Cider Pumpkin Waffles with Salted Maple Butter.
Crisp autumn mornings are made for these Cider Pumpkin Waffles with Salted Maple Butter. Light and airy pumpkin waffles made with spiced apple cider, nutty browned butter, and warming autumn spices. Perfect for a chilly fall morning, and best enjoyed with a generous smear of salted maple butter.
This post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes.
I held off as long as I could on these pumpkin waffles, but the time has come to share their deliciousness with you guys. And really? These are DELICIOUS! They’re perfectly crisp on the outside, but soft, light, fluffy, and airy inside. Exactly how a pumpkin waffle should be. And made with browned butter, cinnamon, pumpkin spice…and everything nice. All the flavors of autumn and just what fall mornings need most.
I waited to share these until we hit October, which was hard to do, but I’m that girl who really feels that pumpkin recipes are best for the colder, cozier months of October and November.
So here they are, pumpkin waffles, but with all my own little twists. Because you all know me, I love to take a classic recipe and add something new, fun, and delicious.
These are not your average pumpkin waffles. They are so much better and they’re the easiest to make – any day of the week. Great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or my personal favorite, breakfast for dinner.
I will say that these waffles did take me a while to get just right. Multiple batches were made, but I can now confidently say that these cider pumpkin waffles are pretty close to perfect.
Think sweet, super moist, and filled with flavors of pumpkin spice and warming brown butter. All the most delicious autumn flavors, and with salty, sweet maple butter on top too.
Here are the simple and easy steps.
As I mentioned, these are really pretty easy. The hardest part is working up the patience to wait for the batter to sit ten minutes before cooking. Other than that, these are simple.
First things first, there a
re three ingredients to these waffles that really make them better than all the others…the butter, the cider, and the pumpkin.
Butter is important. Since we’re browning it, you need to use high-quality butter here, preferably high-quality salted butter. Personally, I love using Land O Lakes® Butter. It’s been my go-to butter for years and what I use in my kitchen every day for both cooking and baking.
I love the rich buttery flavor and hints of salt in Land O Lakes® Butter.
It bakes up wonderfully and always creates a delicious recipe whether sweet or savory. To add even more flavor to these waffles, I wanted to brown the butter to give the waffles another layer of added warmth and coziness.
Once the butter is browned, simply mix in canned pumpkin, good quality apple cider, pure maple syrup, and then the usual key players. To flavor these waffles, I used my favorite autumn spice mix of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. If you keep pumpkin spice on hand, you can easily use that as well!
Another key here is the cider. Most waffle recipes call for buttermilk, but you guys, using a spiced apple cider makes for the BEST batch of crisp on the outside, light and airy inside, waffles. The added spices, together with the flavor of sweet apples, only add to the deliciousness of these waffles.
Now for the pumpkin! It’s important to use only pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie mix. You don’t need the added sugar.
Once the batter is mixed, let it sit ten for so minutes, then cook according to your waffle iron’s directions.
On to the salted maple butter…
While the batter rests, mix together a little butter and maple syrup to create a salted maple butter for serving.
It really adds that extra special finishing touch. There’s nothing better than warm pumpkin waffles with a smear of salty, maple butter.
I know it’s only Tuesday, but seeing how easy these waffles are, I’m thinking an autumn breakfast for dinner is needed?
Live up the “season of cozy”, and make these today, tomorrow, or this weekend…just do it soon. My tip to you? Double the recipe and freeze half the waffles for an emergency, when you just need a good pumpkin waffle to toast up.
Looking for other pumpkin recipes? Here are a few ideas:
6 Ingredient Spiced Pumpkin Butter
Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cream Cheese Swirled Pumpkin Bread with Salted Maple Butter
Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Latte Cupcakes with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting
Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Butter Bread
Lastly, if you make these Cider Pumpkin Waffles with Salted Maple Butter, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Cider Pumpkin Waffles with Salted Maple Butter
All the flavors of fall...perfect for crisp, cool autumn mornings!
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Salted Butter
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 cups spiced apple cider
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Salted Maple Butter
- 6 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Salted Butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt
Instructions
-
1. Add 6 tablespoons butter to a medium pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown, until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Stir often. Remove from the heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the pumpkin, cider, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt, stir until just combined. It's OK if the batter is a little lumpy. Allow the batter to sit 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the maple butter. In a small bowl, combine the butter, maple syrup, and a pinch of sea salt.
