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Waffle Dessert "Pizzas"

Elise Strachan's No-Bake Twinkie "Hot Dogs"
Elise Strachan's No-Bake Twinkie \"Hot Dogs\"Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Cook Time:
5 mins
Prep Time:
20 mins
Yields:
4-6 "pizzas" (16-24 slices)
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Chef notes

Food in disguise is always a fun surprise and I love repurposing my kitchen tools for out-of-the-box ideas. Waffles, pizza, cake and candy — what's not to love?

Technique tip: Let your waffle cakes cool in the waffle iron before removing to avoid breakages.

Swap option: For the ultimate dessert pizza,  swap out the vanilla cake mix for chocolate cake mix with toppings like Nutella, mini Oreos and M&Ms!

Special equipment: A waffle iron and a 1-inch round cookie cutter.

Ingredients

"Pizza"
  • Red food coloring
  • Vanilla frosting, store-bought or homemade
  • 1 box vanilla cake mix, mixed according to package directions
  • Nonstick cooking spray
Toppings
  • White candy melts (for mozzarella)
  • Red fruit roll (for pepperoni)
  • Chocolate-covered almonds (for whole olives)
  • Green gummy Lifesavers (for sliced jalapeños)
  • Yellow Starburst candies, trimmed to long triangles (for pineapple)
  • Pink Starburst candies, trimmed to 1/8-inch pieces (for ham)

Preparation

For the "pizza":

Add the red food coloring to the frosting and mix well (it should be the color of pizza sauce). Preheat a round waffle maker and coat generously with nonstick cooking spray.

Spoon the batter into the waffle maker (if you have the option, select the lightest browning setting). Let the waffle cook for 4 minutes before checking if it is done. Test by lightly touching the center; the waffle should spring back. Allow the waffle to completely cool in the maker before removing.

For the toppings:

Using a grater, grate the candy melts to resemble mozzarella. Open a red fruit roll and use the cookie cutter to cut slices of "pepperoni."

To assemble:

Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting over the cooled waffles, leaving a slight gap around the edges for the "crust."

For a traditional supreme pizza, top with the "pepperoni," "mozzarella," "olives" and "jalapeños." For a Hawaiian pizza, top with "mozzarella," "ham," and "pineapple."