Pumpkin Waffles - Top 8 Free

I know I'm a little bit early with this whole pumpkin thing. Trader Joe's didn't even have pumpkin yet when I went in to grab it because it's a "seasonal" item and apparently it's not that season yet. But, hear me out. This has been a weird year and a very weird summer. All of the typical milestones that we would check off our list to let us know that we are progressing through the calendar have been missed with shelter-in-place orders and social distancing. I told my husband that there was no way I was letting the holidays pass by us without celebrating as many of the same traditions as we possibly could, and we are about to enter the start of the holiday season(s)!

I'm an early holiday decorator. I admit that. Usually, I wait until the end of summer to decorate for fall. There's so much time that goes into decorating the house, so I never feel like I should wait until a holiday is only a few weeks away before I decorate. Why not have the decorations up that much longer? My husband's birthday is this week, so we will hang all of the birthday decor and celebrate his birthday, and when it's over, you better believe Fall decorations go straight up and our house gets covered in pumpkins.

Pumpkin is one of those oddly available foods. For some reason, this particular squash has been deemed only appropriate for the Fall months or for Halloween and Thanksgiving. I tend to stock up on canned pumpkin so I'm not left without it throughout the rest of the year. I'm actually not a big pumpkin lover in general. You won't find me roasting the seeds or loading up on pumpkin spice lattes, but I have a hard time turning down a pumpkin baked good. For some reason pumpkin bread, waffles, and pancakes really get me.

In a life before food allergies hit our family, I always bought the pumpkin waffle and pancake mix from Trader Joe's. Now that all of those pre-packaged foods are not options for us, I had to make our own to still indulge. These waffles are perfectly pumpkin-y, not too sweet, and just enough spice. You will love them. Don't feel like you have to wait until October to make these. Go make them now! And top them with dairy-free whipped cream and butter, or maple syrup with some cinnamon sprinkled on top. You won't regret it.

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Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Yields: 3 7" round waffles

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 cup plant-based milk

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 Tbsp water)

2 Tbsp avocado oil + additional for spraying waffle iron

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 cup gluten-free flour (I use King Arthur gluten-free flour)

Preheat waffle iron.

1. Add pumpkin, baking soda, and cream of tartar to a medium mixing bowl and whisk together.

2. Add remaining ingredients to bowl and whisk well to combine.

3. Spray waffle iron plates with avocado oil or non-stick spray. Scoop batter directly from bowl onto waffle iron according to waffle iron manual.

Recipe Notes:

1. All-purpose flour and cow's milk may be substituted if there are no allergies.

2. These freeze well with parchment paper in between each waffle and sealed in a freezer-safe bag or container. To reheat, toast for a crispy waffle or microwave for a soft waffle.