Pumpkin Waffles

Craving fall waffles? Look no further, these pumpkin waffles are the BEST! They’re perfectly crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, filled with warm spices and loaded with delicious pumpkin flavor!

I’m a major fan of waffles! Have you tried my protein waffles? I have one almost every single day! My banana oat waffles are major favorites too, but when it’s pumpkin season, I’m all about this pumpkin waffle recipe!

My Favorite Pumpkin Waffle Recipe

I’ve been making these pumpkin spice waffles for years! They’re a fall staple in our house, and we always look forward to them on a chilly weekend morning. While it’s only just starting to feel like autumn here in Texas, these waffles have already made a couple of appearances at my kid’s (and husband’s) request!

On lazy weekends, I like to make more elaborate breakfasts, such as French toast, pancakes, and other recipes that we typically don’t have time to make on busy weekday mornings. These pumpkin Belgian waffles are a family favorite, filled with plenty of pumpkin spice flavor. I know your family will love them too! Let’s get to all of the delicious details!

Ingredients In Pumpkin Spice Waffles

The ingredients for this fall waffle recipe are all super simple and probably items you already have on hand.

• Eggs. Eggs not only add fluffiness to this pumpkin waffle recipe, but protein and healthy fats too! If you’re looking for a vegan option, you can try using 2 flax eggs instead.
• Milk. You can use any preferred milk. Even almond or cashew milk will work just fine.
• Butter. A little bit of melted butter gives the exterior of these pumpkin spice waffles the perfect crispiness. To keep these waffles vegan, use oil instead.
• Vanilla. Can’t go wrong with a splash of vanilla extract!
• Pumpkin puree. Use 100% pure canned pumpkin for this waffle recipe. Don’t grab pumpkin pie filling by mistake, which has added spices and sugar.
• Flour. For these waffles, you need regular all purpose flour. I have not experimented with using different flour varieties for this recipe.
• Baking powder. Baking powder is the way to go for fluffy waffles!
• Sugar. A very small amount of sugar in waffles will give them the best texture. These are not overly sweet waffles, but add a little maple syrup and they’re perfect!
• Salt. Really brings out the pumpkin flavor!
• Pumpkin pie spice. The perfect blend of spices to give these waffles that warm, cozy, fall flavor. See the “tips” section, below, for a way to make your own pumpkin pie spice blend.

Pro tip: Need a recipe for using up the rest of the can of pumpkin puree? Try my delicious pumpkin bread recipe! You won’t regret it!

How To Make Pumpkin Waffles

Making pumpkin waffles is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Just grease your waffle iron and mix the ingredients in one bowl.

1. Preheat waffle iron. While the waffle maker is preheating, you can be mixing all of the ingredients.
2. Mix wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat eggs and then stir in milk, melted butter, pumpkin and vanilla until smooth.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir in flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until just mixed. Some small lumps are fine.
4. Spray waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter onto the hot waffle iron and use the back of a spoon to spread the batter over the surface of the hot waffle iron. I use about 1/2 cup batter per waffle and this will make 5 large waffles.
5. Cook waffles until crisp and browned.
6. Serve with the toppings of your choice and enjoy! I’ve included all of my favorite topping ideas below.

Recipe Tips

This pumpkin spice waffle recipe is super easy, but here are a few tips to make the MOST perfect pumpkin waffles.

• If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can use 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon each nutmeg and allspice. If you’re really short on spices, simply sub the pumpkin pie spice with cinnamon. Just know that your waffles won’t have that warm spice flavor, but they will still be delicious!
• Because of the pumpkin, these waffles are softer than most. If your waffle iron has heat settings, I suggest using medium-high heat and allow the waffle maker to fully heat up before greasing. Bake the waffles until they are crispy on the outside – they take a little longer than regular waffles.
• My waffle iron has an automatic beep that goes off when the waffles are fully cooked and I typically leave them cooking about 30 seconds longer after the beep sounds. It’s generally safe to open the iron once it has mostly stopped steaming. If there’s no more HEAVY steam coming out of the iron, it means the wet ingredients have mostly cooked and it’s safe to open the iron to check on the waffles without ripping them apart.

Toppings for Pumpkin Waffles

While we love to eat our waffles with just a little butter and syrup, there are lots of fun topping options to try. You could even set up a waffle bar for a special occasion. How perfect would that be for Thanksgiving brunch?! Some of my favorite toppings for waffles are listed below!

• Powdered sugar. Dust it over the top with a sifter or spoon.
• Fresh fruit. Berries, cinnamon apples, sliced bananas are all delicious choices!
• Whipped cream. You can add a dollop of whipped cream for the ultimate topping.
• Caramel sauce. A drizzle of salted caramel sauce would be amazing on these waffles!
• Sliced almonds or chopped pecans. Love that nutty flavor and added crunch!
• Nutella, almond butter or peanut butter. This is the way to go for a little extra decadence!

what to serve with waffles

These easy pumpkin waffles pair well with a variety of breakfast sides. Below are some of my favorite sides to serve with a waffle breakfast. 

• Hash browns or breakfast potatoes. Yes, please!
• Fresh fruit or fruit salad. To keep this breakfast on the lighter side, fruit is such a great option.
• Yogurt. Serve on the side or add a spoonful on top of your waffle.
• Bacon, sausage, or ham. Anyone else love dipping bacon in maple syrup?
• Eggs. Scrambled on the side, or perhaps even over easy and served on top.

Make Ahead & Freezing Recommendations 

To make ahead.

These waffles will stay fresh in the fridge for up to about 5 days.

Bake the waffles as instructed. Once you remove them from the waffle iron, immediately place them on a cooling rack.

Once the waffles have cooled completely, store them in a large zip-top baggie or another airtight container of your choice and place them in the refrigerator.

Reheat the waffles in the toaster or oven at 350ºF for about 5 minutes and until they’re hot and crispy.

To freeze waffles.

These pumpkin waffles freeze beautifully! I make the full batch or sometimes I double the recipe, and keep extra waffles stored in the freezer for busy weekday mornings.

Bake the waffles as instructed. Once you remove them from the waffle iron, immediately place them on a cooling rack.

Once the waffles have completely cooled, place them into freezer bags individually. Alternatively, place them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and freeze until solid (about 1-2 hours) and then store stacks of waffles in freezer bags.

Freeze the waffles for up to three months. Reheat them in a toaster or bake them for 10-12 minutes at 350°F in your preheated oven.

More delicious Pumpkin Recipes to try:

• Overnight Oats with Pumpkin
• Pumpkin Hummus
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
• Pumpkin Dessert Bars

If you try this pumpkin waffle recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if you love it as much as I do, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. It’s so fun to see what you’re cooking! Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.