Recipe: Gluten-free Pumpkin Waffles

Gluten-free frozen waffles do exist.  They are out there.  They are…okay.  But I’ve always wanted to make my own.  And thanks to a spur-of-the-moment Black Friday purchase, I now own a waffle iron.  So, this morning, I decided it was time to test it out.  And since it’s the season for pumpkin, and I had a big can of it on hand, I decided to whip up some gluten-free pumpkin pancakes for my roommate and I to enjoy before we go to the gym this morning.

It was a bit time consuming to put together, but the end product was divine.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Waffles

Servings: 5
Time: Prep 20 minutes; Cook 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1-1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warm (I used Smart Balance)

Directions:

Lightly oil the waffle iron with vegetable oil, and set it to the desired temperature.

Combine brown sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl.  Whisk together to break apart the cornstarch.  Add the remaining dry ingredients, and whisk to blend.

Separate eggs: yolks go in a medium sized bowl and whites get set aside in a smaller bowl.

Add pumpkin and milk to the egg yolks.  Whisk to blend and set aside.

Whip egg whites with a hand mixer on high until stiff peaks form (about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes).  Set aside.

Pour melted butter into the yolk/milk/pumpkin mixture.  As you pour, whisk to combine.

Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix them together until just combined.  A little lumpiness is fine because it will smooth out when the egg whites are added.

Slide the whipped egg whites out of the bowl and onto the mixture you just prepared.  Gently fold them in until no white bits are obvious.

Once the waffle iron is heated, you’re ready to pour the batter!  I placed 3/4 cup of batter in the center and spread it out with a knife before closing it up and allowing it to cook for 5 minutes.

Top with your choice of butter, syrup, fruit, etc.  Enjoy!

~*~*~

I was so thrilled to be making homemade waffles this morning.  And this recipe produced light, fluffy, pumpkin-flavored waffles that paired really well with my gluten-free syrup.  I was going to make my own syrup this morning, but I couldn’t do that many things at once.  So look for a syrup recipe in the next day or so.  But, these waffles were packed with flavor and the perfect way to start a Sunday morning off.  I encourage you to stock up on pumpkin while it’s easy to find and make up these one morning.  They freeze well and can be warmed in a toaster or toaster oven.

Tis the season for pumpkin-flavored things.  Tis the season for WAFFLES!