delicious Homemade Buttermilk pumpkin waffles (easy and crispy!)

Just a little bit crispy all around their outsides and fluffy-soft inside, this homemade buttermilk pumpkin waffles recipe is really the perfect combination of flavors and textures, and I’ve got a couple of genuinely helpful tricks that set them apart from their waffle colleagues and peers (read the post guys! It’s helpful info, just saying). Or not, you can just follow the simple recipe and you’ll be on your way to waffletown all the same. Suit yourself there.

If this Homemade Buttermilk Pumpkin Waffles Recipe strikes your fancy, then I’d highly suggest you check out my Ultimate Blueberry Waffles Recipe (with peach brown butter, no less). I’ve also got a French Toast Casserole that will knock your socks clean off, and a savory breakfast casserole that will do the same, actually. And if you really want to lean into the classics, you HAVE to try my cinnamon toast recipe. It’s unmatched, people! Truly, it’s one of my favorite recipes of all time.

why we (really) love this homemade Buttermilk pumpkin waffles recipe

I honestly can’t think of too many cozier things to make this time of year, can you? Waffles, what with all their little window-paned faces, are the happiest recipients of warm maple syrup (vanilla-bourbon maple syrup, if you’re me) and maybe some cinnamon whipped cream. This homemade buttermilk pumpkin waffles recipe makes a fat stack of fluffy-on-the-inside, crispy on the outside pumpkin waffles that you will want to INHALE.

They really are oh so lovable. They simply cannot help themselves.

Why don’t my waffles come out crispy?

Why I can’t say for absolute certain here, I can give you a few quick pointers for nailing that crispy waffle exterior you’re dreaming of.

• Ensure your iron is fully pre-heated. If it’s not super hot – the waffles won’t cook like they should from the second they hit the iron. So, just be patient and let that thing get real, real hot.
• Speaking of being patient, allowing your batter a solid couple of hours to rest before cooking it will also help you nail that crispiness you’re looking for.
• Lastly, use a good amount of cooking oil to grease the iron before adding the batter. That will essentially fry the exteriors ever so slightly, giving them a crispy crunchy bite.

tips and tricks behind the best homemade Buttermilk pumpkin waffles recipe

1. If you’re a sucker for crispy waffle exteriors like I am, then be sure to really slather on the oil when you’re prepping your waffle iron. This will lightly fry the waffle exteriors, giving them that little bit o’ crispy that we’re aiming for, and that really does make it impossible to eat just one …
2. I like to make my batter in advance (if I’m really on top of things) at least 2 hours is really great (overnight is even better!) because this gives the batter a chance to thicken and it helps the glutens chill out. They’ll be airier and crisper if you do this. YES! This really will affect the end texture of your waffles – makes them cook more evenly too. They will still be fantastic even if you don’t let them rest at all, but if you’ve got the time, let that batter take a wee nap before cooking it, and your waffs will be all the better for it. I’ve never called them “waffs” before and probably won’t do that again.
3. These waffles will keep for a couple of days or so in the fridge and will reheat nicely for you. I like to use my toaster oven to do this, but you can use a regular oven as well, or a regular toaster for that matter. I mean, if we’re being honest here (we always are) you can reheat them in a warm skillet over medium heat and it’d be just fine. But a toaster oven is the best way, I think.
4. They will also freeze well, if you want to save some for a later rainy day, so to speak. Just store them in a sturdy, freezer-save bag/container and you can pop them right in your toaster or toaster oven and toast them back to life, just as your would store-bought frozen waffles.

why do we rest our waffle batter?

I like to make my batter in advance (if I’m really on top of things) at least 2 hours is really great (overnight is even better!) because this gives the batter a chance to thicken and it helps the glutens chill out. They’ll be airier and crisper if you do this. YES! This really will affect the end texture of your waffles – makes them cook more evenly too.

They will still be fantastic even if you don’t let them rest at all, but if you’ve got the time, let that batter take a wee nap before cooking it, and your waffs will be all the better for it. I’ve never called them “waffs” before and probably won’t do that again.

homemade Buttermilk pumpkin waffles recipe ingredient notes

The Flour

All purpose. All day, It’s the right protein amount for a waffle, and it works great every time.

Baking Soda and Baking Powder

These two things go to work on these waffles (and umm … everything), adding lift and leavening (thanks, baking soda) and lightness (looking at you now, baking powder).

The Pumpkin

Any brand you like is fine, just be sure not to use a sweetened pumpkin pie filling. If you have leftover pumpkin (you will), it’s wonderful in a smoothie with a little banana, cinnamon and vanilla yogurt.

The Sugar

Here, we’ll use brown sugar, as the caramel-esque notes of the molasses running all through it is just meant to be a part of this little waffle party, you know?

The Buttermilk

It’s better in everything than regular milk. It just is. Look, I don’t make the rules … I just shared and spread them as best I can. That tang and acidity really helps the waffles gather more flavor power and the final result is just SO delicious.

The Butter

Salted butter obviously! I’m still on that ole’ soap box … just preaching the gospel of something I believe to be so true. And that is the simple fact that salted butter makes sweet things even sweeter. Or actually, it really just balances out the sweetness perfectly, bringing a far more complex depth to the flavor of whatever you choose to use it in. See my pumpkin snickerdoodles and best-ever chocolate chip cookies for further proof.

The Spices

If you’ve got some pumpkin pie spice hanging around – that’d clearly be a boss move here. Save yourself from having to reach for the individual jars and get on with your good, good morning. But if you don’t you need to know that your waffles are going to be so wonderful even if all you have is cinnamon. But the heavenly combo of cinnamon + cloves + ginger + allspice sure is great in these. Just saying.

The Vanilla

Okay so. Even though vanilla isn’t exactly the cheapest ingredient in the world, it lends such a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind sweetness to whatever it touches that it’s just something I’ve always got around. In this homemade buttermilk pumpkin waffles recipe, it perfectly complements the warm, cozy spices, wrapping the luscious batter in a fully autumnal flavor that just makes these things sing.

how to make our favorite homemade Buttermilk pumpkin waffles recipe

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