These fluffy buttermilk pumpkin spice waffles are adapted from Sarabeth's Bakery in New York City. Finished with a dollop of tangy sour cream and crunchy toasted pepitas, they're perfect when seeking a cozy fall or winter breakfast.
(This recipe was originally published in December 2015, but was updated with new photos and content in 2020).
If I had to pick between waffles and pancakes I would pick waffles hands down. I really love the little pockets that waffles have for holding syrup and other toppings. I also find they tend to just taste better in many cases even if the batters are quite similar in nature.
Sarabeth Levine of Sarabeth’s in New York City took the recipe for her famous pumpkin muffins and transformed it to make ethereal, seasonal waffles that put other pumpkin waffles to shame. They are super impressive yet easy to make, making them perfect for a holiday brunch menu.
A dollop of sour cream atop the waffles adds a bit of tang, while a drizzle of pure maple syrup offers a hint of sweetness. Chewy raisins and crunchy toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) round out the garnishes by adding some great texture to these soft and fluffy pale orange waffles.
Ingredient notes
- Pumpkin Puree: While you can certainly use homemade pumpkin puree for these pumpkin spice waffles, canned pumpkin puree is readily available and perfect for the purpose. It may also be labeled as solid-pack pumpkin or pure pumpkin. Do not use canned “pumpkin pie filling.” It contains additional ingredients and is not pure pumpkin.
- Buttermilk: In Sarabeth’s original recipe, she uses a combination of whole milk and cream, but I’ve swapped it out for buttermilk. The result is a tangy, tender buttermilk pumpkin waffle with a hint of aromatic spices. If you don’t have buttermilk you can use regular milk (as Sarabeth does) or use 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice with enough milk added to yield 1 cup to replicate the same tang you’d get with buttermilk.
- Butter: Whereas most waffle recipes use melted butter or oil, this recipe is quite unique. It begins almost like scones by actually cutting cold butter into the dry ingredients. You can do this in a food processor or by hand.
- Spices: Pumpkin spice is typically considered to be a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove or allspice. These buttermilk pumpkin spice waffles include the first three in that list. You can also tweak the spices to suit your personal preference if you desire.
How to make it
In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Toss in cold cubes of unsalted butter to coat with the flour mixture.
Then cut the butter in with a pastry blender or rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal (PHOTO 1). You can also pulse the cold butter into the flour mixture in a food processor. In a medium bowl whisk buttermilk, pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla until combined (PHOTO 2).
Make a well in the center of the dry mixture, then pour the wet mixture into the well. Fold with a rubber spatula just until the batter is combined. Don’t worry about lumps.
Heat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s directions. Lightly grease the waffle iron grids with clarified butter or oil. Using a dry measuring cup or ice-cream scoop, place the correct amount of batter in the center of the iron’s quadrants (see waffle iron manufacturer’s directions). Close the lid and bake until the waffle is crisp and golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
Transfer the waffle to a serving plate and serve immediately or place the waffles on a baking sheet in a single layer in a 200°F oven for up to 20 minutes before serving. Repeat with the remaining batter to make more waffles. Serve with the warm syrup, sour cream, pumpkin seeds, and raisins.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips and FAQs
To make ahead: make the dry mixture for these waffles and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 1 month. Then when you're ready to make the waffles, whisk together the wet ingredients and fold into the dry mixture. Proceed as instructed above.
Freeze leftover waffles by placing cooled waffles in air-tight freezer bags, separating each waffle with wax or parchment paper. Freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, place waffles on parchment paper lined half sheet pans in a preheated 350 degree F oven until heated through, about 10 minutes. They won't be quite as crisp, but they'll still be good.
This is the Belgian waffle maker that I use. It yields small rectangular pumpkin spice waffles. You can also make this recipe with a large round waffle maker. I yield about 10 small waffles with this recipe which amounts to about 2 to 3 waffles per serving. You'll yield a fewer number of larger waffles if making round ones.
