Gooey Cheese Stuffed Mini Waffles

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I saw the cheese-filled waffle idea floating around and had to try it for myself, and these cheese stuffed mini waffles turned out AMAZING. You skewer a piece of mozzarella string cheese, dip it in a sweet Belgian waffle batter, and cook it in a mini waffle maker until you get a crispy, golden shell with a molten cheese center. Big shoutout to Jeff and Lauren for the original idea, because this is the kind of sweet-meets-savory snack I now can’t stop making! The best part? The cheese caramelizes a little against the iron, so the edges get these crispy, lacy bits. 🤯

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What Makes These Cheese Stuffed Mini Waffles So Good

It’s the contrast. The Belgian waffle mix bakes up with a little sweetness, and then you bite through it into savory, gooey, stretchy mozzarella. Sweet outside, salty and melty inside, and I’m telling you, that cheese pull is unreal! You get this crispy waffle shell that gives way to a molten center, and it hits completely different from a plain waffle. The first time I pulled one apart, I was hooked.

Plus, they’re endlessly flexible. Eat them straight up as a snack, or lean into the sweet side with a dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup. I go back and forth depending on my mood, and I honestly can’t pick a favorite. If you like turning unexpected things into waffles, my Loaded Scallion Pancake Waffles run the same mini-waffle-maker trick with store-bought scallion pancake dough until the edges shatter. Same iron, totally different snack.

Can You Put Cheese Inside a Waffle Maker?

You can, and it works better than you’d think, as long as the cheese is wrapped in batter. The trick here is that the mozzarella never touches the plates directly. You skewer each piece, coat it fully in the waffle batter, and the batter forms a shell that holds the melting cheese inside while it cooks. Some cheese will always sneak out and caramelize against the iron, and that’s the good part, those crispy cheese edges are what make these special. The mozzarella-in-a-waffle-iron idea has been around a while (Tasty has a breaded version), but wrapping it in sweet Belgian batter is what takes it somewhere new. Just don’t try to drop a bare chunk of cheese into the waffle maker, because it’ll melt straight into a sticky mess and weld itself to the plates.

How Do You Keep the Cheese From Sticking to the Waffle Maker?

Two things do most of the work here. First, coat the cheese completely in batter so there’s a full barrier between the mozzarella and the plates. Any bare spot is where it grabs on. Second, give your mini waffle maker a light grease before each round, a quick spray or a brush of oil, even if it’s nonstick. That thin layer of fat is what lets the caramelized cheese edges release instead of tearing. And if a little cheese does escape and crisp up on the iron, let it cool for a few seconds before you lift, because warm melted cheese is stretchy and cold-set cheese peels away clean.

Tips for Making Cheese Stuffed Mini Waffles

1. Use the skewer trick

Skewer each half-piece of string cheese, then dip it into the batter so it comes out fully coated. Set it in the waffle maker, close the lid, and gently press down until the lid meets the skewer, then slide the skewer out and let it cook. The skewer keeps the cheese centered and your fingers out of the hot iron. I keep a box of them right by the waffle maker just for this.

2. Don’t overfill, but do coat fully

Half a string cheese per waffle is the sweet spot. Too much and it blows out the sides before the batter sets. You want a nice even coat of batter all the way around, so the shell can crisp up before the cheese fully liquefies.

3. Cook until deep golden

Pull them too early and the shell is pale and soft and the cheese runs everywhere. I always let mine go a little longer than feels necessary. Let each one go until it’s deep golden and crisp, usually a couple of minutes. That extra time is what sets the waffle and gives you those caramelized cheese edges, which are hands down my favorite part!

4. Work in batches (and grab a second iron if you can)

Real talk, when I make a big batch with one mini waffle maker, it takes some time since you’re cooking them one at a time. It’s SO worth it, but if you make these a lot, a second mini waffle maker basically doubles your speed. Keep the finished ones warm in a low oven while you cook the rest.

Storage & Leftovers

These are hands-down best fresh, when the shell is crispy and the cheese is still molten and stretchy. That said, leftovers keep fine in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The waffle softens as it sits and the cheese firms up, so you’ll want to bring them back to life before eating.

I’d skip the microwave if you can, because it turns the waffle rubbery and the cheese greasy. Reheat them in a toaster oven, air fryer, or a hot 350F oven for a few minutes until the shell re-crisps and the cheese goes gooey again. That’s the whole magic of these, so it’s worth the extra couple of minutes!

Can You Make These Ahead and Reheat Them?

Yes, and it makes them a great party or game-day snack. You can cook the whole batch ahead, let them cool, and keep them in the fridge, then re-crisp them in the oven or air fryer right before serving so the cheese goes molten again. If you want to prep even further out, you can freeze the fully cooked waffles on a tray, then transfer them to a bag and reheat straight from frozen at 375F until hot and crisp. Just hold off on the powdered sugar and maple syrup until right before you serve, so the sweet stuff stays fresh and doesn’t go soggy sitting on a warm waffle.

Equipment

• Mini waffle maker
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Bamboo skewers

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Belgian waffle mix
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
• 6 mozzarella string cheese
• powdered sugar (optional, for serving)
• maple syrup (optional, for serving)

Substitutions and Swaps

This one’s short and sweet since there are only a few ingredients, but a couple of swaps really change the result.

• Mozzarella string cheese. This is the one I wouldn’t swap. String cheese is low-moisture mozzarella, so it melts into that stretchy pull without leaking a ton of water and making the shell soggy. A fresh, wet mozzarella ball will water down the batter and won’t give you the clean cheese pull.
• Belgian waffle mix. Any pancake or waffle mix works, you’ll just lose a little of that Belgian sweetness. A plain buttermilk waffle mix leans more savory, which is actually great if you’re skipping the powdered sugar and going full snack mode (Love and Olive Oil makes a fully savory cheddar waffle along those lines).
• Cheese type. Mozzarella is king for the pull, but a stick of low-moisture cheddar or a mozzarella-provolone string cheese changes up the flavor nicely. Just keep it a firm, low-moisture cheese so it behaves the same way.
• Butter. Softened butter adds a little richness to the batter, but you can leave it out or swap in a neutral oil if that’s what you’ve got. The waffle will be a touch less tender but still crisp.

Instructions

1. Preheat the mini waffle maker. In a mixing bowl, whisk the Belgian waffle mix, water, and softened butter into a batter (follow the ratios on your mix’s packaging).
2. Open the sticks of string cheese and cut each one in half.
3. One at a time, skewer a piece of cheese and dip it into the batter until it’s fully coated.
4. Place it into the mini waffle maker and close the lid. Gently and slowly press down until the lid hits the skewer, then pull the skewer out and let the waffle cook for a couple of minutes, or until deep golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
5. Repeat with every piece of cheese, greasing the iron lightly between rounds.
6. Eat them plain, or dust with powdered sugar and drizzle with maple syrup. Enjoy!

These are proof that the simplest ideas are sometimes the best ones. Four ingredients, one little waffle maker, and you’ve got a crispy, gooey, sweet-and-savory snack that people will fight over! I make them for a lazy weekend snack, but they’re a legit crowd-pleaser for game day or a party spread too.

If you’re into taking savory things and giving them the crispy waffle treatment, my Crispy Loaded Potato Waffles melt cheddar right into the iron for those same laced, crispy cheese edges, and my Okonomiyaki Mochi Waffles give a savory base that same crispy-edge, chewy-middle finish. The waffle maker earns its counter space around here.

Would you eat these sweet with maple syrup, or straight up as a savory snack? Let me know in the comments! And if you make a batch, drop a star rating on the recipe card below, it really helps other people find the recipe. 🙌

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