Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Waffle Recipe

Happy Wednesday, and happy first day of fall! Or Autumn - whichever you prefer. Fall is my absolute favorite time of year, because it means football, yoga pants, sweaters, boots, perfect running weather, and all things pumpkin. Which is what brings me here today. I've got a most delicious - and healthy! - pumpkin waffle recipe to share with you guys. I can't take any of the credit, as I found this recipe while hardcore perusing Pinterest, but I knew that today would be the perfect day for it. Why? Because today the students and employees of the Houston Independent School District were gifted a fall holiday. Sure, it's on a Wednesday, and I have to go back to work tomorrow instead of enjoying a three-day weekend like I did last year, but this holiday could not have come at a more perfect time. It seemed as though every teacher was walking with a little extra pep in his or her step yesterday, brimming with talk of how the fall holiday was going to be spent. I would be lying if I said I didn't join in, and what I came up with was sleeping in until 8:00am, enjoying the cooler weather with a crisp morning bike ride, and indulging in a delicious fall-themed breakfast while catching up with Kelly and Michael.

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 egg
• ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• ⅓ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• ½ cup dairy-free chocolate chips + extra

*This recipe makes about 2-3 large waffles.

Directions:
1. Combine flour, baking soda, chia seeds, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a medium bowl and set aside.
2. In a separate large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, honey, egg, yogurt, and almond milk.
3. Add flour mixture to the wet mixture, taking care not to over-stir.
4. Gently add in the chocolate chips, again, taking care not to over-mix.
5. Heat up your waffle iron, and spray down with cooking spray.
6. Spoon about 1 cup of mix onto the waffle iron, spreading it evenly throughout the iron. Add a little more if needed.
7. Cook according to your iron's directions - my waffle iron took about 5-7 minutes per waffle, but it depends on the waffle iron being used.
8. Gently remove from the waffle iron, let cool, and enjoy! I added blueberries to mine, but I think strawberries would also taste fantastic. The chocolate was enough added sweetener for my taste, but if you're a fan of syrup, I have no doubt that would be another delicious addition. If you're looking for a real indulgence, a sprinkle of powdered sugar would really take the cake.

The perfect breakfast to start off a slow fall morning. It's delicious, yet chock full of good-for-you ingredients. Not something I would eat every morning, but a fun way to mix it up every once in a while. And with that, I'm off to do a little bit more baking. I have to get it in while I have the time!