Homemade pumpkin waffles that are made with fresh pumpkin, pumpkin spices, yeast and white whole wheat flour. Allow to rise in the oven slowly overnight for a fluffy waffle with incredible flavor.
The best smell in the air in the fall has to be whatever pumpkin recipe I am making that day.
Made with fresh pumpkin of course, no canned!
For breakfast I have made pumpkin french toast sticks and oatmeal inside of a pumpkin.
But what I think tops the list for pumpkin goodness in the morning has got to be pumpkin waffles.
You don’t need to head to the frozen section for these waffles. Homemade waffles are the best. And really they are not hard to make. You could even make them and freeze them for later.
How to Make a Fluffy Pumpkin Waffle?
Despite the heaviness of the pumpkin and the use of white whole wheat flour, these waffles come out fluffy because of two things:
- Time
- Patience
Yes, I know those sound boring, but let me explain.
Make These Overnight Waffles
I have experimented with replacing the baking powder with yeast. The results were a waffle that still plenty of lift when cooking. Not to mention the yeasty flavor they now possessed.
Time comes into play as you have to wait for the yeast to do it’s thing. However what’s the best way to wait for something. Slept til it’s time.
I made these waffles at night and let them chill out in the fridge til morning. In the cold temperature the yeast will do it’s thing but it will take a lot longer. More time for flavor to develop!
Beat the Egg Whites for a Fluffy Waffle
The patience comes in because I am asking you to add another step to the waffle making process.
Instead of just throwing the eggs into the batter, I want you to separate the yolks and the whites. Take those egg whites and beat them with a hand mixer until you got stiff peaks.
The whole point of this is to lighten up the dough by adding in air. What’s lighter than air?
Trust me, this works every time to produce a fluffier waffle.
Important note – make sure you gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter so not to undo your hard work.
Your patience will be rewarded.
Don’t Overmix Your Waffle Batter
DO NOT overmix your mixture.
Got it!
Good!
When water and wheat flour come together, gluten is formed. Good for crusty loaves of breads, bad for waffles.
Mix enough to just combine. I don’t care if it’s not perfect looking and there is some lumps, or a little bit of flour on the outside of the bowl. Resist the urge to over mix!!!!!
Use the Freshest Spices You Can
Try and use the freshest spices you can. Whole spices, ground just before use offer the best flavor.
Use a spice (coffee) grinder to grind whole cloves and cinnamon sticks.
I also like to buy whole nutmeg and grate it with my Microplane Grater/Zester. The ginger you can buy preground or you can use fresh ginger, just go easy, it can be strong.
How to Cook the Pumpkin Waffles
Let me show you what to do when it’s time for the batter to meet the iron.
For my Cuisinart waffle iron, I use 1/3 cup of batter per waffle. You may need to test out how much you need for your iron.
Is the waffle NOT a complete circle or square? Then add more batter the next time. Is the waffle coming out of the sides of the iron? Do less batter next time.
Before every waffle I rub the waffle iron down with butter. This does two things:
- Prevents sticking
- Promotes browning
Once the green light comes on I add it to the middle and spread it a little bit before closing.
The light on my waffle maker turns green when done. It’s a pretty good indicator.
To remove the waffle I like to use an offset spatula. Helps me get the waffle off quickly and makes it easy to put on a plate.
You can keep your waffle warm by placing them in your oven on it’s lowest setting. Try not to stack them thought or they won’t stay as crisp on the outside.
Recipe Alternatives
Here some alternative options you use for ingredients in this recipe.
White Whole Wheat Flour –> All Purpose, Regular Whole Wheat Flour, Gluten Free Flour, Oat Flour
- I like using the white whole wheat flour as it has a bit milder flavor than regular whole wheat flour. You can use any of these other choices with excellent results.
Instant Dry Yeast —> Baking Powder
- My original recipe called for 4 teaspoons of baking powder. If you are making the waffles right away, then use baking powder instead of the yeast.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Overnight Pumpkin Waffles
These homemade fluffy pumpkin waffles contain yeast and rise in the fridge overnight.
Ingredients
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- 4 eggs separated
Instructions
-
Combine flour, yeast, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of milk. Add to that the pumpkin puree, melted butter, and egg yolks and mix to combine.
-
In a separate bowl, place the egg whites. Beat with a mixer until the whites form stiff peaks.
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Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture. Mix together until the ingredients are just combined. Do not over mix.
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Gently fold in the whipped egg whites.
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Cover and place in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.
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Set your waffle iron to it's highest setting. Rub the waffle iron with butter (before each waffle).
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Ladle in about 1/3 cup of the batter and cook for about 2 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Should make about 8 waffles depending on the size of your waffle iron,
Recipe Notes
To make the waffles right away (without yeast)
Use 4 teaspoons of baking powder instead of the yeast. Make the batter just as instructed and cook it right away instead of putting it in the fridge.
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