The Ingredient Swap For Irresistible Pumpkin Spice Waffles

Nothing says "fall" like pumpkin spice, well, anything. The autumn-inspired flavor has seeped into everything from morning coffees to desserts, and Americans seem to be fans of it all. The Guardian reports that sales for products featuring the pumpkin spice flavor have increased roughly 47% over the last five years and that Americans spent over $236 million on pumpkin spice-flavored grocery items from July 2021 to July 2022. It is suggested that people who love pumpkin spice flavor so much has to do with the connection between their sense of smell, which often evokes fond memories like family get-togethers and the colors of fall.

Warm, fragrant, sweet, and comforting homemade waffles. Served dripping with butter and syrup, indulging in this treat is like getting a cozy hug from someone you love. You may not think breakfast could get much better than this alongside a strong cup of coffee — but this exchange of a simple ingredient substitution may surprise you.

In her recipe for pumpkin spice waffles featured in People magazine, chef and author Kristina Cho lays out an ingredient list and cooking description that is like many other waffle recipes, except that she substitutes mochiko flour for regular flour. According to Daisy Flour, mochiko flour is sometimes called sweet rice flour or glutinous rice flour, but mochiko is neither sweet nor contains any gluten. It has a very fine texture, is made from sticky ground rice, and is known for its moist and chewy cooking and baking results, according to Just One Cookbook. It is most famously used to make popular Japanese desserts such as mochi ice cream and dango.

Cho explains in People that using the mochiko flour results in a waffle that is "crispy on the outside with a bouncy, custardy interior." The flour is combined with the other dry ingredients the recipe calls for, while wet ingredients like pumpkin, butter, and eggs are mixed separately. The two mixtures are combined, ladled into a waffle iron, and cooked according to the product's manufacturer's instructions. Pumpkin for breakfast is certainly nothing new (via Food Network), but this new twist might make you feel as delighted as you did upon having that first pumpkin spice latte.