A homemade waffle batter with flavors of pumpkin and pecans, this pumpkin pecan waffles recipe will be a welcome morning treat any time of the year – but especially in the cozy months of fall! It is special enough for any occasion but also easy enough for slow weekend mornings. And let’s be clear – these pumpkin waffles are a gourmet breakfast treat. These waffles are for indulging and are, by no means, a healthy way to start the day. But they are sure a delicious way to start the day!
This delicious pumpkin pecan waffles recipe is one of many flavorful waffle recipes hitting the blog this year. Have you ever visited our banana nut waffles, strawberries waffles, chocolate chip waffles, birthday waffles recipe, or cinnamon waffles recipe? Find them linked at the bottom of the post!
With the temperatures dipping lower, all things pumpkin come to mind! And this breakfast idea does not disappoint!
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Ingredients for Pumpkin Pecan Waffles
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- brown sugar
- pumpkin puree – I always use Libby’s though any brand will work. Be sure to get puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- milk – I usually use 2% but you can also use whole milk.
- olive oil
- eggs
- melted butter
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
Substituting Nuts
Feel free to substitute the pecans for whatever type of nuts you have on hand or any favorite that you have. We all have our favorites! We tend to keep pecans in the kitchen at all times and walnuts maybe 25% of the time so pecans are what we often use. I have made this recipe with walnuts before, and it is great that way also!
For this recipe, I do not include nuts inside the batter. This is because some members of my family are anti nut people. Crazy, I know! Therefore, I make the addition of the nuts as the topping only.
Making Thick Waffles with Pumpkin Puree
This homemade batter will be thick. Don’t second guess yourself about this and attempt to thin it. It needs to be thick.
In a quality waffle maker, these waffles will bake up nice and fluffy into thick waffles which freeze well for later. The Hubs and I have been using our Cuisinart Belgian Waffle Maker for years now. It was a wedding gift that has been well loved and well used.
Tips for Great Pumpkin Pecan Waffles
- Cooking Spray is Optional – You may choose to spritz a bit of cooking spray to the waffle maker grids. However, cooking spray can lead to build up on your grids which then can interfere with consistent cooking of waffles. It is best to use a batter which includes a proper amount of oil. But this recipe does seem to go better when the grids have a bit of oil. You can either give a tiny spritz of spray or brush with a bit of the olive oil since you will already be using it in the recipe.
- Start in the Center of the Grid – When filling a waffle maker with batter, it is best to start with a small amount of batter in the center of the bottom grid and quickly spread the batter toward the outer edges with a rubber spatula. I like to use a 1/2 cup measuring cup. Do not overfill. Otherwise, the waffle batter may spill over the edges, making a mess on the outside of the waffle maker and on the counter.
- Keep An Eye on the Waffle Maker Temperatures – Keep an eye on the heat of the waffle machine. While many waffle makers use automatic timers for preheating and cooking, there are still some models out there that require a closer watch. Additionally, if you are making back-to-back rounds of these waffles, you may need to add or remove a bit of cooking time since the machine is heating for an extended period of time. Your machine might not put out as much heat after the third or fourth use. On the contrary, your machine might cook the last rounds faster after being turned on for a while. Keep a close eye so you don’t have overcooked or undercooked batches. I like to keep my waffle maker turned down to a lower setting (a 2-3) so as not to overbrown the waffles. These lighter color waffles can brown very easily.
Freezing Pumpkin Waffles
This pumpkin waffles recipe is going to make 16 waffles from a four-waffle griddle. You may be wondering how to freeze waffles so you can save the extras for later.
Freezing waffles is simple. Just let the extra waffles cool before sliding them into an air tight freezer container. I typically just stack mine in double stacks on a thick paper plate and then slide the plate into a gallon Ziplock bag. I label the bag and slip it into the freezer for up to three months. My girls love having these gourmet style waffles on a school morning!
Reheating Waffles
Now, you are probably also wondering how to reheat frozen waffles. It is easy to reheat frozen homemade waffles.
- Put frozen waffles in the microwave and heat for 1 minute and 10 seconds. Check to see if waffles are heated through. Continue heating in 10 second increments until ready. One minute and 20 seconds usually works well with our oven.
- Put frozen waffles in your air fryer and heat for three minutes at 375 degrees. Flip and heat for two to three more minutes.
- Put waffles in your toaster (make sure there is no garnish or syrup on the waffle) and toast on low heat for one to two minutes.
- Spray a cookie sheet with a bit of cooking spray and lay out frozen waffles. Heat in an oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. You may want to cover the tray with foil in the first 5-10 minutes to prevent the waffles from drying out. (This is my least favorite method as the other methods are so much faster and super simple!)
Homemade Pumpkin Pecan Waffles
Equipment
- 1 waffle maker
Ingredients
- 4 cups All purpose flour
- 1 tbsp Baking powder
- 1 cup Brown sugar
- 1 cup Pumpkin puree
- 3 cups Milk
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 4 Eggs
- 16 tbsp Butter melted (two sticks)
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- 1½ cups Pecans chopped
- ½ cup Powdered sugar optional
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, milk, olive oil and pumpkin puree using an electric mixer, beating for about 1 minute or until smooth.
- Add melted butter slowly.
- Add dry ingredients to the mixture. Continue whisking but do not overdo it. Batter will be a bit lumpy.
- Preheat waffle maker and brush the surface with a little bit of olive oil.
- Pour about ½ cup batter per waffle. Cook the waffle until crispy (usually until steam doesn’t come out anymore) for about 5-6 minutes. (The time depends on your waffle maker.)
- Serve warm with chopped pecans on top and dust with powdered sugar. Add other desired toppings like maple syrup or chocolate sauce.
Nutrition
More Breakfast Ideas from Planted in Arkansas
If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out some of our other delicious breakfast ideas!
English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich
Crispy Bacon on George Foreman Grill
Shirsty A
I love this recipe. It’s going to be perfect to make for my family’s Halloween party coming up.