Whole Grain Pumpkin Spice Waffles
Spiced pumpkin waffles that are crispy on the outside & fluffy on the inside. This easy, gluten-free pumpkin waffle recipe's secret ingredient is oat flour!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
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It sure looks like fall outside. The trees are lit up in yellow, orange and red and leaves are swirling around in the streets.
This year, like every year, I’m feeling conflicted about the falling leaves—simultaneously sad to see them go, but awe-struck by their blazing glory on the way down. Sweaters, scarves and holiday cheer will be here before we know it.
These gluten-free, oat flour-based pumpkin waffles are a fun breakfast for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas or any weekend from now until then.
These waffles freeze beautifully, too, so you might want to make a big batch and treat yourself to pumpkin waffles are busy weekday mornings. Just pop them in the toaster and you’re good to go!
These whole grain pumpkin waffles are a riff on my basic oat flour waffles recipe. “Basic” doesn’t begin to do them justice—these waffles are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, light but hearty, and hold me over until lunch time.
In other words, they are basically perfect. I know a few commenters who can back me up on that! It took me a few tries to get the ratio of liquid/fat/pumpkin just right for these waffles, but I finally nailed it with the version below.
Don’t worry if you don’t have oat flour in your pantry. You can easily make your own oat flour in a blender or food processor, like I did for these waffles. See my oat flour tutorial for details.
More Pumpkin Treats to Enjoy
- Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread or Healthy Pumpkin Muffins (both offer oat flour options, see gluten-free recipe note)
- Perfect Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes
View more pumpkin recipes here.
Healthy Pumpkin Spice Waffles
These delicious, gluten-free pumpkin waffles are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. This pumpkin waffle recipe’s secret ingredient is oat flour! You can easily make your own oat flour at home (check the recipe notes for details). This recipe yields 4 round, 7-inch Belgian waffles. Note: when I say “scant,” I mean just a couple teaspoons shy of the measurement listed.
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (200 grams) oat flour*
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice or cloves
- 3 large eggs
- Scant ⅔ cup milk of choice (I used plain, unsweetened almond milk)
- Scant ½ cup melted coconut oil or 7 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (122 grams) packed pumpkin puree
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Suggested toppings: more maple syrup, nut butter and/or toasted nuts, coconut whipped cream…
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and all spice or cloves. Whisk to combine.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Then add the milk, coconut oil or butter, pumpkin purée, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is thoroughly blended.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the oat flour mixture. Stir with a big spoon until just combined (the batter will still be a little lumpy). Let the batter rest for 10 minutes so the oat flour has time to soak up some of the moisture. Plug in your waffle iron to preheat now.
- Once 10 minutes is up, give the batter one more, gentle swirl with your spoon. The batter will be pretty thick, but don’t worry! Your waffles will turn out great. Pour batter onto the heated waffle iron, enough to cover the center and most of the central surface area, and close the lid.
- Once the waffle is deeply golden and crisp, transfer it to a cooling rack or baking sheet. Don’t stack your waffles on top of each other or they’ll lose crispness. If desired, keep your waffles warm by placing them in a 200 degree oven until you’re ready to serve. Repeat with remaining batter and serve with desired toppings on the side.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my gluten-free oat waffles recipe.
*Make your own oat flour: Simply blend old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats in a food processor or blender until they are ground into a fine flour. You’ll need to blend about 2 ¼ cups oats to make 2 ¼ cups flour.
*A note on gluten free oats: Be sure to buy certified gluten-free oats or certified gluten-free oat flour to ensure your waffles are gluten free.
Freeze it: These waffles freeze beautifully. Just store in freezer-safe plastic bags and pop individual waffles into the toaster until warmed through.
Recommended equipment: This fancy-pants non-stick waffle maker. I love that it has a large cooking surface, which means I can cook an entire batch of waffles with just two presses.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I made these for my baby. I swapped out the maple syrup for applesauce, and a quarter cup of the oat flour for ground hazelnuts. It was delicious!
Great to hear, Kate!