Spice up your mornings with these gluten-free pumpkin pecan waffles! Made with all the flavors of pumpkin pie but also with a healthy twist. This healthy pumpkin waffle recipe makes a great cozy morning brunch recipe or just an everyday healthy breakfast idea.
Made with actual pumpkin (and of course pumpkin spice!) and almond flour which means these pumpkin waffles are also grain-free, paleo, and allergy-friendly.
Boost your fiber and kick off your morning with an indulgence that's light, fluffy, and totally gluten-free!
These pumpkin pecan waffles use almond flour and coconut flour to reduce the carb count just a teeny bit and are the perfect way to indulge in a Sunday morning breakfast on a cool day.
Plus, they can be topped with your favorites to make them as decadent as you like.
Note: this blog post is sponsored by Starfrit! They were kind enough to send me a cast iron waffle maker so that I could bring to you a tasty, healthy waffle recipe!
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Waffles
The waffles contain quality ingredients for a healthy breakfast- which makes them ideal for kids (and one of my favorites as a Certified Nutrition Coach).
These gluten-free pumpkin pecan waffles:
- Are real-food based
- They’re light but filling
- The pumpkin waffles are grain-free and allergy-friendly
- They make a great lazy brunch of make-ahead breakfast
They come out light, fluffy and golden in color.
That said, you can also choose to crisp up the outside by letting them cook longer.
And the best part is that the inside is still light and slightly chewy (if that's your favorite texture you'll love these gluten-free waffles along with these high protein waffles too).
Ingredients You'll Need
Almond flour: keeping the gluten-free pumpkin pecan waffles light and loaded with healthy fats. Make sure to use blanched almond flour and not almond meal (learn the difference between them) to keep a smooth texture.
Coconut flour: a figure competitor's best friend because it's so low-carb but tastes like the real thing.
Arrowroot powder: this is what helps bind the ingredients together. Cornstarch will work interchangeably though.
Canned pumpkin puree: not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling which would amp up the sugar in the waffles.
Honey: all you need is a hint of sweetness for these waffles and using honey also helps with the texture of them too.
Seasoning: you can't make something pumpkin without pumpkin spice! The amount added is a great suggestion but if you're a lover, feel free to add an extra dash.
Baking powder: you do want to waffles to fluff up nicely so don't omit the baking powder.
Eggs: if there is coconut flour there is eggs! The two go hand in hand to both bind the recipe and help it rise.
How To Make Them
- Pre-heat the waffle maker.
- In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Whisk in the eggs, melted coconut oil, pumpkin, and honey together until smooth.
- Pour into the bowl of dry ingredients and combine.
- Stir in the almond milk. Let sit for 3-5 minutes for the coconut flour to absorb.
- Portion the waffle batter out into four waffles in the Heritage Rock Waffle Maker.
- Close the lid fully and let cook for eleven minutes.
- Sprinkle with more pumpkin spice, top with your favorites, and enjoy!
The Type of Waffle Maker You Use Matters
These paleo pumpkin pecan waffles were made in a Heritage The Rock Waffle Maker courtesy of Starfrit.
I've slowly been transitioning more and more tto using cast iron cookware. This was one of the reasons I was so eager to try out the Heritage Waffle Maker! Cast iron waffles stay hot and they’re much easier to clean.
Plus, I don’t have to worry about any of the coating wearing off into our food.
Another perk of the Rock Waffle Maker is that the waffle molds themselves are large and one inch deep. Instead of having to make batch upon batch with mini waffle molds, this waffle maker gives you exactly what you want: large, indulgent, perfect every time waffles.
For someone who has never used a waffle maker in their life, the Rock Waffle Maker from Starfrit has been a breeze to learn.
Can You Freeze Them?
In short: yes!
I wanted to test out healthy waffle recipes was because I wanted to make a few batches for school mornings and freeze them!
We’ve both saved leftovers in the fridge as well as made extras and frozen them and both have worked.
Just as you would freeze pancakes (our favorite being peanut butter banana pancakes), make sure to separate the pumpkin pecan waffles between parchment paper so that they don’t stick together.
When you’re ready to use them, pop them into a toaster for a couple of minutes to re-crisp (or a toaster oven) and you’re good to go!
It’s with busy mom life in mind that make-ahead breakfast was created! Indeed, we’re just happy that the waffle recipe can be on a regular weekday rotation!
