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These Pumpkin Spice Waffles are almost like eating dessert for breakfast. But, I won’t tell, if you won’t. And, they come together in just minutes, making them perfect for a cozy morning whenever the temperature dips outside.
Pumpkin Waffles
If you celebrate all things pumpkin the way that I do in the fall, then these pumpkin waffles are going to start your day just right. They’re basically what you would get if a pumpkin pie and a Belgian waffle met in a Hallmark movie, watched the leaves change colors, and then started making more waffles. Delicious, fragrant baby waffles.
Just made these. Turned out fantastic…nice and crisp on the outside and fluffy in the inside!!
I’ve made a LOT of different waffles over the years. I’ve perfected my Belgian waffle recipe. There are too many sweet and savory variations to name. And, there isn’t a fruit that I haven’t tried to incorporate into the mix.
I first tried my hand at a pumpkin-flavored waffle because I was inspired by the pumpkin muffins my family has loved for years. My boys devoured this whole batch just as soon as they were off the waffle iron. And as a result, this has become a fall breakfast favorite with my family.
More often than not, I serve these waffles with my grandmother’s vanilla waffle sauce. the hint of nutmeg in it pairs beautifully with the pumpkin spices. But, you could also make a brown sugar butter syrup with wonderful caramel flavor.
Pumpkin Spice Waffles
Let me confess that there are members of my family who do not love pumpkin spice. There may be some slight eye rolling at the advent of each pumpkin spice season. I’ve even heard a sigh or two when they see me making my custom pumpkin spice mix.
But, even my child, who often wishes that pumpkin spice had never become a thing, will gladly tear through a batch of these pumpkin spice waffles. Clearly, they’re in denial, right?
This pumpkin waffle recipe is so simple and tasty, it just works. You can use all of the same toppings and syrups you would with a regular Belgian waffle. What’s not to love?
Want super cute waffles?
If you’re wondering how I made these cute waffles, I simply use my square waffle iron and don’t fill the squares all the way to the edges. It makes for a better-looking waffle that always makes me smile.
And if you don’t much care how your waffles look or you prefer a square waffle? Just fill each squares completely. It’s as easy as that.
If you make waffles often, and for more than a few people, a double-sided waffle iron is priceless. I love mine and it effectively cuts the cooking time in half when you can bake two big waffles at a time. Definitely a win on a lazy weekend morning.
If you frequently make waffles with the intention of freezing them, this square waffle iron might be for you. The size is perfect for freezer waffles and it makes (4) 4-inch waffles at a time. All 4 will fit perfectly in a gallon-size freezer bag or alternatively, each 4-inch waffle fits perfectly in a sandwich bag. So, this waffle iron is a win for freezer waffles however you plan to store them.
When you’re making waffles for a crowd, set your oven to 200°F. Place a half sheet pan topped with a wire rack in the oven. As the waffles finish in the waffle iron, place them in the oven. The wire rack will allow air to circulate and the waffles will stay warm and crisp on the outside.
Pumpkin Breakfasts
These waffles aren’t the only way to enjoy pumpkin spice at the breakfast table. And, I’m not even talking about a latte. Pumpkin breakfasts are a thing, and these are absolutely worth a try.
I love the simplicity of pumpkin pie oatmeal. With all the flavors of pumpkin pie stirred into a steaming bowl of oatmeal that gets topped with whipped cream, I think you’ll love it, too. This is probably our favorite fall oatmeal.
You can also make a baked oatmeal with pumpkin. It’s become a tradition that we eat this for breakfast on Thanksgiving. I love that the texture is so different when it’s baked, almost cake-like, with a custardy bottom, but not so sweet.
Cake-like, you say? Well, pumpkin coffee cake is the perfect bridge between breakfast and cake. It starts off as a sour cream coffee cake, and then is layered with creamy pumpkin filling. I like to enjoy it with a mug of coffee while I greet the sunrise in style.
I guess I also have to point out that you CAN just eat dessert for breakfast. And, if you’re inclined to do so (like me!) then my pumpkin cheesecake pie is waiting in your future.
Pumpkin Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1½ cups buttermilk or this buttermilk substitute
- 3 eggs
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour*
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice mix
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter melted
*Gluten-Free Alternative
- 1½ cups brown rice flour
- ⅔ cup tapioca starch
- ⅓ cup potato starch
Instructions
- Preheat your waffle iron. Whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, and the buttermilk until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, and brown sugar. Stir until smooth. Stir in the melted butter.
