Pumpkin Buttermilk Pecan Waffles

This recipe for Pumpkin Buttermilk Pecan Waffles serves up a crispy on the outside, light and tender in the inside waffle, with hints of pumpkin and pumpkin spices. Perfect in fall, or any time of the year.

The Making of Pumpkin Buttermilk Pecan Waffles

It's fall.

I know a lot of you can't wait for Starbucks to come out with their pumpkin spice latte. Pumpkin pies, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread, cakes, all things pumpkin.

So I wanted to make Pumpkin Waffles.

The problem I've had in the past is, they generally come out soft...soggy. And BB and I like our waffles crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.

So I did some experimenting. You know, recipe development. Tried adding different amounts of pumpkin puree to the mix - the result was still soggy.

Adjusted the ratio of pumpkin puree to buttermilk. Still soft.

So I turned my attention to the flour. There are so many types of flour, more so every day with all the gluten-free varieties. But I'm not gluten-free and generally use all-purpose flour in my waffles BUT I thought, what if I mixed them up. Like all-purpose and let's say bread flour?

 

Bread Flour

Bread flour has more protein than all-purpose flour which helps create gluten, which in turn gives bread more texture and rise. While my waffles do not use any yeast, I thought perhaps the texture of the bread flour would help create that crispy outside I was seeking.

And it did.

Nuts or no Nuts

The decision to add nuts, or not, is entirely up to you. BB and I like nuts in our waffles, I put them in almost all of my baked goods. Nuts add good fat to your diet, and we all need good fat in our diets. My choice was pecans, but walnuts would work as well.

One of the reasons for the pecan choice is, I buy my nuts at Trader Joes and they sell pecans pieces already toasted and chopped into the perfect size for baked goods - and waffles. So I just remove my jar of nuts from the freezer*, toss in a couple of handfuls, and am good to go.

If you don't have pre-toasted nuts, toast them yourself by placing them into a 350º oven for about 10 minutes or so, depending on the size of the nutmeat. Your nose will tell you when they are done but check on them between 5 - 7 minutes to make sure they are not ready to burn.

Nuts go from toasted to burnt pretty quick.

As soon as they are toasty, remove from the oven, chop, and add.

If you don't want nuts, don't add them.

Pumpkin Puree

I've read recently that those cans of pumpkin puree we find in the stores may not be the 100% pumpkin that they say it is.

Why?

Because the word pumpkin is given a very broad stroke of what is acceptable as pumpkin. Many gourds are included in the definition, as well as butternut squash. 100% pumpkin can be stringy, so to get that nice smooth texture, with the beautiful orange color, and flavors we know and love, some companies blend pumpkin with other gourds.

If you like the brand of pumpkin puree you currently use, there is no reason to change. If you want 100% pumpkin puree, Libby's brand uses a special pumpkin, the Dickerson pumpkin, which they have developed to provide that creamy texture and orange color we know and love (and have been using to make our Thanksgiving pumpkin pie for years - yes, that recipe - the one on the back of the can).  So I buy that.

I have tried other purees, including 100% organic - 100% pumpkin, but find that most of them lack the flavor I know and are much more watery.

So while I'll keep on checking new brands, for now, I'll stick to Libby's.

Keep the Crisp

To keep the crisp, these Pumpkin Buttermilk Pecan Waffles are best served right from the waffle iron. Any time you place a crisp food into the oven to "hold" the moisture created by the oven will soften the outside. So serve each person as the waffles come out.

Unless they like a softer waffle. Then store away in a 200º oven while you make all the batches.

Also, I'll admit I probably go an extra few minutes past the done stage of my waffle, just to get a little more crisp to them.  Open the waffle iron and give the waffle a tap to see if it is to your level of crisp.

If not, close the lid and cook for another couple of minutes.

BB enjoys his waffles with just a bit of preserves on them. I like butter and syrup. Maple syrup. Pure Maple syrup. None of that imitation stuff. That's just flavored corn syrup. Use the real deal!  Or try them with this delicious Country Peach Butter! Yummy. 

However you enjoy them, feel free to enjoy them year-round. No need to wait for the fall.

Pumpkin Buttermilk Pecan Waffles

LindySez: These waffles freeze beautifully. Cook them in the waffle iron until just cooked (they will not be crisp). Store in the freezer, separating each section between sheets of waxed paper, in a zip-top bag. Remove what you want and toast in your toaster until hot and crisp. Homemade Eggos!

*I always keep my nuts in the freezer to keep them from becoming rancid.