Whole Grain Pumpkin Spice Waffles
Spiced pumpkin waffles that are crispy on the outside & fluffy on the inside. This easy, gluten-free pumpkin waffle recipe's secret ingredient is oat flour!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
It sure looks like fall outside. The trees are lit up in yellow, orange and red and leaves are swirling around in the streets.
This year, like every year, I’m feeling conflicted about the falling leaves—simultaneously sad to see them go, but awe-struck by their blazing glory on the way down. Sweaters, scarves and holiday cheer will be here before we know it.
These gluten-free, oat flour-based pumpkin waffles are a fun breakfast for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas or any weekend from now until then.
These waffles freeze beautifully, too, so you might want to make a big batch and treat yourself to pumpkin waffles are busy weekday mornings. Just pop them in the toaster and you’re good to go!
These whole grain pumpkin waffles are a riff on my basic oat flour waffles recipe. “Basic” doesn’t begin to do them justice—these waffles are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, light but hearty, and hold me over until lunch time.
In other words, they are basically perfect. I know a few commenters who can back me up on that! It took me a few tries to get the ratio of liquid/fat/pumpkin just right for these waffles, but I finally nailed it with the version below.
Don’t worry if you don’t have oat flour in your pantry. You can easily make your own oat flour in a blender or food processor, like I did for these waffles. See my oat flour tutorial for details.
More Pumpkin Treats to Enjoy
- Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread or Healthy Pumpkin Muffins (both offer oat flour options, see gluten-free recipe note)
- Perfect Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes
View more pumpkin recipes here.
Healthy Pumpkin Spice Waffles
These delicious, gluten-free pumpkin waffles are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. This pumpkin waffle recipe’s secret ingredient is oat flour! You can easily make your own oat flour at home (check the recipe notes for details). This recipe yields 4 round, 7-inch Belgian waffles. Note: when I say “scant,” I mean just a couple teaspoons shy of the measurement listed.
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (200 grams) oat flour*
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice or cloves
- 3 large eggs
- Scant ⅔ cup milk of choice (I used plain, unsweetened almond milk)
- Scant ½ cup melted coconut oil or 7 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (122 grams) packed pumpkin puree
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Suggested toppings: more maple syrup, nut butter and/or toasted nuts, coconut whipped cream…
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and all spice or cloves. Whisk to combine.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Then add the milk, coconut oil or butter, pumpkin purée, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is thoroughly blended.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the oat flour mixture. Stir with a big spoon until just combined (the batter will still be a little lumpy). Let the batter rest for 10 minutes so the oat flour has time to soak up some of the moisture. Plug in your waffle iron to preheat now.
- Once 10 minutes is up, give the batter one more, gentle swirl with your spoon. The batter will be pretty thick, but don’t worry! Your waffles will turn out great. Pour batter onto the heated waffle iron, enough to cover the center and most of the central surface area, and close the lid.
- Once the waffle is deeply golden and crisp, transfer it to a cooling rack or baking sheet. Don’t stack your waffles on top of each other or they’ll lose crispness. If desired, keep your waffles warm by placing them in a 200 degree oven until you’re ready to serve. Repeat with remaining batter and serve with desired toppings on the side.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my gluten-free oat waffles recipe.
*Make your own oat flour: Simply blend old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats in a food processor or blender until they are ground into a fine flour. You’ll need to blend about 2 ¼ cups oats to make 2 ¼ cups flour.
*A note on gluten free oats: Be sure to buy certified gluten-free oats or certified gluten-free oat flour to ensure your waffles are gluten free.
Freeze it: These waffles freeze beautifully. Just store in freezer-safe plastic bags and pop individual waffles into the toaster until warmed through.
Recommended equipment: This fancy-pants non-stick waffle maker. I love that it has a large cooking surface, which means I can cook an entire batch of waffles with just two presses.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Could I sub applesauce or bananas for the maple syrup? Thanks!!
Hi Renee! You might be able to just replace it with additional pumpkin purée.
I just made these for lunch and they were great! I didn’t have ginger or nutmeg, so used the 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon allspice plus 1/4 teaspoon cloves. My husband, who doesn’t like pumpkin pie, said to keep making them this way because he loved them! Thanks, love all your recipes!
Perfect! Thanks, Rose!
