Pumpkin Ale Waffles & How To Roast A Pumpkin
 Although most of you are in the giddy early stages of fall, here in Los Angeles it’s still over 90 degrees. So what the rest of the country is referring to as "Fall," I am calling Pumpkin Season. And to curb my near constant urge to shove as much pumpkin into everything I consume, I have elected to only make pumpkin from scratch, no cans.
It’s only really helped a little. It’s pretty easy to roast a pumpkin and turn it into massive quantities of pumpkin treats.
If you haven’t roasted your own, don’t be intimidated, its pretty simple.
Start with a pie pumpkin. They go by various other names, but they are not Jack-o-Lantern pumpkins used for carving. They are small, about the size of a cantaloupe.
Preheat oven to 375.
Remove the stem by running a butter knife around the edges and then prying it off. The most stubborn one I removed by whacking it on the edge of the counter. Popped right off.
Cut the pumpkin in half, right through the hole left by the stem.
Scoop the seeds out with a spoon.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place pumpkins on baking sheets, cover tightly with aluminum foil. Roast at 375 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until a fork can easily slide into the skin.
 Allow to cool and sccop the flesh out.
For a smoother texture, process in a food processor for about 3 minutes.
See, that’s not so hard. You can totally do that.
Pumpkin Ale Waffles
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 4 eggs divided
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 stick melted butter
- 1 cup Pumpkin Ale
(Makes 6 to 8)
Instructions
- Preheat waffle iron.
- Get out three bowls.
- In the largest bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking power, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, stir until well combined.
- Divide the eggs between the last two bowls, egg whites in one, yolks in the other.
- In the yolks bowl, add the milk and pumpkin puree, stir until well combined. Add the melted butter and stir.
- Using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes.
- Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry mixture and stir until just combined, don't over mix. Add the beer and stir until combined. Gently fold in the egg whites.
- Spray waffle iron with butter flavored cooking spray. Cook waffles according to manufactures directions.
Comments
Kevin (Closet Cooking) September 25, 2012 um 5:05 am
Nice way to use some pumpkin ale!
Tina @ More Please Recipes September 25, 2012 um 7:09 am
Thanks for the step-by-step on how to roast a pumpkin. I’m up for the non-processed foods challenge, and this will work just perfectly!
Jackie September 25, 2012 um 9:41 am
October Unprocessed? Great, me too!
Tina @ More Please Recipes September 26, 2012 um 2:02 pm
Yup, October Unprocessed, hee, that’s what I meant!
claire @ the realistic nutritionist September 25, 2012 um 7:41 am
I LOVE LOVE LOVE using regular pumpkins in place of puree. I do it all the time.
Cassie September 25, 2012 um 7:49 am
Such a simple thing yet I rarely roast my own pumpkins. I need to get on it, ASAP. Because I desperately need these waffles. Love this!
Jackie September 25, 2012 um 9:42 am
It’s really the only way I can make anything that doesn’t have pumpkin in it! If I have to spend the time to roast my own, I use it much more sparingly.
Eileen September 25, 2012 um 11:29 am
It’s definitely pumpkin season and not actual fall up here in the south bay too. 🙂 These waffles sound amazing!
Katie @ Blonde Ambition September 25, 2012 um 11:38 am
When will California get the memo?? It’s supposed to be 97 degrees all weekend up here!
I’m not a huge pumpkin fan, (I think it’s because I never liked pumpkin pie as a kid) but I love the idea of the challenge of roasting one. Plus I can impress my pumpkin loving friends and family!
Jackie September 25, 2012 um 12:14 pm
I know, I want to wear boots and sweaters already!
My "non-pumpkin" friends found that they like savory pumpkin more than sweet. Like pumpkin hummus, or pumpkin ravioli.
Katie @ Blonde Ambition September 26, 2012 um 2:14 pm
I’m actually kind of obsessed with hummus — that sounds like a great idea!
Gary October 2, 2012 um 3:02 pm
*cough* *cough* Denver, CO is where it’s at! Sweater weather is here…at least this week. And, so much more (and better) beer in one concentrated area than NorCal (moved out from there a little over a year ago). See ya at GABF!?!?