The Best Toppings
What you top the paleo pumpkin pecan waffles with is completely up to you!
However, some favorites are:
- Classic maple syrup
- More pumpkin spice
- 2-Minute Coconut whip
- Melted butter (dairy-free) if that's your thing
- Homemade, dairy-free caramel sauce
- Almond butter, maple syrup, and pecans to make a decadent brunch
In fact, it simply depends on what kind of breakfast you want to have! A speedy and basic one or a decadent brunch on a chilly winter morning.
Important Teaching Tips
- make sure to let the pumpkin pecan waffles mixture sit for a few minutes after mixing the ingredients together. This will allow the flour to absorb the liquid
- Take caution to use almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal will have a grittier texture.
- Pair them with a slow cooker pumpkin spice latte for maximum fall indulgence.
Fast, crave-worthy snacks that hit your protein goals (without tracking or extra cooking time).
Frequently Asked Questions About Pumpkin Pecan Waffles
This happens when you mix the gluten-free batter but don't let it sit for a few minutes before mixing again and pouring. Gluten-free flours absorb liquid but it takes a few moments. If you pour out half the batter into the waffle iron and then the rest sits, the second batch of waffles will be denser.
Unfortunately, you can not sub in regular or gluten-free flour in place of almond flour in this waffles recipe. This is because almond flour doesn't absorb or bind like traditional flour. If you used regular flour the waffle batter would come out much more doughy and too thick.
It's the egg yolks that help hold the waffles together and in conjunction with baking powder help rise the waffles and make them fluffy. Though egg whites will help with this a little, the texture of the waffles would be altered.
Other Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes
- Berry baked protein oatmeal
- Dairy-free breakfast casserole
- Oatmeal baked apples
- 18 Make-ahead breakfast ideas
- Gluten-free blueberry bagels
- Protein bagels
- Overnight cookie dough protein oats
- Easy, gluten-free bagels
- Chocolate chip protein powder muffins
- High protein pancakes
- Yogurt protein pancakes
- Blueberry protein oatmeal
- High protein snack recipes
- Healthy breakfast recipes
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pecan Waffles
Video
Equipment
- Starfrit cast iron waffle maker
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour blanched
- 1 tbs arrowroot powder
- 2 tbs coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ⅓ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbs coconut oil measured solid then melted
- ½ cup almond milk
- ⅛ cup honey
Instructions
- Pre-heat the waffle maker to high and grease. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave.
- In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Whisk in the eggs, coconut oil, pumpkin, and honey together until smooth. Pour into the bowl of dry ingredients and combine.
- Stir in the almond milk. Let the waffle batter sit for 3-5 minutes for the coconut flour to absorb.
- Portion out four waffles into the Heritage Rock Waffle Maker. Make sure there's no thin spots.
- Close the lid fully and let cook for 11 minutes (if you like your waffles crispy, cook for another five minutes).
- Open the waffle maker and use a silicone spatula to remove the waffles. Pour any remaining batter to make the last waffle and repeat cooking instructions.
- Top with your favorites and enjoy!
Notes
- make sure to let the mixture sit for a few minutes after mixing the ingredients together. This will allow the flour to absorb the liquid
- Take caution to use almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal will have a grittier texture
- The waffles come out fluffy and light after 11 minutes. if you prefer your waffles crispy, cook them for an additional five minutes.
- Top with your favorite coconut whipped cream, melted butter, or homemade caramel sauce.
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
Keep your mornings indulgent but fueling with these gluten-free pumpkin pecan waffles. This recipe makes a tasty addition to your fall breakfast lineup.
Use them for busy weekday mornings or a lazy brunch. Loaded with real-food ingredients these healthy pumpkin waffles come out light, fluffy and allergy-friendly.
Heather
I have always been curious what the difference between blanched almond flour and regular almond flour, now I know.
yum, these sound delicious and I have breakfast for dinner on the meal plan this week so we're going to try these out, in my waffle stick pan.
fitasamamabear
Omg breakfast for dinner is my favorite haha. Yes! I used the almond flours interchangeably for years but there were issues, I finally looked up why and now I like to tell everyone lol
Vladka
These looks really delicious, my kids are crazy about waffles. I am glad I can serve something healthy for their breakfast.
fitasamamabear
My kids are newfound waffle addicts too haha so having some healthy ones on hand is a life saver!