3. Preheat your waffle iron. Cook the waffles according to your waffle iron's directions. Serve topped with maple butter and additional maple syrup. Enjoy!
Our Favorite Recipes
Brown Butter Brussels Sprout and Bacon Ravioli.
Hello – if I do not have a waffle iron can the recipe be used for pancakes? Looks delish!
Hey Tiffany,
Yes you can use this batter for pancakes! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These look delicious. The ingredients sound very good together. I don’t have any apple cider though. I did make some pumpkin pancakes a couple weeks ago for our grandson to take home with him. I also made pumpkin cinnamon rolls but they didn’t turn out like I had hoped.
I am really glad you like these, Charlotte! I hope you try them! Also, so sweet of you to make some pumpkin waffles for him to take home! xTieghan
We buy our cider from a local apple orchard and it’s just cider, no additives.. Your recipe references spiced cider. What is added to it to make it “spiced”?
Hey Laureen,
Using the cider from the orchard is just fine:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
What waffle iron would you recommend?
Hey Susie,
Here is the link for my waffle iron: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F5C1QK6?ascsubtag=.MjYwNzAwLTA.f0e5bb56-6575-11e9-a2de-29813f0c4117&tag=rewardstyle-20
I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These sound great! If we have people who aren’t really pumpkin fans, do you have any sub suggestions?
Hey JA,
I would recommend trying another recipe: https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/crispy-belgian-waffles/
I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These are fabulous! I used regular local apple cider as I didn’t see it said ‘spiced” until I already had them made. 🙂 I also used King Arthur Measure for Measure as we needed them gluten free. My husband couldn’t stop raving! Thank you, Tieghan!
YES! So amazing! Thank you for trying these, Terri! xTieghan
I’m in the market for a waffle maker as well, and would like to hear your recommendations.
Hey Brooke,
Here is the link for my waffle maker: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F5C1QK6?ascsubtag=.MjYwNzAwLTA.f0e5bb56-6575-11e9-a2de-29813f0c4117&tag=rewardstyle-20
I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Excellent recipe! Did not have spiced cider but added cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to my plain cider. The maple butter was phenomenal! Would be great on other things as well! I made the mistake of melting my butter and it didn’t combine well with the maple syrup. Next time I will use softened butter.
Amazing! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
OMG YUM. Can I make these into pancakes with the same recipe?
Hey Steph,
You bet! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
What is spiced cider?
Hey Cyndi,
Any apple cider you get from your local grocery store or apple orchard. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
OMG. This is the BEST pumpkin flavored waffle ever. I cut back on the cinnamon just a tad because my husband is incredibly picky, but other than that made no changes. We both declared this amazing! Definitely make the maple butter – I used cultured butter because we prefer it. And I have such faith in this blog, I did double the recipe (usually I test a recipe out before going all in – no need with HBH recipes!) and am so glad I did! I now have 8 delicious waffles going into my freezer for some night I don’t feel like cooking! Thanks for another “keeper”!
I am so happy these turned out so amazing for you, Tammy!! Thank you so much for trying them! xTieghan
Could you make these in advance and then freeze them?
Hey Carol,
Yes that works! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This batter did not turn out for me. It was waaayyyy too thin… The flavor was good, though
Thank you Becky! I am glad this recipe turned out well for you! xTieghan
Can you use milk or another liquid instead of cider? Thanks for your recipes. Our family loves your creations. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hey Christine,
Yes that will work, you will just be missing out on some flavors. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These are delicious! Especially the salted maple butter. They didn’t crisp up as much as waffles normally do in my waffle maker but they were delicious nonetheless.
Thank you so much Leanne! I am really glad these turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I don’t know if this will post as a reply or not, but I hope it works!
Becky, were you able to salvage the batter at all – for instance by making pancakes? I’m hesitant to waste the ingredients if it turns into something too thin to use for anything.
I can’t use a thin batter in my waffle iron because it’s a flat horizontal style and the batter would pour out.