Made these today for a Thanksgiving breakfast (Canada) and they were so good! My husband usually makes the waffles in our house with a standard white flour and sugar recipe so he was skeptical but agrees that this recipe is FAR better. The batter was thick and I had to spread it on the waffle iron, but they turned out crispy and fluffy and so filling! Thanks for your delicious recipes!
Yay, thank you, CC! I bet you both would enjoy my basic oat waffles, too—I definitely prefer those to standard waffles, too!
What a delicious recipe!
My husband’s everyday breakfast consists of oatmeal with walnuts, honey and fresh fruit – boiled egg on the side. This recipe is a fantastic substitute for all the ingredients.
Fun note: I used this recipe for the first batch of waffles using the Belgian waffle maker my husband and I received as a wedding present. The recipe was a perfect choice!
These are delicious! Next time I think I’ll add some more pumpkin but other than that they were a hit in my house!
Thanks, Susan! I’m not sure they’ll turn out quite the same with extra pumpkin (they might not be quite as crisp), but please let me know if you try!
Made these on the weekend. Had one for breakfast this morning with almond butter and Greek yogurt + tea. Amazing way to start the week!!!
Yay, thanks Deepthi! I always love your comments. :)
Forgot to leave a star rating
Ok, this has been on regular rotation at our house all fall. I use our homemade puree and it’s perfect. A couple tips:
1) You can make the batter the night before and the waffles come out great;
2) Add-ins like chocolate chips and/ or pecan pieces work great too;
3) I once added left over maple cream cheese spread from your carrot pancake recipe, and it was tasty;
4) Last time it occurred to me that since I was making the oat flour in the food processor, I could just dump all the dry ingredients in there and mix it at the same time. Very easy to do!
Thanks again Kate!
Thank you, Mik! Fantastic tips!!!
I substituted greek yogurt for the coconut oil/butter part and added chocolate chips and they came out great.
Had some Pumpkin in the fridge to use up, so I made these for brunch today! So tasty. A few changes: used some ground Oat flour in place of some of the flour, and swapped 1/4 cup of coconut oil with plain nonfat greek yogurt. Thanks for the recipe! Turned out perfectly – beautiful crunch on the outside, and soft and fluffy inside :)
Yes, excellent recipe, the Pumpkin GF waffles. Will definitely make again and again! Thank you for sharing.
I’ve tried this recipe twice now and it’s amazing!
The second time I only put about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of coconut oil and they still turned out really well :)
I just found this recipe searching online……It was wonderful…. and my picky, picky family loved it too (this includes my college age sons). I was a little skeptical after mixing it all together…. thought it might have a grainy texture, but it did not. Will certainly make these again. I’m in my mid 50’s and just now learning how to eat healthy….better late than never!!
This has become our Saturday morning staple! We look forward to it every weekend. Thanks for sharing such a yummy, healthy breakfast!
These look delicious. I can’t wait to try them. Can these be made in a Belgian waffle maker?
Yep, they can! I made mine with a Belgian waffle maker.
Will this work with regular white whole wheat flour?
Hey, Kate! I know this calls for oat flour but can I use whole wheat flour or would that totally change everything? I’m new to using different kinds of flour. These sound delicious!
Hey Brittany! That’s a good question. I haven’t tried, but it might work. You can make your own oat flour if you have old-fashioned oats at home (just blend it up until it’s a fine powder).
I followed this recipe exactly. How long should they take to cook in the iron? Mine has been in for over 5 minutes with no sign of crisping up.
Hi Katie, I’m sorry to hear that. I can’t remember how long they took, although they might take a while. I keep my waffle maker at the highest heat setting and usually leave them in well after the beep.
Hi Kate ~ I just had to tell you that your pumpkin waffle recipe was the first I clicked on when I did a google search for “healthy pumpkin waffles” (just got a new waffle iron). Your waffles were just what I was looking for. Had all the ingredients so I made them right away. And oh my goodness they were SO good. They turned out exactly they way I had hoped. :) Thanks SO much for sharing … Oh, and since we love nuts in our waffles I wanted to add them, but wasn’t sure if adding them to the batter would work or adding them once the batter was placed on iron would work (so I sprinkled them on top after plating them. Not the same). Have you tried them with adding nuts (pecans or walnuts) to the batter? Again, thank you for sharing. These will for sure be a favorite! :)
This is amazing! I definitely have to try making these! Thank you for sharing. <3
Hope you love them, Alice!
