Gluten-Free Pumpkin Waffles
Published
Pumpkin season always means waffles in my house, and these gluten-free pumpkin waffles are one of my favorite ways to start the day. They’re fluffy inside, perfectly crisp outside, and filled with warm pumpkin spice flavor. Whether you’re making them for a weekend breakfast or a cozy fall brunch, they’re quick to whip up and always disappear fast.
It’s me again. Here I am making more! My son is just the biggest fan of your pumpkin waffles. Thank you for this recipe! You’d think I’d have it memorized by now 😜
– Harmony
In the fall, I always stock up on pumpkin puree so I can make whatever my heart and my family craves. Some mornings it’s fluffy gluten-free pumpkin pancakes, other times it’s these crisp and cozy pumpkin waffles. They’re made with simple ingredients and come together in no time. Oh, and did I mention clean up is a breeze?
This recipe is completely gluten-free, with simple swaps to make it dairy-free or even egg-free, so everyone at the table can dig in. If you give them a try, I’d love to hear what toppings you used in the comments!
Gluten-Free Baking Tips
- For extra crispy waffles. Let them cook a minute or two longer until the edges are a deep golden brown. Serve right away for the best texture.
- Different gluten-free flours. Each gluten-free flour blend absorbs liquid a little differently, so add the milk slowly and mix as you go. Start with less, then add more as needed until the batter is thick but spoonable. I recommend Pillsbury gluten-free flour or Cup4Cup.
- Thin the batter out. Simply stir in 1–2 tbsp of milk (dairy or non-dairy) until it loosens up to a pourable consistency.
- Thicken the batter: Sprinkle in 1 tbsp of flour at a time, mixing gently, until the batter holds its shape without being runny.
- Prep the waffle iron. Always make sure your waffle iron is fully preheated and lightly coated with cooking spray or oil before adding the batter. Re-spray between batches if needed.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Waffles
Ingredients
- 15 oz. canned pumpkin, 1x 15 oz. can. Not pumpkin pie filling!
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, or nutmeg, ginger, and cloves
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 eggs , room temperature. For egg-free, use flax egg or applesauce.
- ½ cup sugar
- 1½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour , I like Pillsbury gluten-free.Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- ½ tsp xanthan gum , leave out if your flour already has it
- ½ cup milk, dairy-free use almond, cashew, or coconut milk
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the canned pumpkin, granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and pure vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.
- Add gluten-free flour, baking powder, and xanthan gum (leave out if your flour already has it). Mix until fully combined.
- Add the milk (or dairy-free milk) and mix until fully combined. The batter will be thick.
- Heat up the waffle iron. Once the waffle iron is heated up spray it with gluten-free cooking spray. You will need to re-spray the waffle iron with cooking spray for each waffle.
- Scoop the waffle batter onto the waffle iron and cook the waffles according to your waffle iron's instructions. I like to use an ice cream scoop.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Recommended flours: Pillsbury Gluten-Free, Cup4Cup, King Arthur Measure-for-Measure, or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. Avoid single-ingredient flours.
- Always grease your waffle iron. You do not want your waffles to stick to the iron.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Waffles Step by Step
Gather all the ingredients together.
Mix the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 (15-oz) can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling), ½ cup sugar, 2 room-temperature eggs, 4 tbsp vegetable oil, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, and 1 tsp pure vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
Add the dry ingredients: Add 1½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend already contains it). Stir until the mixture is fully combined.
Add the milk: Pour in ½ cup milk (or dairy-free milk) and mix until the batter comes together. The batter will be thick.
Prep the waffle iron: Preheat your waffle iron. Once hot, spray it lightly with gluten-free cooking spray. Be sure to re-spray the iron before cooking each new waffle. Scoop the batter, about one ice cream scoop at a time, onto the center of the waffle iron.
Cook the waffles: Cook the waffles according to your waffle maker’s instructions until golden and crisp.
Top and serve: Serve the waffles warm with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
I love these pumpkin waffles straight off the iron with a drizzle of maple syrup, but they’re also so much fun to dress up. My kids like them with mini chocolate chips and whipped cream, while I sometimes add fresh fruit or a sprinkle of cinnamon. For a full fall-inspired brunch, serve them alongside crustless spinach quiche, crispy bacon or sausage, and a big fruit salad. They also pair perfectly with a cozy latte or dairy-free hot chocolate to make the meal feel extra special.
Storage Instructions
I like to make a big batch of these pumpkin waffles so we have easy breakfasts ready to go. They’ll keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about a day or in the fridge for 3-4 days.
For longer storage, I pop them in the freezer. Just let the waffles cool completely, then stack them between sheets of parchment paper and place them in a zip-top bag. They’ll stay fresh for up to 2 months. When we’re ready to eat, I reheat them in the toaster or oven so they’re just as crisp as the day I made them.
More Gluten-Free Morning Recipes for Fall
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
- Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
- Gluten-Free Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins
- Gluten-Free Cranberry Bread
Our Gluten-Free Pumpkin Waffles recipe was originally published 10/09/18. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 11/01/25.
This looks amazing! Can you use Lactose free whole milk in this recipe , or really to bake at all?
Thank you!!
Hi Ashley, we recommend almond, cashew, or coconut milk if you need a dairy free alternative.
I swapped the sugar for monk fruit and used egg replacer. They turned out great! Thank you for sharing!
I love this recipe. I love spice so I added a bit more and it was so good. I found the consistency to be spot on. It was so good with homemade whipped cream !
Yum! Thanks Jill!
