Ready for some more rainbow fun?! This week, Sofie and I made these fun rainbow waffles, and they were a hit from start to finish. This is the kind of activity that turns an ordinary breakfast into something a little magical — and the best part is that it is genuinely easy. No fancy skills required, just a little patience while you mix the colors and a piping bag to do the art.
It does take a little bit of time to mix all of the colors, so plan for that. While I got everything ready, I kept Sofie entertained with blueberries — a win-win, since she got a snack and I got a few uninterrupted minutes. Speaking of blueberries, they end up being the perfect topping, which you'll see in a minute.
What You Need
Waffle mix (a bag of the ready-made kind — I kept it simple!)
Water or milk (whichever you normally use with your mix)
Blueberries (for snacking and for topping)
Pastel food colors — I used a lovely pastel food coloring set because I'm all about that modern pastel rainbow
Piping bags
A waffle iron
How to Make Them
Step 1: Mix the batter. Prepare your bag of waffle mix with water or milk, following the package directions. Keeping it simple with the ready-made mix means the real fun — the colors — gets your full attention.
Step 2: Divide and color. Split the batter into a separate bowl for each rainbow color you're making. Add a drop or two of food coloring to each bowl and stir. I went with the modern pastel rainbow — soft pinks, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, and purples. This is the part that takes a little time, so set yourself up with everything in a row and work through the colors.
Step 3: Fill your piping bags. Pour each color into its own piping bag and cut the tips. Small cuts give you more control over the thin color lines.
Step 4: Pipe the rainbow. Here's the technique: start on the outside of the waffle iron with the pink and pipe a circle around the edge. Then move onto the orange, piping the next circle inside the first, and so on — working your way inward until you get the perfect rainbow effect. You have to work pretty quickly here. Fill the iron generously — I can tell from my photos that I didn't quite fill it up enough, which is why my waffle had a few holes. Use enough batter to fill the whole iron, and work fast enough that the colors don't bleed together.
Step 5: Cook as directed. Close the lid and just use your waffle iron as directed. When it's done, pop the waffle out. Mine pretty much fell apart in half on its own, but if yours doesn't, just break or cut it down the middle.
Step 6: Add the blueberry clouds. Sprinkle blueberries along the bottom (or the ends) of the rainbow to make fluffy clouds. Sofie loved this part, and the blueberries add sweetness to the breakfast without needing syrup at all — which means no sticky hands.
Tips
Prep like a production line. Line up your bowls in rainbow order before you start piping, and keep your piping bags nearby. The faster you work in Step 4, the cleaner your colors stay.
Be generous with the batter. My first attempt had holes because I didn't fill the iron enough. Use enough of each color to fully cover the waffle iron for a solid rainbow.
Work quickly to prevent bleeding. The colors will start to bleed together if they sit too long, so pipe steadily and close the iron as soon as you're done.
Blueberries are the secret weapon. They keep a busy toddler entertained while you mix colors, they make adorable clouds, and they add sweetness without syrup — which is my kind of easy cleanup. No sticky hands, no sticky table.
Let your toddler help where they can. Toddlers can stir the colors, snack on the blueberries, and (with help) sprinkle the blueberry clouds. The piping is a grown-up job, but there's plenty of fun for little hands.
And there you have it — the perfect toddler breakfast: rainbow waffles with blueberry clouds. Sofie loved these, and I loved how easy the whole thing was once the colors were mixed. If you try them, we'd love to see your rainbow! And for more rainbow fun, check out my rainbow sensory activities roundup: https://www.goodnightfox.com/blog/rainbow
