Vegan Red Velvet Chick'n & Waffles
Serves 4Prep 20 minCook 30 minTotal 50 min
Prep and cook times are estimates — every kitchen moves at its own pace. None significant.
Brunch just got a serious upgrade. Deep-red, cocoa-kissed waffles with a tender, cake-like crumb, crowned with shatteringly crispy fried oyster mushrooms — this vegan red velvet chick'n and waffles plate looks like a showstopper and eats like one too.
The beet juice gives the waffles their stunning color, the cayenne-spiked coating gives the mushrooms their kick, and together they're sweet-heat perfection. (Skip the cayenne if you're spice-shy — no judgment.)
Watch it made
Directions
- In a large bowl, stir together the spelt flour, baking powder, salt, and cacao powder until combined.
- Add the apple cider vinegar, avocado oil, vanilla extract, maple syrup, plant-based milk, and beet juice. Stir until well combined — the batter should have a pancake-batter consistency. Optional: rest the batter 5–10 minutes before cooking — it hydrates the spelt flour for a better rise and more tender crumb.
- Heat the waffle iron and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook the waffles according to your waffle maker's instructions. (We used a basic Belgian waffle maker — it made 4 waffles.)
- Set the waffles aside, or hold them in a 200°F oven to stay warm. Optional: hold waffles directly on the oven rack, not stacked on a plate — stacking traps steam and softens the crisp exterior.
- For the oyster mushrooms: heat the 2 cups avocado oil over medium-high heat (about 350°F) in a deep pot while you prepare the coating.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the spelt flour, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper.
- In a small bowl, stir together the plant-based milk, hot sauce, and Dijon mustard until creamy.
- Using one hand for wet and one for dry, dip each mushroom into the wet mixture first, then the dry mixture. Repeat once more to double-coat each mushroom.
- Fry no more than 4 mushrooms at a time, about 4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Optional: double-fry for extra crunch that survives the waffle stack — fry once, rest 5 minutes, then fry again briefly.
- Transfer to a wire rack so excess oil drips off and the mushrooms stay crunchy.
- Serve immediately over the red velvet waffles and enjoy!