Laura
These look absolutely delicious!! Love that they’re gluten free, can’t wait to try them😊
fitasamamabear
Thank you so much! Haha yup, gluten-free is a necessity around here
Kaylee
You had me at "pumpkin" and "waffles"! 🤣 This recipe looks delicious! I used to make something very similar, but I haven't in several years because I've found it hard (and expensive!) to source organically grown almonds and almond flour. I absolutely love using almond flour - so sad that it's such a highly treated crop. But, if/once I track down some good, clean almond flour, I will have to give this recipe a try!
fitasamamabear
Haha right? Perfect combo lol Ah I can understand that, the one I purchase isn't organic and it's STILL alarming how expensive it is. Have you checked out Wildly Organics? I don't think they have blanched but they do have almond flour (and other awesome stuff)
Lamia
Sounds delicious.
Will definitely give it a try!
fitasamamabear
Hope you enjoy them!
Colleen
These look so good and I love that they're gluten-free. I know they will be a hit at my house this weekend. Thanks for sharing!
JustineCelina
Okay -- these look absolutely incredible! It's just about time for me to put pumpkin in ALL THE THINGS and I've bookmarked this recipe for weekend brunch. Thanks so much for sharing!
fitasamamabear
Haha they turned out amazing. I think we've eaten six batches already so I'm actually almost over pumpkin season already 🙁 They make such a tasty freaking brunch though- enjoy!
Sabrina
These are so good! I made a batch and stored them in a bag after fully cooled. They were perfect to pop in the toaster each morning for a healthy breakfast that tasted like a treat. Thanks!
fitasamamabear
You are so awesome, thank you for giving them a try! They definitely give breakfast a more indulgent feel but they're super light. So happy you enjoyed them!
Kristen
I keep saying it’s too early for pumpkin, but not when you’re talking yummy waffles! These are delish.
fitasamamabear
Haha I was saying that too! It's getting cool here not though so I'm on board. And... waffles haha
Cynthia Priest
Do you have a nut free alternative to almond flour? My sons’ preschool is nut free. Love the idea of pumpkin waffles!
fitasamamabear
I don't have one written down but I did do a nut-free alternative when trying them. I can easily play around in the next few weeks with one if you like! if you send me your email (if you don't want to drop it here, email me at fitasamamabear@gmail.com with the subject Waffles Rock) and I can email it over manually when I finish it!
fitasamamabear
I sent you an email with a nut-free recipe!
Ash
Yum
Linda
This sounds amazing!
fitasamamabear
They're a tasty one!
Jeannie
we use maple syrup and enjoyed it as vegan pumpkin waffles its super tasty!
fitasamamabear
Yay!! Maple syrup is a staple in our house too lol did they still hold together properly? If so, I'll make a note for everyone!
Luca
They look so good. My partner and I are crazy about waffles and these turned out amazing!
fitasamamabear
Haha waffles are LIFE. I freeze them for the kids so we just have to pop them in the toaster- such a simple breakfast!
Elizabeth Swoish
So delicious and way better than storebought mixes! Thanks for the great recipe!
fitasamamabear
Yes! Store-bought are yummy... but nothing beats homemade!
Julia
My family love waffles and these sound really wonderful. I can't wait to try them. Plus, it's never too early to start eating pumpkin !
fitasamamabear
It is DEFINITELY not too early lol enjoy!
Allie
Made these waffles for the kids last weekend...and they loved it!! We are already on the pumpkin kick even though its not September yet. We topped it with a little whipped cream and it was a delicious brunch!
fitasamamabear
Wahoo! it's always a hit when the kids approve lol
Jade
so delicious! adding this to my fave waffle recipes.
fitasamamabear
Happy to hear it!
Mandy
I looked at this recipe a few days before I was going to make it and it persuaded me to take the plunge and get the cast iron waffle maker, and I love it! I made way too many waffles and now have a good stock in the freezer.
fitasamamabear
Cast iron makes such a difference, I don't think I could ever go back!
Lisa
I had family over the weekend who don't eat gluten so I made these paleo pumpkin waffles for breakfast. They were a huge hit!
fitasamamabear
Amazing!
Julianne
These were absolutely delicious! I could honestly eat these year round and I love that they were low carb, so they fit nicely into my diet!
fitasamamabear
Haha same here, we make them all the time!