These look fantastic! I’m planning on including these in a pumpkin round up post next week :)
That would be great! Thank you, Heather.
I made these this morning to celebrate the star of my kids’ fall break. They were fantastic, and we all loved them, even my classic-buttermilk-waffles-only husband. Thank you!
Thank you, Colleen! I’m glad the waffles were a hit!
I’ve been looking for the perfect paleo pumpkin waffles recipe that doesn’t use nut flours or flours that are hard to find for almost 2 years with no luck, until now. I added a little bit more of the spices called for because my family likes a lot of spice but other than that I followed the recipe exactly. These waffles came out better than any other waffles I’ve ever had, even before going gluten free! Definitely a recipe I’ll make over and over again. Thank you!!!
Awesome! Thanks, Darrah! I bet you’d love my regular oat waffles and maybe the buckwheat waffles, too.
Whenever I want to make a special breakfast for my family, this recipe is always a part of our celebration. Thank you for showing me that healthy can also be easy.
That’s great to hear! Thank you, Amanda.
I was so happy to find this recipe. It is such a creative use of the oat flour and the spices really come through. texture was great! Great alternative to our usual Sunday breakfast.
Sound delish! Could you add ground walnuts to this? How much? Thanks! Look forward to making in the morning!
These are DELICIOUS! I’ve been searching for the perfect waffle recipe since I went gluten- and dairy- free two months ago, and these are the best I’ve tried by far!! Perfectly fluffy and crisp. Thank you so much, Kate! I’m so excited to be able to eat waffles again!!
I am a waffle fanatic and total pumpkin junkie but wanted to try a healthier version of the pumpkin waffle recipe I had used for years, so I gave these a try. Although they were pretty good, the liquid ratio was definitely off. The batter was so thick that I had to spread it on the iron with a big spoon. Very strange consistency that I’ve never experienced before, and I’ve made many varieties of waffles. They were so dense and thick that they didn’t soak up the added syrup when we ate them. They also did not have much flavor to me. I think it would help to separate the eggs and fold in the whites at the end, add more liquid (at least another 1/2 cup), use half whole wheat flour and half oat flour, double up on the spices, omit the syrup in the recipe and use brown sugar, and perhaps add a bit more oil. I did love the tip about cooling them on the baking rack I have never done this and it worked great!
I must say that I completely agree with you and Pred Fan above, the liquid ratio was way off, until I increased the liquid by about 1/4 c and added an egg, then they were tolerable. I do know that oatflour does absorb a lot of liquid(not quite as much as coconut flour) but even so… The waffles without the addition of more liquid came out super dry, heavy and dense. Carrie I agree with you, that they didn’t have as much flavor as I expected, so I also suggest at least doubling the spices. I will remake again, but this time trust my own judgement and adjust even more, like you suggest maybe switching out half the flour for something that doesn’t absorb as much liquid, I will also bump up the baking powder like Phred Fan suggested above, esp. since I’m sticking to gluten-free flours.
These came out well. I made these with one adjustment- separated the yolks from the whites. beat the whites separately to form stiff peaks which I folded in to the final batter. Came out light, fluffy and tasty and my kids loved it.
thanks for a great healthy option for waffles!
Can you substitute the eggs for flax eggs??
Hi, Kate! Can you clarify the amount of oat flour to be used? Is it 2 and 1/4 cup before or after blending the oats? You note that you will need to blend 2 and 1/4 cup of oats to make 2 and 1/4 cup oat flour, but that comes out to be much less.
Thanks!
DELICIOUS!!!!! just what the doctor called for after a day down with a head cold. not too hard to make, but not a quick premixed either. i used butter to keep the kids happy. this isn’t a “smooth” pancake, the blended oats add texture that makes it even more fall-ish. and i’m thankful you made note that it will be thick before cooking, because it is.
thanks!!!
These waffles look amazing. I love all waffles and will be making these tomorrow I’m sure they’ll be great. Thank you
Just made these…looked beautiful and taste is great but a little dry…..any suggestions
Try adding a little more milk.
Or pumpkin puree!
I had never made waffles before and decided to try this recipe. Let’s just say my very picky toddler loved it as much as the rest of the family! The second time I made this I added a tablespoon each of ground chia seeds and flax seeds. Yummy! Thank you so much for this recipe – it’s a smashing success with our family!
