Prep: Make the vegan “buttermilk” by adding the soy milk and apple cider vinegar to a small bowl; let sit for at least 5 minutes to curdle. Set a waffle iron to the side.
Dry Ingredients:Sift the oat flour, almond flour, spice, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Sifting the flour creates fluffier waffles, so I strongly recommend it. Whisk everything to evenly combine and form a well in the center of the bowl.
Wet Ingredients: add the pumpkin, maple syrup, and optional vanilla to the bowl with the buttermilk and mix until combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until a smooth and even batter forms.
Bake: Warm the waffle iron to your preferred doneness setting (I like medium-dark), then add 1/2-1 cup of batter to the iron, depending on your waffle size. Use a spatula to spread the batter around, then close and cook according to your device’s instructions. Repeat with the remaining batter. (Note: My Belgian waffle iron made 3 large waffles, but a smaller iron could make up to 6)
Serve: Serve warm, topped as desired. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days – but I actually prefer to freeze my waffles and reheat from frozen, as the texture stays more crisp. Waffles will keep in the freezer for up to one month.
Notes
Soy Milk: you can use another milk if you’d like, but soy milk creates the best vegan buttermilk due to its high protein content.
Oat Flour: you can easily make oat flour by adding your oats to a blender and processing for 30-45 seconds, until a fine and fluffy flour forms. If you have pre-made oat flour, go by weight. Using equal volume of flour is roughly the same as well.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: these waffles have a subtle spiced flavor; for a more intense pumpkin pie spice, use up to 3 teaspoons in the batter. Or simply leave it out if you’re not a fan!
Other Substitutions: I have not tested this recipe with any other flours, but let me know if you find another that works well for you! Maple syrup can be replaced with another liquid or granulated sweeter, such as agave, coconut sugar, or brown sugar.
Nut-Free: replace the almond flour with half of the amount (1/4 cup + 2 tbsp) of oat flour