- Pour batter onto the hot waffle iron and cook until crisp and browned. Serve with the toppings of your choice. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally posted 10/11/13 – photos and recipe notes updated 10/17/25}
I can smell those lovely waffles cooking from here!!! And the vanilla sauce is just an added bonus!!
P.s… how about this cooler weather?? So nice to finally feels like fall around here!!
I'm in HEAVEN with the cooler weather! I bet you are freezing on your morning runs now. This is my favorite time of year here in the valley.
OK, we really need to get my pumpkin spice butter together with these waffles!
Waffle sauce you say? I'm intrigued!
Gorgeous pics and sooooo putting me in the mood for breakfast even though I just finished lunch 🙂
Can you use this receipe and make pancakes instead of using a waffle iron?
I haven't tried it myself. You might need to increase the flour slightly, but it should work. I have pancakes on the menu for this week, so I'll let you know!
That was my question as well. Let us know how it turns out!
What a perfect recipe for a fall morning!
It took me years to do it, but I FINALLY got a waffle iron. I know what I'm going to make with it next! 🙂 These look incredible!
Mary this looks like heaven. Love the flavors. And of course, love YOU! Fantastic as always.
What a wonderful inticing sweet treat for breakfast. Really must put a waffle iron on the Christmas List.
I'm not totally gluten free but try to limit the amount of wheat I eat. These look divine!
Hi Mary,
We made your amazing waffles tonight for supper. The boys loved them!
Thank You for all you do! You add so much to my meals. Thank You!
Hi Mary……..interesting recipe. Never try using brown rice flour to make waffle. Thanks so much
Need, want, love!! Now just find me a waffle iron with removable grates so I don't have to clean it lol and I'll be set!
I am going to have to give these a try!~ I still love your vanilla waffle sauce – it looks absolutely delicious on these beautiful waffles.
Just made these but only substituted the flour with gluten free flour and left the rest of the recipe as is. Turned out fantastic…nice and crisp on the outside and fluffy in the inside!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the waffles, Sandra.
I followed the recipe. The batter is super thick and this yielded the worst waffles. What a waste of ingredients. Something is definitely off. You’ve been warned. Notice: most comments are from people that haven’t made the recipe.
Without being in your kitchen with you, it’s hard to guess exactly where this went wrong for you. Did you by chance substitute any ingredients? What exactly made them “the worst?” More info along those lines would help. This is a thick batter, but it’s supposed to be. The waffles turn out fluffy with crisp edges whenever I make them, I’m sorry to hear that wasn’t your experience.
Excellent waffles, I will be remaking, but did need a couple of tweaks.
As a side note- I was craving pumpkin waffles but chose this recepie specifically after reading the August 2025 review, I dislike overly rude reviews (even when it’s not my recepie) so these were 100% spite waffles and to satisy my curiosity on if the person or the recepie was the issue 😂
To start, I made the recepie pretty much as listed and followed the steps in order. I did use the buttermilk substitute (milk + vinegar) and a 1:1 sub of gluten free flour. I also added a teaspoon of vanilla, and a spoonful of white sugar as I know I like my waffles sweeter and with a mix of brown+white sugar.
What I liked: Recepie is simple, makes a good amount of waffles, and they had a good texture. They also fluffed up very nicely during the cooking process and didn’t overly deflate afterwards
What I had to tweak: The batter is VERY thick, like hold a DQ frostie upside down level thick, so just be aware. If you’re using a Belgian waffle maker that batter may be right but for my mini waffle maker it was too thick so I ended up having to add milk to thin it out a bit. Once I got the right consistency (it only took 2 test waffles) they were delicious and next time I make the recepie I’ll probably start off with 2 cups flour instead of 2.5 to avoid having to add regular milk afterwards to thin
Batter consistency aside a lot of the flavor for this waffle is going to come down to your pumpkin pie spice mix, so make sure you like the one you have as every brand varies in ingredients/ratios. I make my own as I prefer a little less ginger and to use both cloves & allspice.
Easily 4 star waffles, not a waste of ingredients or “the worst” at all, thankfully issues like batter being too thick are relatively easy to fix as you just add liquid a little at a time until its right. I imagine they’ll be 5 stars once I make them a couple more times and tweak to my exact preference
Awe! Thank you so much for the spite recipe test. I love that! And that’s a great tip about Belgian vs thinner waffles. I couldn’t figure out what might have gone wrong, but I’ve been making Belgian style waffles for so long, that didn’t cross my mind. I appreciate the fix!