These Vegan Pumpkin Waffles are everything you want in a breakfast! They are full of pumpkin spices, pumpkin puree, made with whole grain oat flour and are gluten-free and oil-free!
VEGAN GLUTEN FREE PUMPKIN WAFFLES
I’ve had some requests for vegan gluten-free pumpkin waffles and I’m excited to share this amazing healthy pumpkin waffle recipe with you! I love oat waffles and these are whole grain, gluten-free and oil-free. They are crispy on the outside, with soft fluffy insides and bursting with pumpkin spice flavor! They make the perfect breakfast that your family will love and feel good about eating.
If you are a fan of pumpkin as much as I am, then I’d highly suggest trying these reader favorites. Best Vegan Pumpkin Bread, the best ever Vegan Pumpkin Cake, Best Vegan Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin cherry muffins, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and we can’t forget these Pumpkin Chocolate Cake Brownies.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
(Only 8 main ingredients needed. Full details and measurements on the recipe card below.)
- Superfine oat flour: I use Bob’s Red Mill
- Tapioca starch: This helps the waffles crisp up and also replaces eggs. Using all oat flour would make them too gummy. You can also use cornstarch instead.
- Baking powder
- Pumpkin spice: I always use my homemade blend for my recipes. It tastes phenomenal, but store-bought is fine. The flavor may just be a bit less pronounced.
- Pumpkin puree: Make sure you are buying just canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie puree.
- Maple syrup: Maple syrup tastes so amazing with all those pumpkin spices and keeps these vegan waffles refined sugar-free.
- Roasted almond butter: This replaces the oil, gives a wonderful depth of flavor and helps these crisp up. You can use sunbutter for a nut-free option if you like the taste of sunbutter. Make sure to be using a runny roasted drippy almond butter and not a stiff, dry kind, or the waffles will be more dry/crumbly. Trader Joe’s has a great roasted runny almond butter or you can make your own. You could also use walnut butter or pecan butter and I bet they would taste even more amazing!
- Almond milk: I love almond milk in these because it’s a runny texture, which works great in these oat flour pumpkin waffles. You could use another milk like cashew milk and possibly soy, although I’ve not tried either. I wouldn’t use too thick of a milk though, or the batter will be too thick. Use a similar texture as store-bought almond milk.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN PUMPKIN WAFFLES
Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk well.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients to a small separate bowl and whisk until smooth.
Step 3: Pour the wet over the dry and whisk until smooth but do not overmix. It should be very smooth and pourable.
Step 4: Let the batter sit while you heat up your waffle maker. Once hot, add about 2/3 cup of batter to the center and spread out almost to the edges of the waffle plate. Cook according to your waffle maker directions. I use setting 4 on my All Clad waffle maker.
HOW TO SERVE
I love these gluten-free vegan pumpkin waffles with maple syrup. They are also good with dairy-free yogurt and walnuts. If you are really wanting to amp up the pumpkin flavor, then you could drizzle on some pumpkin spice sauce!
STORAGE
These vegan waffles are best eaten right away when they are hot and crispy. They will go soft once they are no longer hot because of the oat flour. You can store any leftovers in the fridge and crisp them back up in the toaster or oven on low heat.
CAN THESE BE MADE INTO PANCAKES?
No, this batter is designed to be waffles only. Pretty much any pancake recipe can be made into waffles, but not the other way around. Pancakes, especially vegan ones, are very finicky since they need to be cooked through since they are much thicker. If you would like to make pancakes, try out these Gluten-free Vegan Pumpkin Spice Pancakes.
MORE VEGAN WAFFLES RECIPES
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Vegan Pumpkin Waffles (Gluten-free)
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup (224g) superfine oat flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- 4 tablespoons (32g) tapioca starch or cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (I use and recommend my homemade blend)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/4 cups (300g) unsweetened almond milk
- 6 tablespoons (120g) pure maple syrup (or agave)
- 1/2 cup (120g) canned pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup (64g) creamy/drippy roasted almond butter (see notes)
NOTE
- Always use a scale for accuracy following MY gram weights listed. You never need cups, just the scale and bowl and make sure to zero out in between each ingredient.
- I use this scale.
- I use this waffle maker.
Instructions
- Add the oat flour, starch, baking powder, pumpkin spice and salt to a large bowl and whisk well.
- To a small separate bowl, add the milk, syrup, pumpkin and almond butter and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the wet over the dry and whisk until smooth but do not overmix. It should be very smooth and pourable.
- Now let the batter sit while you heat up your waffle machine. The batter will thicken some as it sits, that is normal for oat based batters, do not add more milk.
- I used a 7 inch round waffle maker (linked above) and got 6 large round waffles. Obviously, this will vary if your machine is smaller or bigger. If using the same size as my machine, I like setting 4 best. Once your machine beeps that it is ready and hot, spray with nonstick spray on the top and bottom plates. If you don't spray, they will stick. Even though it says "nonstick surface", mine stuck badly without spray. Make sure to spray BOTH top and bottom waffle plates. I believe this happens more with oil-free oat flour waffles. Add about 2/3 cup of batter to the center and lightly spread out to the sides, being careful not to spread it too close to the edge to prevent overflowing.
