Liege waffles are so much different than America’s version of Belgian Waffles. Learn the difference, and taste traditional, authentic Belgian Liege waffles with their heavenly bits of caramelized Belgian pearl sugar and you’ll never look back!
These Liege waffles are super lekker!
Oh, I’m sorry, you don’t speak Dutch?
Neither do I, but I learned the term “super lekker” from my cousin’s four year old daughter when I was visiting in Belgium last month.
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“Super lekker” translates to “super tasty” in English, and that’s exactly how to describe these authentic Liege waffles!
What is the Difference Between US Belgian Waffles and Authentic LiegeWaffles?
First of all, if you’re like me, you probably think these are sort of like our American breakfast waffles, right? Well, I was so far off base on this: you can’t imagine what a difference there is between the two, so let me explain the differences. Belgium has a few different types of waffles, but mainly Liege and Brussels waffles (made with yeast, and lighter than the Liege-style).
- Authentic Liege waffles are not made with a batter, but a yeast dough.
- Authentic Liege waffles have a completely different texture than American Belgian waffles.
- Instead of eating them with a knife and fork, authentic Belgian waffles (from both Liege and Brussels) are usually eaten handheld.
- Authentic Liege waffles are not solely for breakfast and are often eaten without a topping or sauce.
- One of the biggest differences is that Liege waffles have pieces of caramelized pearl sugar in them!
It’s not a surprise that as Americans we are so misled as there are a lot of “Belgian Waffle” recipes out there which do not resemble anything like the real Liege waffles and are also different than Brussels waffles. Even a very prominent and popular flour company has a recipe for “Belgian Waffles” on their site, which is made with a batter. They should probably be called American-Belgian waffles. Now you know the difference, and the recipe I will be sharing with you is for the real thing: an authentic, traditional Liege-style Belgian waffle.
Visiting Bruges and Discovering Liege Waffles
When I went to Bruges last month which was my next stop after leaving London on my culinary tour of Europe, I saw waffles everywhere! Here are a few shots from my day in Bruges (you can skip to the bottom for the waffle recipe).
We went to the chocolate museum, although it’s interesting, I’d say you could skip it and check out more of Bruges if you’re short on time. (There’s also a french fry museum!) However, a boat cruise on the canals is a must as you see many more sights, and from a unique perspective.
Sights around Bruges. The boy below is made entirely of chocolate.
We had pastries from a fabulous patisserie called Patisserie Academie. I will be posting about this lovely patisserie in more depth later, with another recipe (if I can manage to recreate the amazing dessert)!
And what trip to Belgium would be complete without having some fries…
chocolates,
and beer!
But most of all, we cannot forget about the authentic Belgian LIEGE WAFFLES!
Authentic Belgian Waffles (Liege Waffles)
adapted from Piet Huysentruyt Nieuws
Makes 10 waffles
*unfortunately, I cannot add the amounts in cups as the exact measurements are critical to this recipe
I strongly recommend buying a kitchen scale for all baking
Ingredients
- 300 g all purpose/plain flour plus 200 g flour
- 80 g sugar
- 2 tsp dry yeast
- 150 ml water
- 2 eggs
- 15 g butter (room temperature) plus
- 175 g butter, cut into pieces (then allow to sit at room temperature)
- 140 g Belgian Pearl Sugar* (found at specialty stores or Amazon)
Special equipment: waffle iron (the one I have by Waring Pro has been discontinued
Make the Liege Waffles Dough
Place 300 grams flour plus the 80 grams of regular sugar in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
Warm the water until it is lukewarm (not at all hot) then add the yeast (do not add the yeast when the water is too hot or it will kill it and the recipe will be ruined) and whisk until it has melted.
Add the eggs and 15 g of butter to the flour and sugar mixture in the mixing bowl, then pour in the water and yeast mixture, whisking to combine all the ingredients.
Continue stirring until a sticky dough is formed.
Then add the 200 grams of flour to the top, along with the 175 grams of butter pieces. Cover (without mixing anything) and allow to rest for 20 to 25 minutes.
With your hands, incorporate the butter and flour into the sticky dough until all the ingredients are well combined and the dough is no longer sticky (only add a little more flour if necessary).
Roll the Waffle Dough and Fill
Place the Liege waffle dough onto a lightly floured surface and press into a 12″ x 12″ square shape, then sprinkle with the Belgian Pearl sugar (*the original recipe lists 300 grams of sugar, but I found this to be much too much-add more or less to your liking).
Now roll the dough from one end to the other, to form a large sausage shape.
Cut into 100 gram pieces and form into ball shapes and set aside to rest for 15 minutes, covered with a slightly damp kitchen cloth.
