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This Gluten Free Pumpkin Waffles Recipe is going to be the star of the breakfast or brunch table! Fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and full of pumpkin flavor these waffles are a cinch to make and always a hit.
Subtly sweet and perfectly spiced, these waffles are dairy-free, Paleo, and so good you’d never guess they’re made without flour!
Gluten Free Pumpkin Waffles
These gluten-free and paleo Pumpkin Waffles are the real deal! This recipe has been on Lexi’s Clean Kitchen since 2015, and they have been made hundreds of times by so many! Fluffy and delicious, they’re made with simple ingredients and perfect for any morning, especially a fall morning.
These gluten-free waffles use my trusty blend of almond and tapioca flour as the base. We use this blend for a lot of our recipes like blueberry crumb bars, healthy carrot and zucchini bars, and gluten-free Thin Mints! Not only it it is simple and versatile, but it and creates Paleo-friendly recipes that are just like the originals in both taste and texture.
Guess what else I love about this recipe? It’s freezer-friendly. Make a double or triple batch now and have waffles for a quick morning breakfast. It’s a lifesaver!
With the upcoming holidays, you are going to want to keep this recipe at the ready. This is such a great breakfast or brunch idea to serve a crowd! Our recipe serves four. However, it can easily be doubled or tripled. Add your favorite toppings, and this recipe is guaranteed to be an instant favorite.
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
*Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and ingredient list!
- Spices: Pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt add the perfect touch of warmth.
- Eggs: Adds structure, helping the waffles hold their shape. We haven’t tested this recipe with egg substitutes, and can’t guarantee your results if you do.
- Pumpkin Purée: Use homemade pumpkin purée or store-bought options. Just make sure to use pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling!
- Pure Maple Syrup: Adds sweetness and a rich, maple flavor.
- Vanilla Extract: To enhance the rest of the ingredients and add a subtle vanilla taste.
- Almond Flour and Tapioca Flour: The combination allows for soft, fluffy waffles with a crisp exterior. We do not recommend using other flours for this pumpkin waffles recipe!
- Baking Powder: Make sure it’s fresh, or your waffles won’t rise!
How to Make Gluten Free Pumpkin Waffles
- Prepare: Before you begin, preheat your waffle maker according to the appliance instructions. We want it to get nice and hot!
- Whisk: Add the wet ingredients to a large bowl, and whisk until smooth.
- Incorporate the dry ingredients: Add both flours, baking powder, and spices to the bowl of wet ingredients, and whisk to combine.
- Cook: Grease the heated waffle iron with cooking spray, coconut oil, or melted butter. Pour the batter into the center, and cook until the waffle is lightly golden.
- Repeat: Transfer the waffle to a plate, and repeat, greasing the iron, and cooking the remaining batter.
Tips for Success
- Avoid overmixing. Be careful not to overmix the batter, or your waffles will be dense and tough. Whisk just until the batter is smooth. It’s okay if a few lumps remain!
- Allow the waffle iron plenty of time to get hot. The key to crispy waffles is to allow plenty of time for the waffle iron to heat. To test it it’s ready, flick a bit of water onto the griddle. If it sizzles and evaporates, it’s hot enough to cook. If not, wait a bit longer.
- Keep the waffles warm. If you’re making a large batch, transfer cooked waffles to a baking sheet in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit to keep them warm while you finish cooking.
Topping Ideas
Personally, I think this gluten free pumpkin waffles recipe is flavorful enough to serve on its own, but you can never go wrong with toppings! Some great options include:
- Chopped Nuts
- Maple Syrup
- Butter
- Pumpkin Butter
- Peanut Butter or Almond Butter
- Whipped Cream
- Fresh Fruit
How to Store and Freeze
Pumpkin waffles make for a great meal prep option! Allow them to cool completely. Then, follow the tips below to keep them fresh.
- Refrigerator: Transfer waffles to an airtight container or sealable bag, and store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Flash-freeze the waffles on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once hard, transfer them to a sealable bag or freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To Serve: Reheat fresh or frozen waffles in a toaster or toaster oven just until heated through. You can also pop thawed waffles in the microwave, but they won’t be as crisp!
FAQs
The most common reasons waffles come out soggy are overworking the batter and not using a hot enough waffle iron. Be sure to whisk the ingredients just until no streaks remain, and don’t rush the cooking process!
Some people like to let their waffle batter rest to help create fluffier, crispier waffles, but I don’t find it necessary with this recipe.
Some waffles have a doneness indicator, which tells you your waffles are done cooking. However, you can also just watch for the batter to stop steaming, and check for doneness. If the waffles are golden brown they’re ready to eat!
More Delicious Waffle Recipes To Try
- Gluten Free Mini Waffles with Apple Cinnamon Topping
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Waffles
- Ham and Cheese Waffles (Gluten-Free)
- Gluten-Free Pancake and Waffles Mix
Watch the video:
Gluten Free Pumpkin Waffles Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup 98 grams almond flour
- 1 cup 120 grams tapioca flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
- High heat cooking spray we use avocado oil spray, for waffle maker
- Pure maple syrup for serving
- Grass-fed butter or pumpkin butter for serving
Instructions
- Preheat a waffle maker according to the appliance instructions.