- It will beep when it's ready. I always let it go about 20 seconds after the beep and then remove. I get the perfect crispy results. They seem soft right at first, but crisp up almost immediately once the air hits them after adding them to a plate. Yours may totally vary if you have a different machine.
Notes
- NUT-FREE: If you need these to be nut-free, then sub the almond milk with another plant-based non-dairy milk with a similar texture, not an overly thick or creamy milk, or the batter will be way too thick. Do not use coconut milk. Sub the almond butter with sunbutter if needed, if you don't mind a sunbutter taste.
- PANCAKES: No, this batter is designed to be waffles only. Pretty much any pancake recipe can be made into waffles, but not the other way around. Pancakes, especially vegan ones, are very finicky since they need to be cooked through since they are much thicker. If you would like to make pancakes, try out these Gluten-free Vegan Pumpkin Spice Pancakes. I will have a simple pumpkin pancake recipe coming as well (not made with almond flour).
- NUT BUTTER: You could also use walnut butter or pecan butter and I bet they would taste even more amazing!
Nutrition
I’ve made this recipe a lot. Waffles are delicious & freeze really well too. I’d like to make them again & add protein powder. Have you tried that? I’m thinking I could add a bit more almond milk to get the consistency right.
So happy you love the recipe Heidi! I have not tried that, no. Yes, that would be my suggestion, too. Just keep in mind that protein powder, if too much, can really ruin the final taste and of course affect the texture, so I’d start out with a small amount for the first round.
These are so flavorful and fluffy! I doubled the recipe to feed my teenagers, and they loved them. Honestly, one of my favorite waffle recipes ever!
Really happy to hear that Coby!
Very nice recipe chef 👍👌👏. Delicious 😋. Thank you for your effort 🌞😎
This recipe turned out great for me!! I used a Dash mini waffle iron, about 1/4 cup batter per waffle and it made 13 waffles (standard toaster size). The oil spray wasn’t necessary with my machine. I did cook them for pretty much 2 cycles- 5+ minutes per waffle because oat flour waffles tend to be much softer so this ensured they didn’t have a gummy or underbaked center. Even so they turned out more cakey for me, not crispy but I’m going to reheat the leftovers in the airfryer or toaster and I think that will crisp them up nice! I do recommend using Brandi’s pumpkin spice blend if you like things extra spicy. I’ve used it for multiple recipes and it has a pleasant kick to it.
We love this recipe! I make these weekly and they are my morning breakfast with almond butter and strawberries. I have actually hacked them. I love banana walnut anything, and I took out the pumpkin and added in ripe bananas, walnuts, and cinnamon. They are so delicious. Leaving them on as long as possible but yet not burn helps them come off without any issues. Also I’ve learned that if the batter is too dry it will also affect how smoothly they come off. I’ve definitely had my share of broken waffles. I’ve tried several vegan waffle recipes, all good recipes, but this is the one we determined to be our “go to waffle.” Thanks for sharing your knowledge of VGF cooking .
Really happy to hear that Mari!!
Hi! I have a stupid question. I’ve never had a waffle maker and I looked them up and the options are overwhelming and I hate a huge thick waffle. I love how these look nice and thin not like the oversized looking waffles at iHop. Are there any you can recommend? I have no idea what to buy and I really want to make these I love waffles and have never made them for my little one. She would really enjoy these.
I use the one linked in red on the ingredient list on the recipe card!
These are the best gluten free waffles I’ve ever made. They’re quick and easy to put together and a great way to use up leftover pumpkin from Brandi’s pumpkin cake (which is also fantastic). They turned out wonderfully – they’ll go into our regular rotation!
So very happy to hear that Colleen, yay!!
Stuck to the iron no matter how much oil I sprayed to the griddle 🙁 a waste of time and ingredients, two things I hate plus I’m still hungry! Please consider modifying this recipe.
Sorry your waffle iron didn’t work, but the recipe works perfectly for me everytime. I won’t modify the recipe when it works and has lots of 5 star reviews from other readers as well not having issues. I can’t vouch for all waffle irons used, as they all perform differently, but usually if a waffle is sticking, it is because you are trying to release them too soon or the setting is too low.
Wow, these are really, really good and hearty! My husband loved them and we plan to make them for the kids when they are home for Thanksgiving. To further reduce morning prep time, I mixed the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately the night before and combined in the morning. The batter was a little thick, but I think if I let it sit at room temperature longer, or add a little more almond milk, it would be a perfect consistency. Can’t wait to make these again and I will definitely try other recipes on this site.
