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
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 fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground 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, whipped cream…
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice 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 the remaining batter and serve with desired toppings. Leftovers will keep well in a sealed bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Pop individual waffles into the toaster until warmed through.
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.
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.
Can sweet potatoes be used instead of pumpkin?
I haven’t tried it, but it may work. Let me know what you think!
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!
Super easy & delicious, just like all your recipes Kate I doubled this & subbed 1/2c protein powder for the oat, and 2 flax eggs as I only had 4 eggs. Worked brilliantly and my 7yr old said they were the best waffles ever! Thanks so much.
You’re welcome, Toni!
These turned out so yummy! They are dense in a good way and crispy.
I’m happy you enjoyed them, Mae!
Thank you for this recipe. The waffles are delicious! I ground up my own organic oats and also added some collagen powder for extra protein. We had them with apricot preserves. My son loved them too!
Could I use buckwheat flour instead of oat?
Hi Nicole, that would require a different recipe as it’s not a 1:1 ratio.
Tried this recipe and came out good. Left out ginger and nutmeg cause thought I had. Substituted some oat flour with protein powder. Out of almond milk so used protein shake/milk. LOL Still was delish. Next time I will recheck my supplies.
I’ve tried a ton of pumpkin waffle recipes using only oat flour and this one is BY FAR the best! Followed the recipe exactly and they turned out great.
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Susan.
I wanted to love these, but found the texture disappointing. They were dense and not crisp at all. Too bad because the flavor was perfect.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love this.
Could these be made as pancakes?
I’ve made these twice and they are tasty and easy to make. But they are by no means healthy. Loaded with fat, especially saturated fat. I’ll probably make them again but I’m also gonna look for other recipes with better health character
Hi Kate, are there any options to make these egg free and still as yummy as when I make your cookbook oat waffles egg free? Pumpkin is the only way your oat waffles could get any better, we love all things pumpkin and all things cookie and Kate!
Hi Katie, I haven’t tested them, but a commenter said that flax eggs worked.
Can I use a different flour?
Hi Jess, I recommend this recipe as written, but I have several waffle recipes with different flours.
These turned out wonderfully- they’re dense but in a good way! The batter is thick but the texture ends up nice and soft. Flavor was perfectly balanced, not too “oat-y” or too sweet. I didn’t even add toppings I just ate mine straight from the waffle iron they were so tasty lol
Kate: I have a waffle iron that has baffled me from the start. I have tried using butter, olive oil, coconut oil and probably some others, to keep the waffles from sticking to the iron. Yes the plates are non-stick, but no matter which I use, the waffles stick. Is that because I don’t generally put any “grease” in the mix? Maybe? What suggestions can you offer?
Hi Adrianne, it could actually be excessive butter or oil that is impacting how much it sticks. This can be true of cast iron. It also could be because the temperature is too low, or you’re checking on them too soon. I hope that helps! If you need more information, you might try searching for tips with your specific make and model.