- Whisk together the eggs, pumpkin puree, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a large bowl until fully combined.4 large eggs, 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add in the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt whisk to combine.1 cup 98 grams almond flour, 1 cup 120 grams tapioca flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, pinch salt
- Spray the heated waffle iron with a high heat cooking spray (we use avocado oil). Following the directions for your waffle maker regarding batter quantity and cook time, pour in the batter and cook the waffles until cooked through and lightly golden. Remove, and if needed transfer to a low oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.High heat cooking spray
- Serve the waffles hot and garnish with butter (or pumpkin butter) and maple syrup.
Notes
- Refrigerator: Transfer waffles to an airtight container or sealable bag, and store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Flash-freeze the waffles on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once hard, transfer them to a sealable bag or freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To Serve: Reheat fresh or frozen waffles in a toaster or toaster oven just until heated through. You can also pop thawed waffles in the microwave, but they won’t be as crisp!
Nutrition
I don’t usually comment on recipes, but these are the best paleo waffles I’ve ever had. It turned out perfect and tasted amazing. You can’t tell it’s paleo or gluten free. Great recipe and one I will definitely be keeping. Thanks!
I am so happy you loved! Made my night.
This recipe has been added into our family’s rotation. It is perfect! Because I tire of pumpkin spice quickly, I also experimented with homemade apple sauce (it’s thicker than jarred). Amazing! It worked so well! You can omit the maple syrup, as apples have their own sweetness, and use apple pie spice or plain cinnamon. I then used homemade apple butter to top. Wow, what a nice alternative! Thanks for the great recipe!
These are the best pumpkin waffles and you can’t even tell they’re gluten free! I will be making them year round!
LOVED these! So easy to make and you can’t even tell that they’re gluten free. 4 stars because I don’t think the nutrition info is correct – the recipe makes 4 servings and calls for 4 eggs. 1 egg alone is about 70 calories so it doesn’t add up that 1 waffle would only have 81 calories. Please update the nutrition facts for the macro tracking folks 🙂
This is the best Gluten Free Pumpkin Waffle I ever made! It is a staple at my house! Thank you so much for creating this recipe! Yes, making a double batch is an excellent idea!
I just made these waffles and they are amazing!!! I would highly recommend this to anyone that loves pumpkin and waffles! I am so glad that I have found Lexi and her recipes!
These turned out fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, as promised. Great use of all the extra pumpkin cans I had in my pantry. Will make again!
I’m curious if you can make these without the pumpkin or would it mess it up completely?
Use applesauce! But they won’t taste like pumpkin waffles!
These are perfection! Thank you for the wonderful fall recipe.
I’ve been making this recipe since 2016! I’ve subbed Greek yogurt for the pumpkin puree and added wild blueberries. It’s also wonderful with banana puree and broken walnuts. The waffles bake up so fluffy. They remind me of cake doughnuts!
I make these on repeat every fall. Even the husband who doesn’t really like pumpkin spice flavored things loves them. Better tasting than gluten filled diner waffles and without the guilt!
Seriously so good! Glad they’re a hit in your home too 🙂
can the batter be frozen or put in fridge overnight?
Fridge overnight.
First of all, my daughters cannot stand Paleo waffles. They ADORED these! So much so, that they wanted me to leave a review. I have never had Paleo waffles that were indistinguishable from standard, and these passed as wheat flour waffles. I have a Belgian Waffle Maker, and quadrupled the recipe to get eight waffles in total. Perfect intro to fall, which we start celebrating in August 😉 Thank you, Lexi!
This is my favorite paleo waffle recipe by and far and I’ve tried a lot. I literally make it once a week and keep a bunch frozen to get us through. I recently subbed some of the pumpkin for mashed banana and added beetroot powder instead of all the pumpkin pie spices and it was a huge hit with my sassy 2.5 year old. Pink waffles for the win.
These look amazing! Definitely adding these to my waffle recipes! Also, what kind of waffle iron do you use?
These were AMAZING!! My two kids, husband and I devoured them. 🙂 We topped them with plenty of Kerrygold Butter and Organic Maple Syrup. Lexi, seriously some of the best waffles I’ve ever tasted, well done!!
I love this recipe! Also is great using 1/4 cup Greek yogurt instead of the pumpkin, blueberries, and some fresh lemon zest (skip the pumpkin pie spice).
You could use your pumpkin butter recipe instead of syrup on these
Of course. Toppings are optional.
*didn’t come out crunchier
I made these and they were amazing! But mine didn’t come on firmer.. My family prefer a crunchier waffle.. What am I doing wrong.. Plus mine seemed thicker than the picture… Still amazing just wanted a few tips on what I could be doing wrong… ?