Jackie October 2, 2012 um 3:34 pm
I have always wanted to live in Denver. Seems so beautiful, and yes, fantastic beer! May be time for a visit 🙂
Natalie September 25, 2012 um 1:33 pm
Is that Shipyard’s Smashed Pumpkin Ale that I see in the background?? I love pumpkin, so you think I’d love pumpkin beers, but for some reason they fall short for me. EXCEPT Shipyard’s. That is some damn fine beer right there.
The waffles look amazing!! I’m already anxious enough about fall and Halloween, these waffles just added to it! There are just not enough hours in the day to enjoy it all!!
Jen @ Savory Simple September 25, 2012 um 1:38 pm
I need these in my life.
Dawn September 25, 2012 um 2:02 pm
These look amazing! And living in Texas I have a similar problem, I love Fall and long for it but I love Pumpkin even more and keep telling myself it’s ok that it’s 95 degrees outside right now because I have pumpkin.
Question: When roasting pumpkin, do you cover the pumpkins themselves tightly in foil or just the baking sheet under them?
Thanks!
Jackie September 25, 2012 um 2:08 pm
The baking sheet. You want to trap the steam in as much as possible.
Gerry @ Foodness Gracious September 25, 2012 um 2:15 pm
I freaking love pumpkin!! And I want to do this just so I can bang one of the counter to remove the stem 😉
Jackie September 25, 2012 um 2:51 pm
HAHA! I was so frustrated. That sucker wasn’t coming off no matter how hard I tried with a butter knife.
Averie @ Averie Cooks September 25, 2012 um 2:54 pm
Your pumpkin waffles look crazy good!
I have only ever tried to roast pumpkin seeds (once) with very meh lackluster results. Need to try all your tips!
[email protected] September 25, 2012 um 3:17 pm
A great reason to pull out the waffle iron! This fall is going to be filled with pumpkin!
Erin @ The Food Doctors September 25, 2012 um 4:19 pm
Yum! These look amazing. I love roasting pumpkins! It’s so easy, and everybody looks at you like you’re a miracle worker when you walk in with a pumpkin pie that is not from a can.
The first time I did it, though, I didn’t know to scoop out the flesh after roasting. I just tossed the whole hot mess into a food processor. Extra fiber?? LOL
Jackie September 25, 2012 um 6:15 pm
Haha! I’ve done things like that. When you don’t grow up with someone teaching you to cook, and you’re on your own to figure it out, things like that happen.
Julia September 25, 2012 um 5:08 pm
Love discovering new pumpkin recipes for the Fall season. Your photos look great!
Maggie September 26, 2012 um 2:40 pm
HELLO! Love this. Can’t wait to make it. Looks amazing. Waffles are my favorite!
marilynr September 26, 2012 um 2:43 pm
Have you ever considered taking the seeds out fo the two halves of the pumpkin and filling them with stew? (With beer in the stew, of course). I never roast pumpkins because I never see small ones in the stores. But, now you have me interested. Thanks!
Denise September 27, 2012 um 6:03 am
Just out of curiosity, how long does homemade pumpkin puree last?
Jackie September 27, 2012 um 9:37 am
They say about a week. Although it doesn’t seem to last that long in my house!
Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies September 27, 2012 um 9:58 am
I’m planning on making my own pumpkin puree this fall. And now I don’t have to Google for instructions!
Amber @ Slim Pickin’s Kitchen September 28, 2012 um 3:42 pm
I’m right there with you on the heat factor, but just on the other side of the country. I’m in Charleston, SC, and we have only seen just a few small sprinkles of fall weather. Surprisingly, I’ve never roasted my own pumpkin. It’s practically blasphemous, but I’m definitely going to have to try it out. It seems like everyone is doing it nowadays!
dieta October 2, 2012 um 3:25 pm
So I have some small pumpkins that I think are pie pumpkins, or at least I hope they are, since I intend to make pies out of them anyways. I’m not really sure the best way to roast them, though, so that they can be made into pie, as I understand that that is the first step.
Anne September 6, 2013 um 4:30 pm
I was looking for a beer waffle recipe and stumbled on this. I currently have half a roasted calabaza pumpkin, so this was a perfect find. Thanks!
Anne September 17, 2013 um 1:24 pm
LOVE these waffles! Made some changes (whole wheat, oats, that sort of thing) and reblogged on my page, crediting you with the original of course 🙂 http://www.teacheatlove.com/2013/09/pumpkin-ale-waffles-whole-grain.html