NOTE: You can cook these Belgian waffles in the iron now. However, I discovered that keeping the dough pieces in the fridge overnight, then bringing them to room temperature and then cooking them worked marvelously, too.
Cook the LiegeWaffles
Heat the waffle iron. This is the tricky part as all irons are different. I have a Waring Pro, now discontinued, and heated mine to the number 2 setting. The goal is to cook the waffle without making it too dry and overcooked, but caramelizing the sugar pieces at the same time. Play with the settings until you reach a result that you like. This is how the sugar looks once it’s caramelized.
Place a ball of waffle dough in the middle of the iron and cook it until it’s golden brown (I cooked mine at the number 2 setting for 4 minutes) and the sugar has caramelized. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look pretty.
Carefully remove the waffle as the caramelized sugar will definitely give you a nasty burn (I used a small flat wooden utensil, but wooden tongs would also work).
Serve as is, with a dusting of powdered sugar or melted chocolate (traditional serving ideas). Authentic Belgian waffles can be eaten the next day; just warm them a little first, or even put them in the toaster.
Remember, don’t expect these to taste like, or have the same texture as American waffles. Liege waffles are so delicious, but are difficult to describe as they are so different than what we are used to.
Overnight Waffles with Buttery Maple Nectarine Topping
This is what the inside of the authentic Belgian waffles looks like: not light and fluffy, but more dense and substantial. We’re missing the best of Belgium’s waffles if we don’t make traditional Liege waffles! Order that Belgian pearl sugar and get kneading! As Donkey says from Shrek, “We’re makin’ WAFFLES!”
The inside texture of Liege waffles, along with the bits of caramelized sugar is what makes them phenomenal!
All I know is, I’m hooked on these super lekker authentic Liege waffles! Let me know if you try them by leaving a comment below. Goede eetlust (bon appetit)!
Next stop on my culinary tour? Geneva, Switzerland!
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A Super Lekker, Authentic (Traditional) Belgian Waffle Recipe and a Day Trip to Bruges!
An authentic Liege style waffle recipe to recreate the amazing waffles from Belgium in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
- 300 g flour plus 200 g flour
- 80 g sugar
- 2 tsp dry yeast
- 150 ml water
- 2 eggs
- 15 g butter (room temperature) plus
- 175 g butter, cut into pieces (then allow to sit at room temperature)
- 140 g Belgian Pearl Sugar* (found at specialty stores or Amazon)
Special equipment: waffle iron (the one I have by Waring Pro has been discontinued)
- kitchen scale
Instructions
- Place 300 grams flour plus the 80 grams of regular sugar in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Warm the water until it is lukewarm (not at all hot) then add the yeast (do not add the yeast when the water is too hot or it will kill it and the recipe will be ruined) and whisk until it has melted.
- Add the eggs and 15 g of butter to the flour and sugar mixture in the mixing bowl, then pour in the water and yeast mixture, whisking to combine all the ingredients.
- Continue stirring until a sticky dough is formed.
- Then add the 200 grams of flour to the top, along with the 175 grams of butter pieces. Cover (without mixing anything) and allow to rest for 20 to 25 minutes.
- With your hands, incorporate the butter and flour into the sticky dough until all the ingredients are well combined and the dough is no longer sticky (only add a little more flour if necessary).
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press into a 12" x 12" square shape, then sprinkle with the Belgian Pearl sugar (*the original recipe lists 300 grams of sugar, but I found this to be much too much-add more or less to your liking).
- Note: this is less than half of the sugar in the original recipe.
- Now roll the dough from one end to the other, to form a large sausage shape.
- Cut into 100 gram pieces and form into ball shapes and set aside to rest for 15 minutes, covered with a slightly damp kitchen cloth.
- NOTE: You can cook them in the waffle iron now, however, I discovered that keeping the dough pieces in the fridge overnight, then bringing them to room temperature and then cooking them worked marvelously!
- Heat the waffle iron. This is the tricky part as all irons are different. I have a Waring Pro, now discontinued, and heated mine to the number 2 setting. The goal is to cook the waffle without making it too dry and overcooked, but caramelizing the sugar pieces at the same time. Play with the settings until you reach a result that you like. This is how the sugar looks once it's caramelized.
- Place a ball of dough in the middle of the iron and cook it until it's golden brown (I cooked mine at the number 2 setting for 4 minutes) and the sugar has caramelized. Don't worry if it doesn't look pretty.
- Carefully remove the waffle as the caramelized sugar will definitely give you a nasty burn (I used a small flat wooden utensil, but wooden tongs would also work).
- Serve as is, with a dusting of powdered sugar or melted chocolate (traditional serving ideas). These can be eaten the next day; just warm them a little first, or even put them in the toaster.