My annual pumpkin waffle recipe review! Do I need to review this recipe annually? No I do not. But seeing as I make this recipe 1 to 2 times a month I think it deserves a regular review. So here I am making a LARGE batch of pumpkin waffles for my little guy. He has grown out of his nut allergy, Praise the Lord! But in this recipe we still use Ripple pea protein milk because we love it. Almost as much as we love this recipe! And yes I should have memorized it by now but alas. Thank you for this wonderful recipe and all of your other delicious recipes! You’re amazing 🫶🏻.
The batter here was way too thick so it wasn’t cooking properly. We tried everything. We kept our waffle iron on a high heat, like we usually do, but that left the outside burnt and the inside undercooked. So we turned down the waffle iron to a medium and slow cooked it, but it still left the outside overcooked in the inside undercooked. Even tried spreading the batter around a bit more since it was so thick, but that didn’t work either and we added a little more milk to see if we could make it less thick, but it wouldn’t really absorb well in with the pumpkin purée & GF flour mix.
DELICIOUS!! Not too sweet, not too pumpkin-y, just right! I made these for my daughter and she loved them so much. She liked the texture too, moist without being too heavy and they were filling. If you want to add a little chocolate to these you can spread a very thin layer of batter on your waffle iron, then sprinkle chocolate chips, then cover with another layer of batter. If you mix in chocolate chips they stick and are REALLY hard to get off the waffle iron (ask me how I know). We tried with and without the chocolate chips and she loved them even more with them.
I’m wondering if would Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour work in this recipe? Thanks
Hi Nicola, unfortunately, we have not tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill, but it should work. You may need to adjust the total amount of milk, though, due to differences in the formula of the flour. We recommend adding the milk slowly and adjusting as needed to get a typical waffle batter consistency.
My son is GF DF EF NF, pretty much free of everything. This recipe has been a godsend for him. I replace the eggs with flax eggs and I use either ripple pea protein milk or flax milk and maple syrup instead of sugar. I make a batch and freeze it and when he eats it all I make another batch. He is 2 1/2 and I’ve been making these since he turned two. He and I make them together and he loves cooking with mama! Thank you!!!!
It’s me again. Here I am making more! My son is just the biggest fan of your pumpkin waffles. Thank you for this recipe! You’d think I’d have it memorized by now 😜
My family eats these every year on Thanksgiving! They are perfect and delicious. Thanks for another great recipe 🙂
We made these for brinner tonight and they were fantastic! We love the texture.
Could I use Enjoy Life chocolate chips in these waffles? How would I do that?
Hi Lynn! You could add a 1/2 cup – 1 cup of the chocolate chips to the batter or sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the batter before you cook them. I often will add about 1/2 the batter on the waffle maker, sprinkle the chips on top and then add the rest of the batter over the chocolate chips. I then lower the waffle iron and cook it until it’s crispy. I hope you enjoy the waffles!
We got a mini-pumpkin waffle maker and made this recipe and loved it!!! Will be makimg these for our kids and grandkids next. So delicious!!
These are Wonderful!! I used melted ghee instead of oil (but probably melted butter would be fine), goat milk, coconut sugar and King Arthur GF flour. Turned out great!!
I rate this 10 stars. I am 68 and my Christmas present this year was a call from the Doctor telling my i am celiac. I cannot, cannot tell you how much this recipe has made my life much better. It’s been my breakfast for a while now. You have made this old man happy. Thank you. Rick
These waffles were a hit in our house! I’ve made several of your recipes and I never think to leave a review. This one, along with others of yours, are a staple recipe in our house! They are SO simple. My son doesn’t like prepackaged GF/DF pancakes or waffles, but he devours yours! Thank you!!
Thank you so much Courtney for the awesome 5-star recipe review, it really made my night! I am so happy that your family enjoys the waffles and it is a staple recipe in your house. I am so glad that you have enjoyed other recipe s of mine as well. You are so welcome, I love sharing the recipes I make for my family. Thanks again!
These were WONDERFUL! I haven’t come across very many gluten-free recipes that make great waffles (especially ones that don’t stick to the waffle iron even when the iron is well-greased). But, these waffles were SO good, that I had to make 3 batches so they would last more than a day! This recipe is definitely a favorite! Thank you!
Thank you so much Patty for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the waffles and the recipe is a favorite. You are so welcome, I love sharing the recipes that I make for my family. Thanks again!
These were delicious! Very soft and moist. I used 2 tsp vinegar and 2 tsp baking soda instead of the eggs.
Thank you so much El;Elizabeth for the wonderful recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the waffles. Thank you for sharing what egg replacer you used, as I know it will help others. Thank you again!
If I wanted to make regular waffles ( no pumpkin) do I simply just omit the canned pumpkin and spices? Do I have to add anything else instead?
This recipe looks very similar to your Pancake recipe, which were a hit, do I just maybe follow that recipe and add extra oil?
Hi Dorothy! Yes you can make regular waffles by leaving out the pumpkin and spices and adding more oil. In my regular waffle recipe, I add more flour, oil, eggs, baking powder, and milk compared to my pancake recipe. I will post my traditional waffle recipe by 5/8. I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the pancakes!
Is it supposed to be baking soda or baking powder? Your recipe mentions both. Baking powder in the ingredients and baking soda in the directions.
Hi Joyce! It’s baking powder. Thank you so much for catching that. That’s what I get for working late at night. I really appreciate that and I am sorry for the confusion.
Hi there! Do you think this batter make pancakes as well? Thanks!
Hi Bethany! I have not tried it with pancakes. The batter is really thick so depending on how thick you want your pancakes you may want to add more milk to the batter. If you try it for pancakes will you please let me know how they turn out? Thank you!