepperoni. For my mini 4-inch waffle iron this looks like:

  4 slices of pepperoni

  1 1/2 teaspoons sauce (I just use a small spoonful)

  1 tablespoon cheese

  4 more slices of pepperoni
• Spread another thin layer of waffle batter on top of the last layer of pepperoni, the same amount as before (in this example, the 2 tablespoons). Cook according to your waffle iron directions.
• Serve warm with extra pizza sauce for dipping or cold in lunchboxes or snacks on the go. My boys also like to toast them up like an Eggo to reheat. 
• FREEZE in a sealed container for up to 3 months.

Notes

I love to use my Paleo Waffle recipe (also below). 

For my favorite Dairy-free Cheeses, see THIS blog post. 

You can also use other fillings like a slice of ham and a tablespoon of cheddar cheese in each one for a Ham + Cheese waffle. Get creative!

NOTE: Nutritional facts are for 1 4" pizza waffle, using my regular Paleo Waffle Batter. This will change if you use a different waffle batter. If you use my Paleo Protein Waffle Batter, add an additional 7 grams of protein per pizza waffle (13 grams of protein each) - wahoo!

Nutrition

Calories: 247kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 6gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 654mgPotassium: 103mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 100IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 91mgIron: 1mg

Keyword budget-friendly, dairy-free, easy, gluten-free, keto, kid-friendly, main dish, nut-free, paleo, snack

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Paleo Waffles

Autumn, @wholefoodfor7

The best Paleo (gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free) waffles - crispy, easy, and delicious! So good we make them weekly. And they freeze great!

5 from 49 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 6 1 serving = 3 4-inch mini waffles or 1 7" full-sized waffle

Calories 411 kcal

1/2x1x2x3x

Equipment

• Waffle iron

Ingredients

 

• 2 eggs carefully separated
• 1/2 cup light tasting olive oil
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup almond milk or carton (not canned) coconut milk, or other DF milk
• 1 cup almond flour see notes below for nut-free!
• 1 cup tapioca flour can sub arrowroot or potato starch/flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or other granulated sugar of choice

Instructions

 

• Preheat waffle iron.
• In a small bowl, beat egg whites with a mixer until stiff peaks form. You might feel this is too "fussy" and be tempted to skip it. Don't! It gives the waffles their light crispiness.
• Combine all other ingredients (including egg yolks) in a large bowl. Stir to combine. **BATTER CHECK: See notes below for what batter consistency should be like.
• Once combined, gently fold in egg whites (batter should be lumpy – don’t beat in the egg whites, these will make these waffles fluffy!).
• Cook in waffle iron per your waffle irons directions. My waffle iron is a 4.5" deep belgium waffle pan and this makes five 4.5" circle waffles. Amount of waffles made will vary based on the size of your waffle maker. Also, I don't need to spray my waffle iron with cooking oil before making these, as the higher oil content in this recipe doesn't stick, but test your waffle iron.
• Enjoy topped with maple syrup, ghee, nuts, berries and whipped coconut cream, or nut butter.
• To freeze - lay in a single layer on a cooling rack. Once frozen, then you can store all together in a glass dish or freezer gallon ziplock. Toast or microwave straight from the freezer to reheat. Great for fast breakfasts or after-school snack!

Video

Notes

**Batter should have the consistency of like a cake mix. If it is drippy/runny or not holding together when you are cooking, add a little more flour (1-2 tablespoons at a time). If the batter is too thick like brownies and really dense when you cook them, then add more milk. These should be light and crispy!

NUT-FREE OPTION: Instead of using the three flours (almond, coconut, and tapioca), use ONLY 1 3/4 cup cassava flour. Follow the rest of the recipe as written. 

Nutrition information reflects using the combination flour method.

SUBSTITUTIONS - Can't do coconut or nuts? Use oatmilk and maple sugar instead of the other milks and coconut sugar.

WAFFLE PIZZA POCKETS - Find that recipe HERE. 

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE WAFFLE VARIATION - Add 1 tablespoon vanilla, increase the coconut sugar to a 3 tablespoons, and swap out 1/3 cup of the flour with cocoa powder (so 1 cup + 2 tablespoons cassava flour and 1/3 cup cocoa). Refer to the above note on batter consistency and adjust as needed. Add 1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips to make them "double" chocolate, if desired, we prefer the Enjoy Life mini chips.

All waffles are delicious with my Paleo Whipped Coconut Cream. You can also stir blueberries or chocolate chips into the batter - delicious!

CHOCOLATE CHIP VARIATION - Add 1 tablespoon vanilla and 1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips. We prefer the Enjoy Life mini chips.

STRAWBERRY WAFFLE VARIATION - Finely crush 2 cups (about 1 oz) of freeze-dried strawberries and stir into the batter, adding an additional 1/2 cup almond milk or dairy-free milk as well, prior to adding the whipped egg whites

LEMON WAFFLE VARIATION - Add 1 teaspoon lemon extract and the zest of 1 large lemon (about 2 tablespoons) to the waffle batter, preparing and cooking as shared in original recipe. Can also add 1 tablespoon poppyseed for a lemon poppyseed waffle.

CAKE BATTER VARIATION - Use an equal amount of vanilla nut pods instead of the almond milk and add 1/4 cup of your favorite sprinkles. 

Nutrition

Calories: 411kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 8gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 727mgPotassium: 25mgFiber: 6gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 79IUCalcium: 240mgIron: 2mg

Keyword breakfast, budget-friendly, dairy-free, easy, gluten-free, keto, kid-friendly, nut-free, paleo, snack

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!