Healthy pumpkin waffles
Healthy pumpkin waffles are fluffy on the inside with an irresistible crispy edge on the outside. They’re whole wheat and naturally sweetened for a delicious warm and cozy fall breakfast treat!
Yield: 6 large waffles
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose or white whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ⅓ cup melted butter (or vegetable oil)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub honey)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat your waffle iron.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, pumpkin puree, melted butter, maple syrup and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined and no flour streaks remain. Don’t overmix the batter. It’s OK to have a few lumps.
- Pour the batter into your waffle iron. See your manufacturer’s instructions for how much to use for each waffle; mine is about ½ cup of batter per waffle.
- Cook according to your waffle iron’s directions and remove when they are finished. Repeat with remaining batter.
- Serve with butter, maple syrup, fresh fruit or any of your favorite waffle toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
Flour: I use white whole wheat flour (which is a completely whole grain but has a lighter texture and flavor than regular whole wheat). You could also use whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour if you prefer. Or a mix of those, which I’ve also done.
Maple syrup: I use maple syrup as my sweetener - since we’re going to drizzle some on top to serve them - but you can also use honey or sugar. I’ve done all of these ways and they all turn out great.
Butter/oil/applesauce: Our favorite is using melted butter in the batter for these waffles, as written in the recipe below, but you can also substitute vegetable oil. If you want to cut some fat and calories, you can swap out the butter for applesauce. While it loses some richness, it definitely works and still tastes great. Or try ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt in place of the butter - that works too! (Just make sure you whisk it in well with the other wet ingredients so you don’t have any lumps that might make a sour pocket in your waffle.)
Dairy-free/vegan: Use an alternative milk, such as soy milk, rather than a dairy milk. Substitute vegetable oil or applesauce for the butter. Use a flax egg in place of the regular egg.
Leftovers: Waffles can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. After they are made, let them cool down and then place in a ziptop plastic bag or covered container.
Waffles freeze great too! Place in a freezer bag, that’s been labelled and dated, and freeze for up to 5 months.
I let them thaw overnight in the fridge and then pop them in the toaster to help them warm up and get crispy again.
If you need to heat them directly from frozen, it helps to microwave them for 20-30 seconds to defrost them, then put them in the toaster to get them warmed through and get that crispy exterior again.
Nutrition
Serving: 1large waffle | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 456mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g
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