Let’s hear it for fall!
Fall and waffles!
Fall, waffles, and homemade goodness and spicy flavors that create the best autumn breakfast ever.

Frozen waffles…whatever.

I used to have a thing with frozen boxed brand waffles. Popped in a toaster, drizzled with artificially sweetened and flavored syrup, and lovingly dolloped (more like slathered) with butter – that was a breakfast of dreams. My how things change. Have you ever looked at the ingredient list of a brand name frozen waffle? My friends, it is not pretty, and it looks a little something like this: enriched fiber-less white flour that sends your blood sugar levels soaring to the sky, some mixture of incredibly refined and not so delicious vegetable oils noted to raise ‘bad’ HDL cholesterol levels, junky preservatives, extra gunk, and good old yellow #5 and yellow #6. These waffles don’t need yellow coloring. They have orange; thanks to real pumpkin.

Real pumpkin, that’s right: it’s pumpkin season. Cue the pumpkin spiced hysterics! As a fall lover myself, I’m all head over heels in love with pumpkin and perfectly OK with the pumpkin madness that ensues this time of year. Pumpkin is my autumn dream, and one of my favorite ways to dose up on vitamin goodness as the weather starts to become chilly. Notably, pumpkin is packed with beta-carotene, an antioxidant that converts to Vitamin A in the body, which you totally knew by its vivid color! Vitamin A is incredibly important for vision, bone growth, and a properly functioning immune system. In fact, Vitamin A deficiency is associated with weakened immunity and an increased risk in developing contagious diseases. This is why it’s so important to reach for Vitamin A-rich foods, like pumpkin and squash, in cold and flu season to keep your immunity sparkling. Pumpkins are also a good source of Vitamin C, another immune booster, as well as Vitamin E, potassium, copper, folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and fiber as well.

These waffles are a total treat, and so much better than the frozen boxed impostors. They’re packed with plenty of digestive loving fiber, thanks to the oat flour, pumpkin, and flax. Spices like cinnamon and ginger boost circulation and promote warmth in the body, while nutmeg and cloves take the spice factor to a whole new level.

Warming spices + seasonal pumpkin + fiber filling oat flour + creamy almond milk + all of the best autumn toppings = a pumpkin spiced waffle dream!

Spiced Pumpkin Waffles

Makes 4 large waffles

1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons warm water)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
½ cup pumpkin puree
½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
2 tablespoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ cups oat flour

Method:

Prepare the flax egg first. In a small bowl combine ground flax with warm water and stir to combine. Allow to sit and thicken, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl whisk together almond milk, pumpkin puree, ACV, flax egg, vanilla, maple syrup, coconut oil, spices, sea salt, baking soda, and baking powder to form a smooth batter. Add in oat flour and whisk well to combine. The batter should be thick and smooth without any lumps.

Allow batter to sit while you preheat your waffle iron.

Pour ½ cup batter into well oiled (coconut oil spray is great) waffle iron. Cook according to waffle iron directions, but typically 5-8 minutes until waffle edges are crispy. Remove waffle from iron and serve immediately or pop in a 200 F oven to keep warm. Continue with remainder of batter, oiling iron between each waffle.

Serve with desired toppings and enjoy!

Nourishing Notes:

-If you don’t have oat flour, simply add 1 ½ cups rolled oats to a food processor and blend for about 40-60 seconds or until oats resemble fine flour.
-If you are concerned about a gluten allergy – please make sure to purchase gluten-free rolled oats or gluten-free oat flour. Oats themselves are naturally gluten-free, but often are processed in a plant that handles gluten as well, which risks a chance for contamination.
-These waffles are delicious served with coconut yogurt, coconut cream, walnuts, maple syrup, grass-fed organic butter, ghee, or almond butter.
-These waffles freeze great! Simply freeze in single layers and pop in the toaster when ready to eat!
-Although I’ve never tried this personally, I suspect this batter would make yummy pancakes as well.
-Don’t do flax eggs? A regular organic egg will substitute perfectly.