Hey,
You can certainly use this batter as a pancake! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Oh Teigan! These waffles were heavenly! The batter was just right with one adjustment. I only put in ONE cup of cider since I was thought maybe it would be too runny. (I could always add more if needed). That was the key for me. I found some spiced cider seasoning to add to the apple juice, at my local health food store.
Also I found my waffle iron baked the waffles on the cripy side if I let them bake until the light turned on . So I took them out a couple min. before the light turned on. A lot lighter and fluffier this way! I seriously ate 2 big waffles and I have never eaten that many at a time before. I just couldnt help it. LOL They were so goooood with that sweet n salty maple butter!! mmmmmm….. A must try!
Thank you so much!! I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you, L! xTieghan
These waffles were delicious! They smell like fall, and they taste like fall. I don’t typically love waffles, but I am going to be making these on repeat!
Yes!! I am so happy you are loving these, Jen! Thank you so much! xTieghan
HOME RUN !!! I made these this morning, and my house is full of the cozy smells of maple, apple cider, cinnamon.
YES!! So happy you loved these, Donna! Thank you for trying them! xTieghan
These were absolutely delicious! I used apple juice as we had no cider. The brown butter is definitely a game changer.
Thank you so much! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
WOW!!! Amazing, SO good and so easy!! Next time I will double the recipe for our family of 5. Thanks Tieghan!!
Thank you Debra! I am really glad this recipe turned out well for you! xTieghan
How long will the batter keep? It’s just me over here, so I’d probably want to make the full recipe, make a serving and then store the batter (making a serving a day until the batter is gone) is that ok? Or should I make all the waffles at once and just reheat the waffles?
Hey Tracy,
You could keep the batter in the fridge for 3-4 days. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made these this morning. We enjoyed them very much. For one batch I added toasted, salted, chopped pecans to them before I closed the waffle maker. Those were lovely as well. I subbed regular cider for spiced cider as that was what I had. We did not taste cider flavor at all (personally I found the 1 1/2 cups to be the perfect amount of liquid, not too much as some reviewers had indicated), but we enjoyed the flavor of the waffle very much just as they were. I thought about subbing some boiled cider for the plain cider but I’m not sure if that would compete with the pumpkin flavor in an unpleasant way? I would describe them as written and made by me as a lovely pumpkin waffle. I had a very hard time getting the maple butter to come together. My advice would be to start with the liquid very slowly, I was rushing and tried to do it all at once and it never was cohesive. Nonetheless it was absolutely delicious and complemented the waffle very nicely. I would say the butter is not to be missed. All in all a lovely recipe that my family and I very much enjoyed and I will definitely make again. I was surprised there was no fat in the waffle recipe and it definitely was not needed.
Hey,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed! I haven’t tried with boiled cider, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Everyone needs to make these. They are the most delicious waffles and perfect for fall! Thank you for coming up with such a knock waffle recipe!
Thank you for trying these, Jaime! I am really glad you enjoyed them! xTieghan
I admit to being skeptical about the lack of milk/buttermilk in these pumpkin waffles. I was wrong, the apple cider worked beautifully and I also did make the effort to brown the butter. Learned my lesson, trust the recipe. They were so delicious! Thanks, Tieghan
I am so happy these turned out so well or you, Joanne! Thank you for trying them! xTieghan
Hey Tieghan,
Our family’s a big fan of your work. Up here in NorCal power is out as a precautionary measure due to high winds and risk of wildfire. It’s a rough time for the West, CO included. We’re lucky enough to have a backup generator to power the fridge, water, coffee and WAFFLE IRON!! Your recipe made our home smell amazing, feel cozy and everyone is happy after brunch. It’s the little things! Recipe was fun to make and a keeper. Thanks again!
It really is! I hope you are staying safe over there, Ryan! I am glad you have a backup generator to make these waffles haha! Thank you for trying these! xTieghan
These waffles were excellent! I did use only one cup,of cider but will add a little more next time!
Thank you so much Julie! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Waffle Wednesday for the win! Super easy to make and even though I doubled the recipe – I suspect a single recipe will make ALOT! The brown butter, cider and pumpkin make for a fantastic combination! The salted maple butter was a perfect touch. I didn’t even need syrup for these! I suspect these might be a lovely choice for chicken and waffles…..