Notes
These waffles truly don't need anything served on or with them, they're that good.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 waffleAmount Per Serving: Calories: 341Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 107mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 1gSugar: 18gProtein: 6g
Nutrition information is only estimated.
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[…] part of the breakfast offerings at the Hotel Royal. I was so excited to discover that authentic Belgian waffles were being served, and they were absolutely delicious (I had just left Belgium, so my standards […]
[…] Next stop on my culinary tour of Europe? Bruges, Belgium! […]
As always, when I find one of your recipes, I am intrigued. Made the dough last night and cooked them this morning.
One comment: wonderful. Totally different from my other waffle recipes! Will be making these again! Thank you for another delicious recipe.
Oh I’m so glad you tried it, Lisa! Aren’t they just SO wonderful? They are difficult to describe, but I am in love with them!! Happy Belgian waffle making! :)
Hi. I dont have the belgian pearl sugar, can i leave it out or substitute it with something else? Thanks
Hi Aisha, unfortunately, the Belgian pearl sugar is the most critical/important part of the recipe. You can order the sugar on Amazon.
FYI, if you have a World Market store near you then you might try them first. My local stores stocks it.
Oh nice! Mine doesn’t.
Hello Aisha. You can make pearl sugar at home. Blend granulated sugar into a powder form using your dry blender mill, then mix witj a little water and form into ball shapes( should be very firm) but them in the oven for 10 minuites allow to cool( use the bottom heat of the oven).Goodluck. I am going to try leige waffle for the first time tomorrow iA.
Kind regards,
Hauwa
I didn’t know that! I’ll have to try it! Thanks, Hauwa!
My husband and I went to Belgium about 3 years ago and I fell in love with the chocolate filled waffles! Your recipe looks like the right kind of waffle, but I have yet to figure out how they got the chocolate in there. It wasn’t just sandwiched in, it ran in one direction inside the middle of the waffle ridges. Any ideas?
These are the Liege waffles, Barbara, so yes, probably the right kind. I didn’t see those where I was, but let me ask my cousin who lives in Belgium, for you. I wouldn’t mind knowing myself!! :) I’ll get back to you either way. CC
unsalted butter or salted? thanks :)
Hi Drew, good question. Since the recipe had no salt in it, I used salted butter, although, as you probably know, unsalted is usually the way to go in baked goods and something like this yeasted waffle. I’d recommend salted.
Let me know how they turn out! CC
Don’t get me wrong. These were delicious and the plate was emptied, but this was the second time making them and this time I followed your directions to the tee (measuring weight and everything!), but I was a little disappointed in the “overnight” step. When I cooked them “fresh,” the sugar pearls were so much more pronounced and enjoyable. Thank you for your recipe!
No worries then, skip the overnight step. So glad you enjoyed them, it really is a great recipe (I can say that because it’s not mine) ;) Happy New Year!
Finally bought the pearl sugar and made these delicious waffles this morning. I followed your recommendation and left them in the fridge over night. They were a hit and as you told us, they don’t taste at all like the American/ Canadian Belgian waffles. I simply dusted them with icing sugar and both my grandsons loved holding them In their hands, chewing them one bite at a time. No need for syrup to mask the flavour. Everyone was impressed, as was I. Will definitely make them again, maybe on Shrove Tuesday. Thanks. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
I’m so happy everyone loved them and it’s so funny because I made a batch yesterday and took some to the neighbors and immediately got a phone call! They raved and my friend asked me to call her to come over the next time I make them so she can watch me.
Thanks so much for letting me know how it went, Luisa! You enjoy your weekend, too! :)
Hi Christina,
I was craving Belgian waffles for a few days and was going to get my hubby to buy some. It was on the shopping list but he didn’t end up getting them due to our long list of items. I’m glad he didn’t because it ended up leading me to find your lovely recipe and your website!
Your website is truly inspiring and the recipes look delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipes, recipe photos (which are very helpful) and your travelling and eating journeys. I am such a fan and am looking forward to receiving recipe updates :)
By the way, that early morning when I found your Belgian waffle recipe, I decided I would make them while hubby kindly attended to our baby. I was so excited about making them! I had a discussion with my hubby that if they tasted nice, could we please get a waffle maker that day (I actually tried the first cooked test batch of dough in the sandwich press I bought my hubby for his b’day… Yes, I hope you aren’t cringing). Anyway we both loved it so much that we made our way out to get a waffle maker! And I am so glad we did because we have and a lovely week of waffles at home, while I have been looking after out any full-time :)
So Thank You again and I am looking to making and baking more treats!
I’m not sure where you update your posts the most but let me know, unless you update all your accounts with your latest recipes e.g Twitter, Instagram etc. I am thinking of signing up to any of these just to follow your latest recipes, but if you update regularly via email, I’ll be happy with that :)