Name: Overnight Pumpkin Waffles Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 8 h 15 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1/2 cup warm water, between 100 - 115°F; 1 package active dry yeast, or 1 Tablespoon if you have a bulk bag; 2 Tablespoons brown sugar (I use dark brown sugar); 2 cups whole milk; 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into Tablespoon chunks; 1 teaspoon salt, I use sea salt; 2 cups all-purpose flour; ¾ cup plain pumpkin puree; 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger); 2 large eggs; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; Optional toppings such as maple syrup, toasted pecans, butter, whipped cream, and/or caramel sauce

Jump to Recipe

With just a hint of spice and most of the work done the night before, this overnight pumpkin waffles recipe makes for a quick weekend treat of homemade waffles at breakfast or brunch.

I'm a big fan of having a special treat for breakfast or brunch on weekends. I'm not a big fan of not getting to sleep in just to be able to make said treats.

That's why I love overnight brunch recipes like these pumpkin spice waffles where I can make most of the recipe the night before and then have little, if any, prep the next morning other than cooking the dish.

This overnight pumpkin waffles recipe features a pumpkin spice like flavor with a crispy exterior and moist, fluffy interior thanks to using yeast.

frontal view of 3 pumpkin waffles stacked on each other topped with a pat of butter and maple syrup on a shallow white plate sitting on a slate surface and marble background

These waffles also stay pretty crisp for quite a while as long as you don't stack them.

I've never been able to quite get the crisp to fluffiness ratio with just egg whites compared to making waffles with yeast. In fact, you don't even need to whip up egg whites for these pumpkin yeasted waffles.

Pumpkin Waffle Ingredients And Substitutions

¹/₂ cup warm water, between 110 - 115°F - proofing your yeast is a great way to ensure your recipe is going to turn out successfully but you do need to make sure the water isn't too hot to kill the yeast
1 package active dry yeast, or 1 Tablespoon if you have a bulk bag - I almost exclusively use active dry yeast. I think you could use instant yeast but it will rise a lot faster
2 Tablespoons brown sugar - I use dark brown sugar for a deeper flavor but you can use light brown sugar if that's what you have
2 cups whole milk - I always use whole milk or even half and half in bread products but you should be able to use 2% or milk alternatives without much issue. The flavor may just not be quite as rich
^1/₂ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into Tablespoon chunks
1 teaspoon salt, I use sea salt
¾ cup plain pumpkin puree - I recommend only using pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie mix as the texture will likely not turn out correctly otherwise
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice - or you can use 1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¹/₂ teaspoon baking soda

Pumpkin Waffle Toppings

There are so many delicious toppings you could add to these pumpkin waffles. Here are some ideas.

Maple syrup
Butter
Homemade whipped cream - use maple syrup instead of sugar for a different flavor combo
Caramel sauce
Vanilla glaze
Cream cheese frosting
Vanilla ice cream if you want to be really indulgent
Toasted pecans
A sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice

MORE PUMPKIN RECIPES - Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies Recipe, Rigatoni with Spicy Pumpkin and Sausage Sauce, Pumpkin Soup with Maple Spiced Whipped Cream

overhead shot of 3 pumpkin waffles stacked on top of each other on a shallow white plate sitting on a slate surface

How To Make Yeasted Pumpkin Waffles

1. Proof yeast - again, make sure the water isn't too hot! Heat the butter, milk, and salt together.

proofed yeast and melted butter into milk recipe steps

2. Add the flour, pumpkin, spices, and the butter/milk mixture to the yeast mixture and thoroughly combine. Cover the bowl and leave at room temperature overnight to rise.

the batter mixed together before sitting overnight and then what it looks like after rising overnight

3. The next morning, preheat your waffle iron. Add eggs, vanilla, and baking soda to the batter and mix until well combined.

the final batter with all the ingredients mixed together with a whisk sitting in it

4. Pour batter into the waffle iron. Keep in mind the batter will expand a bit as it cooks and can potentially overflow! A good general guideline is to cook until you no longer see steam - or until they are as crisp as you prefer.

a collage showing the batter being poured into the waffle iron and what the waffles look like after being cooked

5. As you cook the waffles, place them on a rack on a baking sheet and keep in a warm oven to stay crisp and warm until you're ready to eat.

8 waffles in 2 4-waffle sheets that have been cooked and are sitting on a wire rack on a half sheet baking pan

Can I Reheat These Waffles?

Yes, these waffles are best reheated in the oven, toaster oven, and I've even reheated them in a regular toaster. This way they can crisp up on the outside again.

Just be sure to not warm them up too long or you'll end up with pumpkin spice crackers.

I don't recommend reheating in the microwave as the waffles will not crisp up this way.

overhead shot of 3 pumpkin waffles stacked on top of each other with a pat of butter and heavy drizzle of maple syrup on a shallow round white plate on a slate surface with a marble background

Can I Freeze The Waffles?

I have not personally tested freezing these particular waffles but they should freeze just fine.

I would wrap the waffles tightly in foil or plastic wrap and then place into a freezer ziploc bag and freeze.

I suggest reheating the waffles from frozen as they may get soggy if thawed first.