Oh yes to chicken and waffles with these!! I am really glad this recipe turned out so amazing for you, Julee! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
Perfect Fall treat! Every year I make pumpkin waffles for dinner one night during Halloween week. I doubled the recipe and was a bit shy on how much spiced apple cider I had left to make a full three cups so I filled out the last of it with Fever Tree Ginger Beer. I used home-made pumpkin puree from our local CSA share. They turned out amazing! May have to make these again this fall. Thanks for a few annual Fall treat!
Yum! I am really glad these waffles turned out so amazing for you, Sarah! Thank you for trying them! xTieghan
I was wondering can I use almond flour or oat flour instead of all purpose flour?
Hey Janine,
I would recommend using Cup4cup GF flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can I make the batter the night before?
Hey Ally,
Yes that is fine to do, just let it come to room temp before using! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These are seriously THE BEST pumpkin waffles ever. My only regret is that I didn’t double the batch!
Hi Beth! I am so happy this recipe turned out so amazing for you!! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Waffles were delicious! My first time making them with my new cuisine art waffle maker. One thing is to make sure to whip the maple butter, which people may have realized without that being spelled out, but i didn’t lol. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you Nicholle! I am really glad these turned out so well for you all! xTieghan
These were amazing! If you’re reading this recipe, you HAVE to make them. They got rave reviews from everyone, even my husband who doesn’t like anything other than simple Bisquick waffles. I was definitely worried when I decided to make them, certain he would complain; he asked why I didn’t make more. The family has already requested them again.
Wow that is so amazing to hear, Micall! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! xTieghan
Feeding a family of 6, would it be a good idea to double the recipe? I’ll be making pancakes. Thanks! I can’t wait to eat them!
Thank you Corinne! xTieghan
These were incredibly delicious! I used the full amount of apple cider and the batter was very thick. One star off because these don’t get crispy the way my other waffles do, but maybe that’s too much to ask of a recipe packed w pumpkin and cider?
Hey Nina,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! Did you happen to adjust the recipe at all? Sorry they did not get crispy for you, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Seriously good! I made a trial batch last weekend and they were gone immediately. Just made a double batch for this weekend because I still had enough TJs spiced cider and maple butter. I’ll make sure to eat one before telling the spouse and 3 sons they’re done, all were eaten before I got to try one last time.
Thank you so much Teresa! I am so happy this recipe turned out so amazing for you! xTieghan
Made these for dinner last night So yummy and my home smelled so good I had batter left over, Brought it over to my daughters this morning and made it for her and my grandson They loved them as well Nice to have waffles with a fall twist
I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Marie! Thank you! xTieghan
I don’t have a waffle iron. Is it possible to make pancakes with the recipe?
Hey Suzanne,
You bet! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These tasted good but was really disappointed in the texture. They were so limp…not like usual waffles. Too much liquid?.
Hey Diane,
So sorry you did not enjoy this recipe. Did you adjust anything at all? I haven’t had issues with too much liquid for these. Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Good flavor but very limp. I was really disappointed in the texture.
Hi Diane! I am sorry about that. Is there anything I can help with? Or anything that could have gone wrong while making this? xTieghan
Love your blog and recipes, I just anted to double check that it’s supposed to be a tablespoon on baking powder. The batter was tingling on my tongue!
Thank you Shelley! xTieghan
These waffles were very good! Easy to make and delicious! I liked using the apple cider in the mix. Oh, and the salted maple butter was outstanding!
Thank you so much Sandy! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
Made these waffles for Thanksgiving day breakfast and they were a total hit! I think they may become a Thanksgiving morning tradition in our house!!
Aw love that! Thank you Sophia! xTieghan
I’ve made these a few times and they always turn out amazing. My family can’t get enough! When we do have extras I freeze them, then pop them in the toaster to thaw for a quick breakfast. Can’t praise this recipe enough, it is simple and delicious!
Hey Emily,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Another amazing recipe Tieghan!! I made these on a whim this morning and they were deelish! I had to substitute apple syrup because I didn’t have any cider but they were still moist on the inside. Thanks again for another great recipe!!
Hey Stephanie,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have a great week! xTieghan