Every fall, I get on a massive pumpkin kick. Over the past few years, I've posted recipes for pumpkin madeleines, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin muffins, gluten-free pumpkin bread, and now...wait for it...gluten-free pumpkin waffles! I am not anti-gluten or anything, but this month, I've been experimenting with gluten-free recipes in honor of #octoberwellness. Essentially, gluten is not great for Lyme disease, so I'm trying to recreate some of my favorite fall foods without it. And honestly, I've barely missed it at all.

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These pumpkin waffles are quite possibly my favorite fall breakfast. I never thought I'd say this, but I actually like them even better than my pumpkin spice pancakes! (Shocking, I know.) What I love about these, is that they have the rich pumpkin spice flavor of the pancakes, but with the crunch of a waffle. They are just barely sweet, but with a drizzle of maple syrup (and a pat of salted butter), they are absolutely perfect. In lieu of flour, I used a mixture of almond meal and corn flour, and instead of regular sugar, I used maple sugar (though you can just use maple syrup if you want). These aren't dairy free – the buttermilk is a pretty essential ingredient, as it gives the waffles a really nice tangy flavor, and keeps them from drying out.

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I hope this recipe inspires you to pull out your waffle iron this weekend, to make a big bowl of batter and a pot of coffee, and gather your family around the table. I cooking the waffles right at the table, watching the steam from the waffle iron rise into the air, and eating them hot off the griddle with butter and warm maple syrup. I make these using a regular waffle iron, but if you have a Belgian waffle maker, try them out and let me know how they turn out! I'm sure they would be just as delicious. Enjoy!!

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(Photos by Olivia Funk)

GLUTEN-FREE PUMPKIN SPICE WAFFLES

Makes 6 waffles

3/4 cup almond meal

1/2 cup corn flour

1 tablespoons maple sugar (or maple syrup)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 cup buttermilk*

1 egg

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)

2 tablespoons melted butter

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the almond meal, corn flour, maple sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, pumpkin puree, and melted butter until smooth.

Whisk the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just combined. Let sit for five minutes.

Preheat a non-stick waffle iron. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and drop about 1/3 cup full of batter onto the waffle iron. Let cook for 3 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. (Usually I just wait until the green light on my waffle maker comes on.) Serve immediately with butter and warm maple syrup.

Though they are best eaten right off the griddle, you can also keep them warm in a 250°F oven so you can serve them all at once. Also, you can save leftover waffles, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator, and reheat the next day in a waffle iron. They taste just as good on the second day, if you reheat them like this!

*If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use this easy substitution: Place 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Pour in enough milk to reach the 1-cup mark. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes until it is beginning to curdle. It’s ready to use!