Every waffle iron is different and it may take you a few attempts to perfect your waffle technique on a new waffle iron. Typically you’ll know that your waffle is done cooking when there is less steam coming out of the waffle iron, but check it periodically to be sure. If you wait until all the steam has stopped, you’ll end up with overcooked waffles. The waffles should be crisp and golden brown on the outside. Once you figure out your waffle iron the process is quick and simple.
A Belgian waffle maker has deeper pockets than an American style waffle maker. The texture is also typically lighter and crispier. You could make this recipe with either type of waffle maker, but in general I prefer Belgian waffle makers. The deeper pockets are excellent for filling with pools of syrup and other toppings.
Other recipes you may like
- Sarabeth’s Pumpkin Raisin Muffins
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Pie
- Disneyland Pumpkin Beignets
- Pumpkin Juice (from Harry Potter)
- Sarabeth's Apple Cider French Toast with Streusel
- Clinton St. Baking Co. Pancakes with Crunchy Bananas
- Sour Cream Orange Waffles
- Lemon-Ricotta Waffles with Blueberry-Citrus Syrup
- Gaufres de Lièges (Belgian Liège Waffles)
- Sarabeth's Strawberry-Peach Preserves
- Cold Brew Iced Coffee (to drink with it!)
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Buttermilk Pumpkin Spice Waffles with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- 2 cups (284 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and chilled
- 1 cup (255 grams) buttermilk
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) unsweetened canned pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- Seeds from 1 vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Clarified butter or vegetable oil for the waffle iron
- Warm pure maple syrup for serving
- Sour cream at room temperature, for serving
- Pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds) toasted, for garnish
- Raisins for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt to combine. Add the butter and pulse 15 to 20 times, until it is very finely chopped and the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a bowl and make a well in the center. (Alternatively, whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Toss in the butter to coat with the flour mixture, then cut it in with a pastry blender or rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make a well in the center.)
- In a medium bowl whisk buttermilk, pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Pour wet mixture into the well and fold with a rubber spatula just until the batter is combined. Don’t worry about lumps.
- Lightly grease the waffle iron grids with clarified butter or oil. Using a dry measuring cup or ice-cream scoop, place the correct amount of batter in the center of the iron’s quadrants (see waffle iron manufacturer’s directions). Close the lid and bake until the waffle is crisp and golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Transfer the waffle to a serving plate and serve immediately or place the waffles on a baking sheet in a single layer in a 200°F oven for up to 20 minutes before serving. Repeat with the remaining batter to make more waffles. Serve with the warm syrup, sour cream, pumpkin seeds, and raisins.
Notes
- To make ahead: make the dry mixture for these waffles and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 1 month. Then when you're ready to make the waffles, whisk together the wet ingredients and fold into the dry mixture. Proceed as instructed above.
- Freeze leftover waffles by placing cooled waffles in air-tight freezer bags, separating each waffle with wax or parchment paper. Freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, place waffles on parchment paper lined half sheet pans in a preheated 350 degree F oven until heated through, about 10 minutes. They won't be quite as crisp, but they'll still be good.
- The amount off batter you will need for your waffle maker will vary. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for recommendations. My rectangular waffles require about ⅓ cup batter per waffle for best results.
- I have a Belgian-style waffle maker that yields small rectangular waffles. You can also make this recipe with a large round waffle maker. I yield about 10 small waffles with this recipe which amounts to about 2 to 3 waffles per serving. You'll yield a fewer number of larger waffles if making round ones.
- A Belgian waffle maker has deeper pockets than an American style waffle maker. The texture is also typically lighter and crispier. You could make this recipe with either type of waffle maker, but in general I prefer Belgian waffle makers. The deeper pockets are excellent for filling with pools of syrup and other toppings.
- Typically you’ll know that your waffle is done cooking when there is less steam coming out of the waffle iron, but check it periodically to be sure. If you wait until all the steam has stopped, you’ll end up with overcooked waffles. The waffles should be crisp and golden brown on the outside.
- Adapted from Sarabeth’s Good Morning Cookbook
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
Anoush
Yum! I will definitely make this once I get my waffle maker for Christmas.