Spiced Yeasted Waffles with Pecans and Apples are the ultimate Fall and Winter breakfast! They are easy to make, and I show you how to make the most perfectly crisp, light and fluffy waffles with pecans and spices!
Make the best Fall spiced waffles, studded with toasted pecans and topped with caramel apple compote!
Waffles and pancakes are of course one of everyone’s favorite brunch foods ever! And they are mine too. Which is why I usually always have homemade waffle mix (or pancake mix) at hand for the weekends.
But a few years ago I switched to yeasted waffles, and I’ve never looked back! Yeasted waffles are easily the best (and also the easiest!) waffles I’ve ever had.
That’s because they require minimal effort to make the batter (because yeast + time will do the work for you), and produce the lightest, fluffiest, and most crisp waffles! They honestly sound too good to be true, yet they are very very real.
Here, I’m giving my yeasted waffles a Fall (and Winter) makeover.
- A cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg spice mix is added to the yeasted waffle batter.
- The waffles are studded with toasted pecans.
- And topped with a delicious spiced caramel apple compote.
What you can expect with this recipe
- Fluffy waffles with a crisp exterior. This is especially true if you make Belgian style waffles.
- Cinnamon and spice flavor in your waffles, with the option of adding pecans too. You could even add chocolate chips if that strikes your fancy.
- Easy prep the night before, and the flexibility to keep the batter in the fridge for up to 24 hours if you like.
- These Fall spiced yeasted waffles can be topped with anything you like, but I share the recipe for a delicious caramel apple pie filling as well!
What you need to make spiced yeasted waffles
- All purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Honey – Functions as food for the yeast, and also adds flavor. You can use brown sugar instead too.
- Spice mix – I use a combination of cinnamon and other spices. But you can use pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice or even chai spice as well.
- Yeast – I use active dry yeast, but you can use instant yeast too.
- Milk
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs
- Baking soda
- 2 tsp water
- Toasted pecans – You can also add or substitute with chocolate chips, walnuts, or even blueberries.
How to make the spiced yeasted waffle batter
These waffles are super easy to make, I promise! But to enjoy waffles for breakfast, make sure to make the batter the evening before.
The first step to making these spiced yeasted waffles is to activate the yeast in a very large bowl. Mix the honey, yeast and some of the warm milk together, and let it stand for about 10 – 15 minutes. The yeast should start to foam in the milk. If it doesn’t, then the yeast is likely expired, and I don’t recommend using that yeast for this or any other yeasted recipe.
To the activated yeast, add the rest of the milk, melted butter, spice mix, flour and the salt. Mix to form a scraggly wet dough. Make sure there are no dry flour pockets in there as well.
Cover the bowl and transfer it to the fridge. Let it proof for at least 8 hours in the fridge. If you want to keep the batter in the fridge for up to 24 hours, then I recommend keeping the bowl in the coldest part of your fridge, to allow for a slower proof.
Toast some pecans in a dry pan for a few minutes. Make sure not to burn them. Only toast them until they start to turn color and smell great! Transfer the pecans onto a chopping board and chop them into smaller pieces. Then set them aside for the next day.
The next morning, remove the batter from the fridge. It should have proofed quite a lot overnight, and look very billowy in the bowl. Be careful not to knock the bowl around, because you don’t want the air to be knocked out of the batter.
In a medium sized bowl, mix the baking soda in the small amount of water. Add the eggs to the mixture and whisk to combine. Carefully spoon about 1/2 – 3/4 cup of the batter (doesn’t have to be precise) into the egg mixture and stir to combine well.
Pour the egg-batter mixture back into the large waffle batter bowl. Make sure to pour the egg mixture all over the surface of the dough. Fold in the batter to mix the egg mixture as much as possible, without deflating the waffle batter too much.
Now you’re ready to make some spiced yeasted waffles!
Which waffle iron to use to make these yeasted waffles
I personally prefer to make these spiced yeasted waffles in a belgian style waffle maker. In fact, now I make all my waffles in the following two Belgian waffle makers.
The waffle maker I use here is the Oster 3874 Flip Nonstick Belgian Waffle Maker. These waffles are thick with deep pockets, and make the fluffiest and lightest waffles!
The other waffle maker I own is the Breville smart waffle maker. This is what I use when I make waffles for crowds (4 waffles at a time). The pockets I get from this aren’t as deep as the round waffles I’ve made here with the Oster, but it still produces deliciously fluffy waffles!
Plug in your waffle maker and let it pre-heat.
Brush the plates with some butter, only when the plates are hot.
Next, pour some of the waffle batter onto the waffle maker plate and immediately sprinkle some of the chopped, toasted pecan on top.
Close the waffle maker and allow the waffle to cook through. To ensure a crisp waffle, allow the waffles to cook until they are a little darker than golden brown. Do not open the waffle maker until the green light comes on (to notify that it’s done). However, in my waffle maker, I let the waffle cook for a few seconds – one minute longer.
Transfer the cooked waffle onto a wire rack.
To keep the waffles warm, preheat your oven to the warm setting. Keep the waffles in the oven (on a wire rack) until you’re ready to serve. They can dry out if you keep them in the oven for a long time, so be mindful of that. Serve the spiced yeasted waffles warm with a topping of your choice!
