Authentic Belgian Waffle Recipe | Julie Blanner (2024)

FAQs

How are Belgian waffles traditionally made? ›

Belgian waffles start with a yeasted batter, require a leavening agent and tend to include more butter, milk and sugar. If you try to make the Liege style, larger sugar granules are added for more crunch. Traditional or American waffles often substitute yeast with baking powder and do not sit overnight.

The Difference Between Belgian Waffles and Regular Waffles

These Belgian beauties are made with a recipe that includes yeasted batter and crunchy pearl sugar. Belgian waffles have extra-deep pockets—the better for filling with butter, jam, maple syrup, or whipped cream.

Here's how you can tell the two apart. Brussels waffles are made with a yeast-leavened batter, which makes them lighter and crispier. They are rectangular with defined edges, and they have deeper pockets or holes. Liege waffles are made with a thicker batter that is similar to bread dough, and they have uneven edges.

The pearl sugar is key to their slight crunch, while the yeast and egg whites contribute to their wonderfully fluffy texture (noticeably less dense than their American counterparts). The term “Belgian waffle” also encompasses several different varieties of this European treat.

Belgium has a few different types of waffles, primarily Liege and Brussels waffles. Brussels waffles are made with a thin, yeast-leavened batter which makes them lighter and airier.

Belgian waffles taste more soft and crispy, while waffles in the Netherlands are made from a heavier batter with a chewy and sticky texture. Another prominent difference lies in the shapes used by Belgian and Dutch styles. The former is in the shape of rectangle and the latter is round.

The Brussels waffle is closely associated with the city of Brussels (Belgium) but pinpointing its exact creation year remains challenging. According to some sources, the basic Brussels waffle recipe was developed in Ghent in the 18th century before gaining popularity in Brussels.

On Belgium, we call it “gaufres” (in French) or “wafels” (in Flemish). This means in English just the word “waffles”.

A Belgian waffle in the United States is called a Brussels waffle in Belgium. This waffle is lighter and crisper than the Liège waffle (see below), has deep pockets, and is typically served for dessert. Brussels waffles are rectangular or square and much larger than American waffles.

Should you let waffle batter rest? ›

Batter – The batter is thicker than a pancake batter (which should be thin enough to spread in a pan) but thinner than a muffin batter (which semi-mounds in muffin tins). Recommended overnight or 2 hr resting – for the tastiest waffles, rest the batter overnight in the fridge or for at least 2 hours.

If you don't have a Belgian waffle maker, you can use a regular waffle maker. It likely won't create the larger, thicker, deeper grooves, but you may still end up with fluffier waffles. Keep in mind that the time it takes to make Belgian waffles may vary depending on serving size.

The ingredients for both regular waffles and Belgian waffles are similar and include flour, milk, eggs, and butter or oil. However, Belgian waffles use egg whites to give a fluffier texture. Additionally, Belgian waffles have yeast in their recipe while regular waffles use baking powder.

Medieval origins

In ancient times the Greeks cooked flat cakes, called obelios, between hot metal plates. As they were spread throughout medieval Europe, the cake mix, a mixture of flour, water or milk, and often eggs, became known as wafers and were also cooked over an open fire between iron plates with long handles.

Swedish waffles are flatter than the more well-known Belgian waffle and are normally made in a special waffle maker which makes the waffles heart-shaped. Try our Swedish waffle recipe to make your waffles extra crispy and delicious!

A rotating waffle maker allows the batter to spread and cook more evenly, resulting in waffles that are fluffy on the inside yet crispy on the outside. Other waffle makers that don't rotate may require more batter and tend to make denser waffles that are crispier and browner on one side.