MORE OVERNIGHT BRUNCH RECIPES: Overnight Homemade Cinnamon Rolls, Overnight Eggs Benedict Casserole Recipe, Overnight Yeasted Waffles Recipe

WHAT TO SERVE WITH PUMPKIN WAFFLES: Homemade Fried Apples Recipe, Spiced Apple Cider Tea Recipe

pinterest image for overnight pumpkin waffles

Overnight Pumpkin Waffles Recipe

Yield: 12 Small Waffles

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes

Overnight yeasted waffles have a crisp exterior and a fluffy interior made perfect for fall with the flavors of pumpkin spice.

Ingredients

½ cup warm water, between 100 - 115°F
1 package active dry yeast, or 1 Tablespoon if you have a bulk bag
2 Tablespoons brown sugar (I use dark brown sugar)
2 cups whole milk
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into Tablespoon chunks
1 teaspoon salt, I use sea salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup plain pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
Optional toppings such as maple syrup, toasted pecans, butter, whipped cream, and/or caramel sauce

Instructions

Pour ½ cup warm water into a large bowl and sprinkle 1 packet yeast and 2 tablespoons brown sugar over the top. Whisk together until the yeast and sugar is mostly dissolved and let sit for 5 - 10 minutes.
In a 4-cup microwavable cup or bowl, place 2 cups milk, ½ cup butter, and 1 teaspoon salt. Microwave for 1 - 2 minutes, depending on your microwave, until warm and butter has melted. Stir to make sure the salt is dissolved and butter melted. If the mixture is hotter than 115°F, you'll need to let it cool. You can also do this in a small saucepan on the stove if you prefer.
At this point, you should see small bubbles in your water/yeast mixture. If you don't, you may have killed your yeast and need to start over, or your yeast is too old and you need fresh.
Add 2 cups flour, the milk/butter mixture, ¾ cup pumpkin, and 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice to the yeast mixture. Whisk or beat with a hand mixer until combined. You don't have to worry about over-mixing like with pancakes but it is also totally okay to see some lumps.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel and leave at room temperature overnight. The mixture will double or more depending on how long it sits.
The next morning, preheat your waffle iron. Since each iron is different, you may need to play with the temperature setting, but I suggest medium-high. I use 400°F for my Cuisinart Griddler.
When ready to make the waffles, slightly beat 2 eggs in a small bowl, then add to the waffle batter along with the 2 teaspoons vanilla and ½ teaspoon baking soda. Mix until batter is well combined.
Grease your waffle maker if needed. Place enough batter into your waffle maker to cover the mold, but not enough to overflow. This amount will vary by waffle maker.
Cook the waffles until they are golden brown and crispy. I usually gauge by when there is no longer steam coming out of the waffle maker.
Keep warm in the oven in a single layer (so they stay crisp) at the warm setting or 200°F until ready to serve.
Top as desired with toppings like maple syrup, butter, whipped cream, caramel sauce, etc. and enjoy.

Notes

You should be able to use milk alternatives if desired. Please see the original article for tips and other substitutions.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 2 small waffles
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 267Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 626mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 2gSugar: 9gProtein: 10g

Nutrition information may not be accurate. Optional garnishes and toppings aren't included. Nutrition information is calculated automatically by and provided by Nutritionix. Exact nutrition information depends on the specific ingredients, brands, and amounts you use.

Alyssa

Saturday 28th of October 2023

I added all the ingredients the night before, and just refrigerated the batter overnight (instead of leaving it out). They cooked up beautifully and were so light, fluffy, and crisp the next day!

Smart Savvy Living - Michelle

Tuesday 31st of October 2023

@Alyssa, I'm so glad to hear that! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to share how it turned out.

Nancy

Wednesday 27th of September 2023

Hi, I’m interested in making your pumpkin waffles this weekend! I have a Belgium waffle maker. Is this recipe adaptable to either kind of waffle maker? Do you use a traditional one or a Belgium one? Have you ever used buttermilk?

Friday 6th of October 2023

@Nancy, I'm so glad you enjoyed them! We definitely love how crispy these are on the outside while still having a fluffy interior. Thanks so much for taking the time to try my recipe and come back to share how it turned out.

Tuesday 3rd of October 2023

I made this recipe just as stated, did oil the waffle maker a bit to release the waffles easier, and they turned out fabulous! They could not have been any better - tender and moist in the inside, crisp on the outside! And with preparing the batter the night before, it was a breeze to add just a couple ingredients in the morning! Everyone loved these! This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thanks so much!!!

Thursday 28th of September 2023

@Nancy, thanks for stopping by!

Yes, a Belgium waffle maker should work fine, just keep an eye on the cook. When you no longer see steam it should be done. If the lid is giving your resistance when you try to lift it, give it about 30 more seconds.

I have used both a Breville Smart Waffle Maker and a Cuisinart Griddler fitted with waffle plates to make this recipe.

I haven't used buttermilk in this particular recipe but don't see why you couldn't. You may want to do a test waffle and make sure it doesn't need more sugar for your preferred taste with the tanginess of the buttermilk.

Hope this helps!