Western Cooks: Vegan Pumpkin Spice Waffle

By Kaeli Hearn Being a vegan, the one food item I alway miss eating are waffles. This recipe incorporates vegan ingredients to make a delicious waffle that has a fall twist -- pumpkin spice latte. Who doesn’t love a big, crisp waffle on a cool fall morning? These waffles are simple to make and have a full flavor of pumpkin and coffee. Plus, they are vegan! This recipe only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish and will leave you wanting more! They are also perfect for a quick snack if you want to put the extra waffles in the freezer and toast them. Ingredients: 1 flax egg ¼ cup pumpkin puree ¼ cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon Canola oil 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice ½ cup unsweetened almond milk ⅓ cup strongly brewed coffee 1 ¼ cup whole-wheat flour Procedure: Make the flax egg by combining 1 tablespoon of flax meal to 2 ½ tablespoon of water. Let rest for 5 minutes to allow for flax egg to thicken. Combine pumpkin puree, brown sugar, canola oil, baking powder and pumpkin spice by whisking with a fork. Then combine the almond milk and coffee. (the mixture will be very runny, but that it ok) Finally, add the whole-wheat flour slowly, whisking with a fork. Preheat waffle iron and leave the batter to rest for about 5 minutes. Once preheated, spray waffle iron with a vegan cooking spray. I use coconut oil non-stick spray. Add about ½ the batter at the center of the waffle iron. Let cook until very crispy on the outside. Once done, let sit for about a minute on a cooling rack, so they can crisp up more. Serve with maple syrup and bananas with a sprinkle of pumpkin spice and brown sugar. And do not forget, your warm cup of coffee to go along with your crisp, fall flavored waffle. Tip -- if you want stronger flavors, add more coffee in the batter. You can also serve these waffles with peanut butter and roasted pecans.