Buying a waffle maker three years ago during a midnight online shopping spiral, convinced I was going to become the kind of person who hosts elaborate Sunday brunches, is exactly what led to these pumpkin spice waffles when October hit. Fast forward to today, and it mostly gathers dust next to my blender.
The first time I tried this, I accidentally dumped a whole can of pumpkin into the batter and ended up with something resembling spiced orange drywall. It turns out, you only need one cup, and once I figured that out, this became my go-to easy pumpkin waffle recipe from scratch. If you want something that smells like a candle shop but actually tastes amazing, you are in the right place. Here is exactly how I do it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Crispy outside, soft inside. Whipping the eggs means these actually get crispy instead of turning into dense pumpkin bricks.
- No separating eggs. You just whisk them vigorously, saving you from the misery of fishing eggshells out of whites.
- Actually tastes like fall. We are heavy-handed with the spices because a bland pumpkin waffle recipe is a tragedy.
- Freezer-friendly. Make a double batch now and aggressively shove them into your toaster on a chaotic Tuesday morning.
Tools You’ll Need
Nothing fancy, I promise.
- waffle maker Kind of non-negotiable for waffles. Mine is cheap and gets the job done.
- Large mixing bowls. You need two, which means more dishes, but trying to cram everything into one bowl is a recipe for flour all over your counter.
- Whisk. To aggressively beat the eggs until they are frothy, giving your arm a decent morning workout.
Ingredients
For the Waffle Batter
- 2 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour – Spoon and level it so you do not end up with dry waffles.
- 2 teaspoons baking powder – Check the expiration date unless you want flat discs.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda – Works with the baking powder for maximum lift.
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon – Because pumpkin without cinnamon is just a sad squash.
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice – The MVP of autumn baking.
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger – Adds a little kick.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt – Enhances all the other flavors.
- 3 large eggs – Room temperature if you can remember, but I usually forget and just run them under warm water.
- 1 cup pumpkin puree – NOT a whole can. Do not make my mistake. Also, make sure it is plain puree, not pie filling.
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter – Melted. You can use oil, but butter tastes better.
- 1/4 cup brown sugar – Packed. The molasses flavor is crucial here.
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup – The real stuff, not the corn syrup in a plastic bottle.
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract – Essential for baking.
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk – Room temperature. Whole milk gives the best texture.
For the Optional Maple Pecan Topping
- 3/4 cup pecan halves – Toasted pecans are infinitely better than raw ones.
- 1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup – Warmed up with the nuts.
How To Make Pumpkin Spice Waffles
Plug in that waffle iron and let’s make your kitchen smell better than a bakery.
- Preheat your gear: Preheat the waffle maker on medium-high and set your oven to 200°F (93°C) with a wire rack inside. Keeping them warm in the oven is crucial unless you want to eat in shifts while staring at each other.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, and salt. If you skip whisking this first, you will end up biting into a pocket of pure baking soda later, which is a terrible way to start a morning.
- Beat the eggs: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs vigorously for 1-2 minutes until frothy. Do not skip this arm workout; whipping air into the eggs is the only thing standing between you and dense, heavy waffles.
- Mix the wet ingredients: Add the pumpkin puree, melted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and milk to the frothy eggs, mixing until combined. Be careful not to splash milk out of the bowl.
- Combine wet and dry: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet bowl and mix on low speed just until they come together. Some small lumps are totally fine—if a few chunks survive, that is between you and the bowl, nobody else needs to know.
- Cook the waffles: Grease the waffle maker, pour in about 1/3 cup of batter per well, and cook for 5-6 minutes until crisp. Do not overfill the iron unless you enjoy scrubbing baked-on batter out of tiny crevices.
- Make the topping: Toast the pecans in a skillet over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes, then turn to low and stir in the maple syrup until warm. Pecans go from toasty to burnt in about four seconds, so do not walk away to check your phone.
♥ The Misfit Tips!
- Whip those eggs. Skipping beating the eggs once produced incredibly dense waffles, so taking two minutes to whip air into the eggs counteracts the heaviness of the pumpkin puree.
- Check your spices. Ground spices lose their punch after about six months, and using cinnamon from 2018 makes these crispy pumpkin spice waffles for fall taste like dusty cardboard.
- Do not overfill the iron. Pouring less batter than you think you need prevents burnt batter from leaking into the crevices, since it spreads out when you close the lid.
Make it yours
- Chocolate chip version. You fold mini chocolate chips into the batter for a sweeter twist on this easy pumpkin waffle recipe from scratch.
- Apple cider version. You swap whole milk for reduced apple cider for a deeper fruit flavor in these fall breakfast waffles.
Perfect Pairings
These go perfectly with bacon, honestly, just a concerning amount of crispy bacon for a lazy weekend morning.
- A massive mug of black coffee balances out the sweet maple syrup.
- The maple pecan topping included below satisfies the urge to look fancy, since plain syrup is fine but toasted pecans elevate the whole experience.
How to Store
❤
- Fridge. Up to 3 days in an airtight container, though they will lose their crispness entirely and get a bit soft.
- Freezer. Let them cool completely, freeze flat on a baking sheet, then transfer to a zip-top bag for up to 3 months.
- Reheat. Popping frozen or refrigerated waffles straight into the toaster or toaster oven works best.
- Storage note. The maple pecan topping should be stored separately in the fridge and reheated gently on the stove or in the microwave.
Pumpkin Waffles
These pumpkin spice waffles prove that a genuinely impressive fall breakfast pastry can come together with nothing more than a waffle maker, two bowls, and a few pantry staples. This easy pumpkin waffle recipe from scratch relies on whipped eggs and proper preheating to avoid the dense, brick-like texture that ruins so many other pumpkin waffle attempts. Whether served with bacon or topped with maple pecans, these fall breakfast waffles earn a permanent spot in the regular rotation.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat waffle maker on medium-high heat. Preheat oven to 200°F (93°C). Place a wire rack on a baking sheet; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or whisk vigorously by hand), beat the eggs (do not separate them) on high speed for 1–2 minutes, until frothy on top. Add the pumpkin, melted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and milk, and whisk/beat on medium speed until combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk/beat on low speed until combined. Do not over-mix. Some small lumps are OK.
- Grease the preheated waffle maker (I use nonstick spray). Pour about 1/3 cup of the batter into each well of the waffle maker (or less if your waffle maker is smaller) and close the lid. Cook the waffles until crisp, about 5–6 minutes. (Follow the cooking instructions for your waffle maker.) Transfer the cooked waffles to the wire rack and keep warm in the preheated oven as you cook the rest. Repeat to cook the remaining batter.
- Meanwhile, as the waffles cook, make the optional maple pecan topping: Place the pecans in a saucepan or skillet set over medium-low heat. Toast the pecans for just about 4–5 minutes, stirring the whole time, because pecans can go from toasted to burnt in a matter of seconds. When they’re giving off a subtle toasty scent, turn the heat down to low and pour in the maple syrup. Leave it on the stove for just a minute, until the syrup is warmed through, and then remove from heat.
- Serve the waffles immediately with warm maple pecan topping, or your choice of toppings.