These from-scratch pumpkin waffles are made with real pumpkin puree. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, perfectly sweetened and full of cozy fall spices.
Preheat a waffle maker to medium-high heat (on our waffle maker we use “7 out of 8”).
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
Separate egg whites from yolks (make sure to save both parts of the egg).
Put whites in the bowl of a standing mixer and beat on high until stiff peaks form (alternatively you can beat them on high in a large bowl with a handheld mixer). Set aside
In a large bowl, combine egg yolks, melted butter pumpkin puree, brown sugar, applesauce, milk and vanilla and whisk to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until the mixture is smooth.
Fold-in beaten egg whites.
Spray the preheated waffle maker lightly with non-stick spray and scoop 1 to 1 ½ cup of batter into the center of the waffle plates. (this will vary depending on the size of your waffle maker).
Cook on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until the waffles are dark golden brown.
Repeat with remaining batter until it has all been used.
To keep warm: preheat oven to “warm” setting and put each batch of waffles on a large baking sheet in the warm oven until ready to serve.
Serve warm with maple syrup, whipped cream, etc.
Video
Notes
Note: these waffles cook longer on higher heat the typical waffles due to the pumpkin puree in the batter.Ingredient Substitutions
All-purpose flour. You can replace up to 1/2 cup flour with white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour. Use all-purpose gluten-free flour to make these gluten-free.
Salted butter. unsalted butter or ghee are acceptable substitutions.
Applesauce. you can replace the applesauce with more butter, if desired.
Whole milk. half and half is a good substitute for whole milk.
Or, to make only 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice combine:
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp allspice
StoreLet the pumpkin waffles cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the toaster.FreezeLet the waffles cool to room temperature, then lay them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer until they are hardened. Once hardened, transfer the pumpkin waffles to an airtight container or freezer-friendly storage bag, and freeze for up to 2 months.