Crispy Pumpkin Pecan Waffles
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
For a long time my kids had exactly one position on pumpkin. No pumpkin, ever, the worst vegetable there is, repeated often and with no evidence whatsoever. These pumpkin pecan waffles are the recipe that turned that around, and they now call it their favorite way to eat pumpkin.
My oldest daughter makes them herself now, minus the pecans, because she wants the soft texture without the crunch and doesn’t even consider toasting nuts in a pan to get it the extra flavor that I like. Both versions cook the same way, so leaving them out costs you nothing.
The bread machine pumpkin bread goes the same way in my house now. We did a side-by-side comparison with my 4-ingredient banana bread and the pumpkin one ranked higher. Seems like pumpkin is here to stay now.
Most weekends these are just breakfast. I also make them ahead on purpose, because they freeze and toast back up well enough to turn a Saturday batch into a school morning. That’s why a batch here is bigger than what we sit down and eat. If you’re cooking your way through the season, keep going with the rest of my fall recipes.
How It Comes Together
I’ve made this batter enough times since to know it’s supposed to look thicker than you expect. It should be closer to gooey than pourable, thick enough that it mounds a little when it lands on the iron instead of running straight to the edges. That thickness gives you the crisp outside and the soft middle. There’s still a range, though. It shouldn’t be so stiff you have to push it into the corners, and it shouldn’t pour like pancake batter.
Mix the wet into the dry only until the streaks are gone. A few lumps are fine. A smooth batter usually means you’ve worked the flour, and those waffles come out dense. The pecans fold in at the end.
Scroll to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list, measurements, and step by step instructions.
Ingredient Notes
Pumpkin puree. The whole recipe is built on this, so buy one you actually like instead of whatever’s cheapest on the shelf. Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which already has the spices in it. I usually make my own, but the recipe is written for canned because that’s what most people have.
Pumpkin pie spice. Two teaspoons, and it does most of the flavor work here. When I’m out of my favorite from Mountain Rose Herbs, I make my own with a lot of ground cinnamon, some ground ginger, and a little ground cardamom and ground clove, all eyeballed. It gets close enough to work, but isn’t as good. Pumpkin pie spice brings a warmth and a depth my in-a-pinch mix doesn’t, so if you have the real thing, use the real thing.
Melted butter, not softened. Softened butter stays in pieces when it hits cold milk and eggs. Melted disperses into the batter, and it gets you the crisp edge you would get from oil without giving up the flavor you wanted butter for in the first place. I paused over this the last time I made them, because the two usually feel like a trade.
Pecans. Half a cup, chopped. Raw pecans work. If you want more out of them, toast them in a single layer at 300°F for 5 to 6 minutes and let them cool first.
Substitutions
Chocolate chips. A handful of mini or regular chocolate chips in place of the pecans, or with them, makes a sweeter waffle.
No pecans at all. Leave them out and you’ve got pumpkin waffles, which is how my oldest makes them. The batter doesn’t change and neither does the cook time.
What I’ve Learned Making This
A quarter cup of batter fills a mini waffle iron. That’s what I use when I’m making a batch ahead for the kids, because the smaller size matches what they actually eat.
I usually make my own pumpkin puree. It’s ridiculously easy, just boil the pumpkin and blend it. That’s the whole process. However, the waffles don’t suffer for using canned and it’s pretty convenient.
Toasted pecans taste more like themselves than raw ones do. Raw still works. Skipping them altogether works too, which I learned by being overruled at my own table.
Storage and Reheating
Cool the waffles completely first, or they’ll steam themselves soft. Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Reheat straight from frozen in a toaster, or for 3 to 4 minutes in a 350°F oven.
What to Serve with Pumpkin Pecan Waffles
Whipped cream, warm maple syrup, and a few extra pecans is what the recipe is built for. Top your plate with these and you’re good to go.
They also hold up next to eggs and breakfast sausage, which cuts the sweetness. A spoonful of slow cooker applesauce does the same job, and it needs no attention while the waffles cook.
Pecan Pumpkin Waffles with a Crisp Edge
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 3 large eggs whisked
- 1 ½ cup milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream for serving, optional
- ½ cup maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks, cover, and refrigerate until serving. This is optional but easier to do first than after the waffles are off the iron.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and melted butter in a separate bowl.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over mix; a few lumps are fine. Fold in the pecans.
- Preheat the waffle iron. Spray with cooking spray if needed, then cook according to the manufacturer's directions.
- Serve with the whipped cream, additional pecans, and maple syrup.
Notes
- The batter is meant to be thick. If it pours like pancake batter, it’s gone too thin.
- Mix only until the streaks disappear. A smooth batter makes dense waffles.
- Melted butter, not softened. Softened butter will not disperse into cold milk and eggs, and you lose the crisp edge that melted gives you.
- Raw pecans work. For more flavor, toast at 300°F for 5 to 6 minutes and cool before adding.
