The first time my mom and I tried to make healthy waffles, it did not go well.

Long story short: the waffle stuck to the pan, it wasn’t cooked through, and we ended up with more charred waffle pieces than decent ones once we had scraped the remains out of the waffle iron. It was definitely not the most auspicious beginning to our healthy-waffle attempts, that’s for sure.

However, the next Sunday we tried again. And when our gluten free, dairy free waffles came out the iron a little less burnt and overall, a little more appetizing, we looked at it as a promising sign for waffles to come.

Eventually, after many a failed waffle, I figured out the correct ratio of gluten free flour to eggs, and began creating decent, and in fact delicious waffle recipes. In the end, the waffles were definitely worth the struggle.

When I first began creating Single Serving waffle recipes, I found myself embroiled in a similar struggle, as my waffles always ended up too chewy or hard-as-a-rock when I removed them from the pan. Luckily, after a couple of tries, I got into the rhythm of making yummy, fluffy waffles, and again I found that all the failed waffles were worth the delicious recipes that came from them.

Fortunately, these waffles did not go through any such struggle.

This recipe was one of those rare but oh-so-welcomed recipes where you get it right on the first try, and don’t have to spend another five hours in the kitchen wondering why on earth your waffle tastes like cardboard. This recipe waffle is hearty and delicious, with all the wonderful flavors of spice melded together and even heightened with the sticky sweetness of maple syrup.

Yes, this waffle is definitely a winner.

Not to mention, it doesn’t contain any butter, sugar, or gluten, and is only 194 calories. So by making it for breakfast you’re not only making a “winner” of a recipe- you’re a winner too! 😉

Pumpkin Waffle for One

• 1/2 c old fashioned oats (or rolled oats)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbs pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg white
• 2 tbs milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond milk)
• sweetener to taste

Preheat a waffle iron. Blend oats in a food processor or small blender until the consistency of oat flour is reached. Pour into a small bowl. Add baking powder, sweetener, and cinnamon and stir until combined. Add pumpkin puree, egg white, and milk and mix until fully combined. Grease a waffle iron, then scoop in batter and bake for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information (from myfitnesspal.com)

Calories: 194

Fat: 3g

Carbs: 33g

Protein: 10g

(Yields 1 servings)

Recipe yields one large 8″ Belgian waffle