Pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices are the defining flavors of fall and they are incorporated into a wide variety of desserts all season long. These Pumpkin Waffles are crisp, tender waffles that offer a delicious way to bring some pumpkin to the breakfast table on a cool fall morning. They’re full of warm spices and smell amazing when they’re baking on a waffle iron. The best part is that the waffles – while they are impressive enough for a crowd – are easy enough to make that you can whip them up on short notice to treat yourself!

Pumpkin brings a lot of moisture into a waffle recipe and that can result in a soggy waffle. These waffles are crisp because they use just the right amount of pumpkin to bring in a good pumpkin flavor, but not so much that your waffles will become soggy the moment you take them off of the waffle iron. The pumpkin puree is balanced out with buttermilk, which gives the batter a nice consistency and keeps it from getting too heavy. Plenty of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon is added to the mix to compliment the natural sweetness of the pumpkin.

The number of waffles you’re going to get from this recipe will vary based on the waffle iron that you use. I used a Belgian-style waffle iron, which I like because it produces waffles with deep pockets for holding syrup and a lot of surface area to crisp up. Belgian waffle irons tend to take more batter than flatter waffle irons, so you will likely get more waffles from a flatter iron. Those flatter irons also produce waffles that are thin enough to fit in the toaster to reheat if you have leftovers! What all this comes down to is that these waffles will be good no matter what style of waffle iron you use, so don’t hesitate to give them a try just because your iron looks different than mine.

These waffles should be baked on a lightly greased waffle iron until they are crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. They tend to produce quite a bit of steam due to all the moisture in the batter, so be careful when opening your waffle iron! The waffles should be served as soon as possible after cooking for best results, though you can pile them up on a cooling rack for a few minutes before serving (to keep them from getting soggy) or pop them into a warm (300F) oven if you need to hold them longer than a few minutes.

Pumpkin Waffles
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled

Preheat your waffle iron while you make the batter.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices and sugar.
In a large measuring cup or a medium-sized bowl, whisk together buttermilk, pumpkin puree, vanilla and eggs until smooth. Pour into flour mixture and whisk until no streaks of flour remain. Pour in melted butter and whisk until completely incorporated.
Use a 1-cup measure or a large spoon to scoop batter into the waffle iron, lightly greased if your iron requires it. Cook as directed by your machine (mine beeps when waffles are done, taking 3-4 minutes).
Serve immediately, with butter and maple syrup.

Makes 4 Belgian-style waffles

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