Go Back
Jack O Lantern Waffles Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Jack O Lantern Waffles Recipe

I started making these jack o lantern waffles a few Octobers ago when my kids begged for something "spooky" for breakfast, and now it's basically a tradition in our house. There's something about watching their faces light up when a smiling pumpkin waffle lands on their plate that never gets old for me.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour — gives the waffle its structure so measure it with a spoon and level it off rather than scooping
  • 3 tablespoons sugar — adds a light sweetness without making the batter overly sugary
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil — keeps the waffles moist and tender on the inside
  • ½ tablespoon baking powder — this is what makes your waffles puff up nice and fluffy
  • 1 large egg — binds everything together and adds a bit of richness
  • ¾ cup milk — thins the batter to the right pourable consistency whole milk works best for flavor
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract — rounds out the flavor and takes away any raw-egg taste
  • pinch of salt — balances the sweetness so the waffle doesn't taste flat
  • orange food coloring — the star ingredient that turns your batter into a jack-o'-lantern shade
  • black gel icing — for drawing on the eyes nose, and mouth once the waffle is done
  • green gel icing and sprinkles — for the pumpkin stem on top

Method
 

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until they're evenly combined. This step only takes a minute, but it helps prevent any clumps of baking powder from ending up in one bite. Set this bowl aside while you prep the wet ingredients.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract together until smooth. Add a few drops of orange food coloring at this stage and stir until the color looks even. You can always add more coloring gradually until you reach that classic pumpkin shade.
  3. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Try not to overmix here, since a few small lumps are totally fine and actually keep the texture light. The batter should look thick but still pourable.
  4. Preheat your waffle maker and lightly grease it if needed. Pour in enough batter to cover the plates and close the lid, cooking on medium heat until the indicator light goes off. If it doesn't look fully done, give it another 30 seconds before checking again.
  5. Once the waffle is out and has cooled for a minute, use black gel icing to draw two triangle eyes and a round jack-o'-lantern mouth. Add a green icing stem at the top and press a pinch of sprinkles into it before serving right away.

Notes

  • I always let my waffle maker fully preheat before pouring in the batter, or the edges come out pale instead of golden.
  • I use gel food coloring instead of liquid drops, since it gives a much richer orange without thinning out my batter.
  • I keep my black icing at room temperature before drawing, because cold icing tends to clog and crack instead of flowing smoothly.
  • I like doubling the batch and freezing extras, so decorating in the morning is even faster the next time around.
  • I always let the waffle cool for a minute or two before decorating, otherwise the icing melts and slides right off.