Pumpkin Waffles

I woke up Saturday morning itching to make something with the pumpkin puree defrosting in the fridge. My first thought was to make pumpkin bread, or muffins with a tried and true recipe, but it just didn't sound as exciting. I thought about making pancakes, but M and I would probably rather have waffles when given the chance... so waffles it was. Pumpkin waffles. 

I remembered a recipe posted on Smitten Kitchen a while back and decided to give it a try. The result was pretty fantastic. They are not too sweet, and the taste and texture is much better than mix from a box. I was kind of amazed at the amount of waffles the batter made. I expected to get a few since there are two cups of buttermilk and flour, but I felt like I was cooking waffles for 30 minutes! Maybe my waffle iron is slow. I wouldn't doubt it. I did turn on the oven to keep them warm while they were cooking. A great trick if you are serving them for your family and you want to eat at the same time. But it was useless because M and I each ate only one belgian style waffle. 


The only change to the recipe was using pumpkin I roasted and pureed in the food processor instead of canned. I have nothing against canned pumpkin though, it is one of the best canned vegetables you can by since it has the least added to it. I also toasted a handful of walnuts to add to the top. I think the walnuts are a necessity. A delightful crunch to an already tasty bite. Since the batter made so many, I froze the rest and am hoping they will make a good quick breakfast when the need arises. 

Pumpkin Waffles
Smitten Kitchen recipe

2 1/2 C flour
1/3 C light brown sugar
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
6 T unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil for brushing waffle iron or cooking spray

1 T per waffle of coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted 

Preheat oven to 250°F and preheat waffle iron. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices. In another large bowl, whisk egg yolks with buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until combined.

In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment or using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks (they should fold over slightly when you remove the beater. Folk them gently into the waffle batter, until just combined.

Spray your waffle iron with cooking spray and and spoon batter into waffle iron, spreading quickly. For a 7-8 inch belgian waffle, I used 3/4 C batter. Cook in medium high heat until there is almost no steam escaping.

Transfer waffles to rack in oven to keep warm and crisp. Top with real Maple syrup and toasted Walnuts. 

To toast walnuts, spread them onto a cookie sheet and bake in your already heating oven for 10-15 minutes - or until fragrant. You can also spread them onto a skillet and toast over medium-low heat on the stovetop until fragrant and crisp. I like to taste them for doneness.