Tips for perfect waffles
- Make sure your waffle maker is very hot before adding the waffle batter.
- Brush the waffle plates with butter or oil so that the waffles become crisp and don’t stick to the plate.
- Don’t overfill the waffle maker! This will depend on the waffle maker, but use the first waffle as a guide on how much batter to fill the waffle maker with, to get perfect waffles without any overflow.
- The waffle is still cooking if there is a lot of steam escaping from the waffle maker. Never open the waffle maker at this stage. Only open the waffle maker once the steam is minimal or the “done” light comes on.
- Allow the spiced yeasted waffles to cool on a wire rack once cooked. The air flow will prevent condensation that will make the waffles soggy.
Topping for the waffles
These waffles can be eaten ANY TIME you crave some Fall vibes on your breakfast or brunch table!
You can totally eat these waffles with some melted butter and maple syrup! Simple, tried and true, can’t go wrong with that.
However, I definitely, absolutely, highly recommend my caramel apple compote. Now that is an experience.
This apple compote topping is a DREAM on top of these spiced yeasted waffles. The spices in the apple compote and the waffles are incredibly warming and delicious.
The caramel in the compote acts like the syrup to your waffles too. I hope you enjoy these spiced yeasted waffles with caramel apple compote, and get to share them with your family and friends too! 🙂
Recipe
Spiced Yeasted Waffles with Pecans and Caramel Apple Compote
US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results whenever available.
Common Measurement ConversionsIngredients:
Spiced yeasted waffle batter
The previous evening
- 600 mL milk 2 ½ cups, lukewarm
- 1 tbsp honey
- 7 g active dry yeast 2 ½ tsp
- 250 g flour about 2 cups, measured by spoon and level method
- 90 g cornstarch about ⅔ cup, measured by spoon and level method
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 115 g unsalted butter melted, 1 stick / ½ cup
- 1 ¼ tsp sea salt
The morning of
- 2 large eggs
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp water room temperature
To serve
- 1 recipe caramel apple compote make this the previous day for convenience
- Whipped cream (optional)
- Maple syrup (optional)
- Whipped butter (optional)
Instructions:
Activate the yeast
- Place the warm milk in a bowl (see recipe notes). Whisk the honey in the milk to dissolve.600 mL milk, 1 tbsp honey
- Sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm milk, and mix gently.7 g active dry yeast
- Allow the yeast to activate for about 10 – 15 minutes.
Make the batter
- Place the milk with the activated yeast in a very large bowl. Add the flour, cornstarch, spices, butter, and salt. Whisk to combine well, and make sure there are no dry lumps. You can also use an electric mixer, but I usually use a manual balloon whisk or spatula.250 g flour, 90 g cornstarch, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground cardamom, 115 g unsalted butter, 1 ¼ tsp sea salt, ¼ tsp ground cloves
- Cover and let it sit in the fridge overnight (for best results), or up to 24 hours.
- The batter will at least double in size by the following morning. Do not deflate the batter at this point.
- For toasted pecans – Place the pecans in a non-stick skillet. Heat over medium heat while moving the pecans around in the pan. Heat the pecans until they are toasted (turn color and are fragrant).
- Place the pecans on a chopping board and let them cool slightly. Chop the pecans into smaller pieces, and set aside for the following day.
The following morning
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix the room temperature water and baking soda.½ tsp baking soda, 2 tsp water
- Add the 2 eggs, and whisk the eggs really well.2 large eggs
- Add about ½ – ¾ cup of the waffle batter into the egg mixture, and mix really well.
- Pour the egg mix back into the rest of the batter mixture, and gently stir / fold it in until there are no egg streaks left in the batter. Be careful not to deflate the batter too much at this point.
- The yeasted waffle batter is now ready to be used.
Making the waffles
- Preheat the waffle iron well, and brush the plates with butter or oil.
- Using a ladle or ice cream scoop, pour the batter onto the waffle iron plate. Make sure not to overfill (adjust the batter amount after one test waffle at the start).
- Sprinkle some of the toasted pecans on top, and close the waffle maker.
- Cook the waffle until it's crisp and dark golden brown in color.
- Carefully remove the waffle from the waffle maker, and let it cool on a wire rack.
- If needed, place the cooked waffles in an oven, at the lowest heat setting, to keep them warm until they are served.
- Serve with caramel apple compote.1 recipe caramel apple compote
Caramel apple compote (make this the previous day, for convenience)
- Make the compote according to this apple compote recipe. Then let it cool in the fridge.1 recipe caramel apple compote
- Before serving, gently warm the apple compote in the microwave. You can also warm the compote in a saucepan over low-medium heat on the stove.
- Spoon the caramel apple compote over the waffles before serving. Top with whipped cream. Alternatively, serve the waffles with maple syrup and whipped butter.Maple syrup, Whipped butter, Whipped cream
Recipe Notes
Note about activating the yeast
You can activate the active dry yeast in either 1/2 cup of warm milk or the whole milk amount. If using instant yeast, you do not need to activate the yeast. But do use lukewarm milk to make the batter.Note about the yield
The yield can vary depending on how proofed your batter is, and how much it deflates during the final mixing step.Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
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