I recently got a waffle maker and I am trying out all the healthy vegan waffle recipes I could find for that perfect waffle. My criteria is something healthy made with mostly oat flour, tasty, as well as not too gummy texture inside and a crispy exterior. I have been using Brandi’s recipes for years quite successfully, mostly for her baked goods because they turn out perfect every time! And this waffle recipe did not disappoint! Everything was perfect but the texture could use minor improvement. That being said, this was the best healthy oat based waffle recipe I have tried up until now (I think this is my 7th recipe that I’ve tested). Next time I will let the batter sit 15-20min and cook it on medium(3) for longer instead of medium-high heat (4) and see if that will help with the texture. Also I have a Hamilton Beach Belgian Waffle Maker with Non-Stick Copper Ceramic Plates and I did not spray it with oil, and it did not stick. I 1/3rd the recipe and that made 1 full waffle in my 7 inch waffle maker. I followed the weight measurements exactly, and cooked the waffle on medium-high (4) for 7 min (until there was no steam coming up). Then let it sit for 3 min on a cooling rack to keep it crispy. I will update once I try a couple of the things I have mentioned above. Thank you Brandi for this healthy waffle recipe! Question, can I use a banana instead of pumpkin puree??
I was longing for pumpkin pie… but am now needing to stay away from eggs and dairy and wheat ETC…
So I saw this recipe, and thought YESSS👏👏👏
I actually had to substitute for many of the ingredients… and then mixed it all up in my blender. Then poured them into my ungreased waffle makers (two different kinds:)
AND THEY WERE AMAZING 🤩❤️🧇
Truly the best waffles ever‼️🥰
So THANK YOU for this Thanksgiving treat🎊
Delicious! Easy and both my kids love them!
Yay!!
These didn’t turn out. I have a nonstick waffle iron and they stuck. Then I sprayed it with oil. Then on the fourth waffle, I gave up. They stuck so much so that it was hard to open the waffle iron. The 4th one the waffle ripped in two, half on the top and half on the bottom. The ones I did get out tasted good but a little crumbly. I followed all the instructions so I don’t know.
I took the batter and added applesauce and almond milk and a little oil to thin out (it was SO thick) and make pancakes.
Sorry you had trouble with your waffle maker. But every waffle maker is different and as I noted in step 5, you must use spray, as mine stick badly without spray. “Nonstick” surface has never worked for me with waffles. This is especially true with oil-free. Also, if you open the waffle maker too soon, they will not come off. That is what it sounds like is happening with you, because when they rip in half, they are usually not done for me. Go longer, making sure to spray BOTH plates well. All my waffle recipes work perfectly for me with spray and letting them cook long enough.
These turned out perfectly! Perfect texture inside and out!
SO awesome to hear that Katie!
I was so excited to make these and they did not disappoint! I’ve been craving pumpkin and I happened to have everything I needed to make these. Super easy to make and so delicious! The family really enjoyed these. I also used the recipe for the all spice since that was the only thing I didn’t have on hand. I highly recommend trying this recipe. You won’t regret it!
That is so wonderful to hear, thank you so much Lynda!
About a year and a half ago I asked Brandi from if she could make a PUMPKIN WAFFLE recipe similar to the Orange Waffles in her cookbook and she has gone above and beyond with this one!! These are incredibly yummy and the addition of her PUMPKIN SPICE SAUCE makes them out of this world!!! Thank you Brandi! You’ve hit another homerun!
Crispy after removing but soft and nutty on inside! Heated up perfect in toaster! Thanks
So glad you enjoyed them! You described them perfectly!
These are so delicious!! We will be making these regularly!! Thank you!!!
So so happy to hear that, thank you Amber!
Could I use cashew or peanut butter instead of almond? Or not use or at all?
Thank you!
You definitely need to use nut butter. Cashew butter you can try. Although it’s a bit drier and thicker than almond butter (don’t use a stiff one) but think it should still be good but the batter may be thicker but they should still taste yummy. Let me know after you try them!
Do you think I could replace the cornstarch/tapioca starch with 2 TBSP ground flax and 8 TBSP water to thicken the batter?
No, the starch makes the insides cook up and be fluffy and give crispy edges. Flax and water would make them gooey. You definitely need to use starch. You could try tapioca, cornstarch or potato starch, although potato starch will make them slightly drier.
Thank you for the response. I ended up using tapioca. They turned out amazing. Honestly one of the best vegan waffle recipes I have found. So flavorful-Thank you!!
Is it possible to make your own oat flour by finely grinding rolled oats?
Yes, if you have a vitamix or powerful blender (a food processor won’t get it as fine), you can get it really fine. I prefer store-bought for important recipes like cakes and muffins, where the texture is extra important, but it should be fine for waffles! Just blend in small batches so you can get it as fine as a flour.
Can you u se super fine almond flour instead of the oat flour and arrowroot instead of the tapioca or corn starch?
No, that would be a completely different flour base. If you want to use those flours, I’d suggest trying this recipe instead and make them as waffles. Hopefully that will work. https://thevegan8.com/vegan-pumpkin-spice-latte-pancakes/