Pumpkin Pie Waffles

I have a love-hate relationship with my waffle maker. It’s easily the least utilized appliance in my kitchen, but not because I don’t enjoy waffles. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I remember going out to breakfast as a kid and thinking it didn’t get any better than a Belgian waffle topped with strawberries and whipped cream. I’ve come to love other breakfast options equally, but waffles are still pretty high on the list and while the frozen store-bought variety will suffice in a pinch, homemade (as usual) is better. The only problem is that because I only break my waffle maker out about once a year, I still haven’t mastered the darn thing. I’m still cleaning up overflow mess from filling the wells too much, and more often than not, my waffles are undercooked.



Sometimes it's worth the effort, though, and it definitely was for these pumpkin pie waffles. I opened a giant warehouse-sized can of pumpkin recently and I wanted to branch out and try something other than cookies, cupcakes, muffins or quick breads. Waffles won in a toss-up with pancakes (though I'll probably make those before long too) and this recipe is a winner. It's packed with pumpkin flavor as well as warm fall spices. There is rum in the recipe but it's very subtle in the waffles; if I hadn't known it was in there, I probably wouldn't have been able to pick it out. I topped my first few with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and festive sprinkles because I happen to think waffles are a really good dessert option! Though, I guess I could also eat them like this for breakfast. One of the perks of being an adult - no one to tell you you can't eat ice cream with breakfast :)

Pumpkin Pie Waffles
adapted from Williams Sonoma

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk (I used 1%)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat your waffle iron. If you want to make all of the waffles before serving, preheat the oven to 200 F and set a wire rack inside of a rimmed baking sheet in the oven (to keep them warm).

Melt the butter. Set aside while you make the batter.

Whisk the pumpkin puree, both sugars, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl until well combined. Use a rubber spatula to stir in the flour, baking powder and baking soda. The batter will be really thick and tough to combine, just mix until the ingredients are mostly incorporated. Whisk the milk, sour cream, eggs, rum and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Pour over the pumpkin mixture and whisk until combined (the batter may have a few lumps, that’s fine). Use a rubber spatula to fold in the melted butter.

Spray your waffle iron with nonstick spray. Fill the wells of the waffle iron and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions (mine took about 5 minutes). Serve with butter and maple syrup, vanilla ice cream or any other topping of your choice! (Transfer the waffles to the wire rack in the oven to keep warm if not serving immediately.)

Yield will depend on size/shape of your waffle iron