Thanks so much! I’m always happy to hear that I’ve pleased some picky kiddos :) It’s a badge of honor.
I purchased some discounted cans of pumpkin puree and needed ideas how to use them up. I came across this recipe and made it. I actually used a little over 1 cup of pumpkin but kept everything else the same. They turned out amazing!! My kids gobbled them up and the leftovers were even better the next day toasted in the toaster oven. Thank you!
Thanks so much, Anna – I’m so glad the whole family enjoyed it!
hi, can i make it with all purpose flour?
Hi Barbara, I’m sorry, I haven’t tried. Oat flour behaves a little differently. Please let me know if you give it a shot.
Love how healthy the pumpkin spice waffle recipe is! I was wondering if you could be more specific with how much batter to pour in waffle maker, heat setting, and how long to cook (maybe a rough estimate?). I attempted to cook the batter and had poor result. Well, the batter stuck to the griddle?? So, I ate what I could scrape off. Tasted great, anyway! Help!!
Hi Jenn, that’s so frustrating, I’m sorry! Instructing for waffle makers is tricky because various models differ in surface area and heat settings and non-stick capacities. I usually crank up my heat to about 75% or higher and pour in enough batter that it almost spreads to the edges before shutting (see photos). It’s really important to wait until you don’t see steam escaping from the sides to try opening the waffle maker—too soon, and the waffle will be delicate and might break apart as you lift it.
Hello kate, I love the pumpkin muffins so much that I eat them almost every day… I’m worried now becaue I heard a doctor saying that cocoanut oil is the same as lard. That freighter me. He also said it was bad for cholesterol, and I didn’t want to believe it because. I love cocoanut oil… I also wanted I ask you if they are fattening??? Thank you for your wonderful recipes… You are the best
Made these with butter, not coconut oil, and they came out a bit heavy and denser than I expected. Didn’t achieve the crispiness I was hoping for despite the recipe’s claims; next time I would butter the waffle iron first to try to remedy that. Great flavor though.
I’ve just read your waffle recipe and I’m going to try it soon. I can really appreciate that you have wheat free recipes that still include real eggs, milk, and butter.
looks amazing. i whipped these up for my breakfast tomorrow. i love to freeze them and then warm them in a toaster for breakfast with some yummy maple syrup! perfect for fall! healthy and delicious! love your recipes <3
I know I am beyond late but I just made these waffles like an hour ago. I’m about to post it on Facebook, Instagram the are that good. My husband says it’s the best waffles I have made and I make A LOT of waffles!! the are crispy on the outside and moist in the inside. This made my whole day! You got a follower in spades!
These were amazing!! My 5 and 7 year old boys helped me make these this morning, and they were such a hit! We will be adding these into our weekend breakfast rotation. Thanks for another awesome (and healthy) recipe. I love your site!
Five stars!!
This is a great fall recipe! I’ve been making this recipe now for a few years and am currently making a quadruple batch. Kids love them!
These are perfect. The batter is a bit thick but they cooked great in our (Belgian) waffle iron. We used a heaping 1/2 cup of batter per waffle. The pumpkin spices taste delicious. I used a little less than 1 tbsp of baking powder and they still were perfect. It’s great that you only need oats/oat flour for such a perfect breakfast. Thx for posting!
Wonderful you are enjoying this recipe! They are packed full simple whole grain goodness. Thanks, Amy for sharing and for your review!
Your recipes are awesome. Tried pumpkin muffins as well as pumpkin waffles and my picky 1 year old and husband both loved it. It’s healthy and taste, sometimes it’s hard to achive both!
Thank you, Agnes for sharing! So happy this recipe is enjoyed by all in your family. I really appreciate your star review :)
These were so good! I loved how moist they were – but 1 tbsp of baking powder seemed like a lot, and my waffles tasted heavily of baking powder. Any ideas?
Thank you, Victoria for your comment. It may be the type of baking powder. Next time, try buying aluminum free baking powder. That should help.
Could I substitute spelt flour for oat?
Hi Kathleen, spelt flour contains gluten whereas oat flour does not, which is to say that they will probably behave differently. I’d stick to oat flour, which I know works great. It’s super easy to make yourself with oats in a food processor or blender.