Vegan Pumpkin Waffles Recipe
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The best pumpkin waffles recipe made with whole wheat pastry flour and good for you pumpkin puree, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. No eggs, no oil, homemade from scratch and cooked until fluffy and crispy. ‘Tis the pumpkin season!
Vegan Pumpkin Waffles
Step into fall with these vegan waffles made with delicious pumpkin puree, vanilla and all the classic flavors of fall: cinnamon, nutmeg, a drizzle of maple syrup, and why not go all out with a scoop of our apple fie filling on top for Thanksgiving?! Better than your favorite restaurant, a must try fall treat.
You can say goodby to that prepackaged waffle mix with this easy, from scratch, fool proof recipe.
The Pumpkin Puree
I prefer to use organic canned pumpkin here as it is always consistent. You could certainly roast your own and mash it well, just make sure it is a thick mash /puree, not runny as to not alter the batter too much. You could use different varieties from butternut squash, kabocha to honeynut, honestly you could certainly even swap it for sweet potato in which case you’d be making sweet potato waffles.
About the Whole Wheat Flour
To be more exact, I used whole wheat pastry flour which is a fine ground lower protein flour milled from white soft wheat. I love it as it produces lighter baked goods in general but still nutrient dense.
Recipe Tips + FAQ
- Brown Sugar – Light brown, organic, lightly packed, don’t use too much by packing the cup.
- Can I use this waffle mix to make pancakes instead? – Absolutely, just pour a ladle of the batter onto a flat cast iron griddle or skillet and cook until you notice little bubbles forming on the surface. Then flip and cook an extra couple of minutes, do not press on the pancakes or they won’t be fluffy.
- How about almond flour? – I would not recommend this substitution in the recipe. I have tested it and they were quite messy and a pain to work with. There will be a separate recipe for gluten free almond flour waffles in the future, or update this post as I keep testing.
- The Cashew Milk – Simple good for you homemade is best as it doesn’t have any thickener or added anything. However, any plant milk you normally stock in the fridge will work just fine here and you could even use water.
- Vanilla – Just because everything is better with a little hint of vanilla flavor. In spite of popular belief “so vanilla” is actually a very complex flavor profile that makes everything it touches a little lux.
- Baking Powder – Don’t skip it, this is what makes the waffles get fluffy.
- Fall Spices – You’ll see I used similar ingredients as in pumpkin pie spice: cinnamon, nutmeg, a little ground ginger, you can even add some allspice (about 1/8 tsp) but I didn’t.
- Topping Ideas – Go healthy with fresh blueberries, raspberries or blackberries, toasted pecans, pepitas, peanut butter anyone?! Or indulge a little with some candied walnuts, Nutella, vegan caramel sauce + a scoop of our homemade apple pie filling.
- The Waffle Iron – So many options out there. I used All-Clad Classic Round on the #7 setting because I like my waffles crispy. And although the cast iron plates are non-stick I still had to do a light spray (or bush) of olive oil to prevent sticking.
Make Ahead + Freezing
This is a great recipe to be made ahead. Cool each waffle on a cooling rack, then they can be individually frozen in freezer proof bags. To reheat just pop in the toaster oven for a few minutes until heated through and crispy again.
Pumpkin Recipes
- Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- The Best Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Crunch Cake
how to make vegan pumpkin waffles
Vegan Pumpkin Waffles
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree
- 1.25 cups cashew milk (or your favorite plant milk)
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1.25 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (light not packed)
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon + more to taste
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger (optional but good if you have some)
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and baking powder.1.25 cups whole wheat pastry flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- Make a well in the center and pour in the cashew milk, vanilla and pumpkin puree. Whisk everything together until combined and there are no lumps left.1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree, 1.25 cups cashew milk, 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat your waffle maker /iron to your desired setting. ( I used All-Clad classic round waffle maker on #7 setting because I like mw waffle crisp).
- Once your waffle maker is ready make sure to lightly spray or brush both the top and bottom plates with a light layer of olive oil. I do this although the plates are technically non-stick, it’s up to you).
- Pour 3/4 cup of batter in the middle of the plate, close the top (but do not lock) and watch your waffle lightly rise. Once you hear the done beeping sound your waffle is ready. Transfer to a cooling rack and repeat with the rest of the batter. I made 4 large waffles with 4 easy cut out sections you can tear and have 4 small waffles. Enjoy hot or freeze for later.
Notes
- Add Ins: 1/3 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup blueberries or blackberries.
- Can I use this waffle mix to make pancakes instead? - Absolutely, just pour a ladle of the batter onto a flat cast iron griddle or skillet and cook until you notice little bubbles forming on the surface. Then flip and cook an extra couple of minutes, do not press on the pancakes or they won't be fluffy.
- How about almond flour? - I would not recommend this substitution in the recipe. I have tested it and they were quite messy and a pain to work with. There will be a separate recipe for gluten free almond flour waffles in the future, or update this post as I keep testing.
- Make Ahead + Freezing - This is a great recipe to be made ahead. Each waffle can be individually frozen in freezer proof bags, then popped in the toaster oven for a few minutes until heated through and crispy again.
