Liège waffles are sweet and dense Belgian sugar waffles made with a brioche-like yeasted dough and chunks of pearl sugar. The pearl sugar is what makes this waffle special. It gives this delicious sweet crunch against the soft brioche base.

Liège waffles method

1. Warm the milk and water together to lukewarm. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the milk, water, yeast, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, eggs, flour, and salt. Mix on low until a thick, sticky dough forms.

1. Add the softened butter a few cubes at a time with the mixer running on medium. Continue kneading for 10 to 15 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl.

1. It should pass the windowpane test. The dough is on the wet side and needs enough kneading time to build a proper gluten network.

1. Cover the dough and let it rise at warm room temperature until it’s grown by about 50%, roughly 1 to 1.5 hours. It doesn’t need to double.

1. Sprinkle the pearl sugar over the risen dough and fold it through, either in the bowl or by tipping the dough out and using letter folds on the bench.

1. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape into balls. They don’t need to be perfect. Place on a parchment-lined tray, cover loosely, and let rest for about 30 minutes while you preheat the waffle iron.

1. Preheat a Belgian waffle iron until fully hot. Place one dough ball in each pocket and close the iron. Bake until deep golden brown and the sugar is caramelized around the edges.

1. Use a fork or wooden skewer to gently lift the waffles out of the iron. Never use your hands cause that sugar is so hot! Let them cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before eating.

Tips for the best Liège waffles

1. Use real Belgian pearl sugar. The bigger chunks are what give Liège waffles their signature crunch.
2. Mix long enough to build strength. The dough needs a full 15-20 minutes of kneading in the stand mixer to develop enough gluten structure.
3. If the butter starts melting out, chill the dough. Enriched doughs with high butter content can warm up during long kneading. If you notice the dough getting greasy or the butter starting to separate out rather than emulsify in, stop the mixer and pop the whole bowl into the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes before continuing. Cold dough emulsifies butter properly.
4. Fold the pearl sugar in gently. You can either sprinkle it over the dough in the bowl and fold it in with a spatula, or tip the dough onto a lightly floured bench and use letter folds (fold in thirds like a letter, sprinkle more sugar, fold again).
5. Shape doesn’t need to be perfect. Rough balls or circles are fine. Liège waffles get pressed into the iron anyway, so the shape gets made there.
6. Optional overnight cold ferment for more flavor. If you want to make the dough the night before, mix it and let it do a short room-temperature rise until slightly puffy (30 to 45 minutes), then cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, the dough needs time to come back to workable temperature (about 30 to 60 minutes at room temperature) before folding in the pearl sugar.
7. A quick fridge chill can help if warm dough is hard to shape. If your kitchen is warm and the dough feels soft and sticky during shaping, a 15-minute chill in the fridge will firm it up enough to handle.
8. Watch for the caramelization, not the timer. Different waffle irons run hot or cool. Pull the waffles when the edges are deep golden brown and you can see the sugar bubbling and caramelizing at the edges. The caramelized sugar will harden into that glassy crust as the waffle cools.
9. Eat them right after baking for best texture. A Liège waffle is at its absolute best the moment it comes off the iron.

Storing

Liège waffles are best fresh, but they store well. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat in a waffle iron on low heat for a minute or two to bring back some of the crispness, or briefly in a toaster.

You can also freeze them for up to 2 months. Cool completely, then freeze in a single layer on a tray before transferring to a freezer bag. Reheat from frozen in a toaster or hot waffle iron.

Liège Waffles

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Elien Lewis

Belgian sugar waffles made with a brioche-style yeasted dough and pearl sugar that caramelizes against the hot iron. Dense, sweet, and meant to be eaten by hand. Makes 12 waffles

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Rise Time 2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Servings 12 waffles

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

Dough

• 120 g whole milk lukewarm (around 95°F / 35°C)
• 60 g water lukewarm
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 30 g light brown sugar packed
• 20 g honey or more brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 440 g all-purpose flour around 11% protein
• 1 tsp salt
• 170 g salted butter room temperature, cubed (1 1/2 sticks)

Folded Through After the First Rise

• 200 g Belgian pearl sugar the larger, irregular kind used for Liège waffles

Instructions

 

Make the Dough

• Warm the milk and water together to lukewarm (around 95°F / 35°C). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the milk, water, yeast, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, eggs, flour, and salt. Mix on low until a thick, sticky dough forms, then continue mixing on low for 5 minutes to start developing the gluten.
• With the mixer running on medium speed, add the softened butter a few cubes at a time. Don't add the next piece until the previous one has been fully worked in. Continue kneading on medium for 10-15 minutes or until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl. The dough should pass the windowpane test.

First Rise

• Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, and cover. Let rise at warm room temperature until the dough has grown by about 50%, roughly 1 to 1.5 hours. It doesn't need to double.

Fold in the Pearl Sugar

• Sprinkle the pearl sugar over the risen dough. Fold it through, either in the bowl with a spatula or by tipping the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and using letter folds (fold in thirds, sprinkle more sugar, fold again). Don't overwork it, the sugar chunks should stay intact. Don't add the sugar to the mixer or the dough hook will crush the chunks.

Shape and Rest

• Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (about 90 g each) and shape each into a rough ball or circle. They don’t need to be perfect. Place on a parchment-lined tray, cover loosely, and let rest for about 30 minutes while you preheat the waffle iron.

Bake the Waffles

• Preheat a Belgian waffle iron until fully hot. Grease it, then place one dough ball in each pocket and close the iron. Bake for 3 -3 1/2 minutes until deep golden brown and the sugar is caramelized around the edges. Watch the color rather than the timer. Every iron runs differently.
• Use a fork or wooden skewer to gently lift the waffles out of the iron. Place on a wire rack to cool for a minute before eating. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.

Notes

Both US customary and metric measurements are provided. Use the toggle to switch between the two.

Belgian pearl sugar is essential. The larger, irregular chunks caramelize against the iron while staying crystalline in the center, giving the signature crunch. Don’t confuse it with smaller Nordic pearl sugar (used on chouquettes), which is too small for this. If you can’t find Belgian pearl sugar, crushed sugar cubes are the closest substitute.

Fold the pearl sugar in by hand or spatula after the first rise, not in the mixer. The dough hook will crush the chunks and you’ll lose the signature crunchy texture.

If the butter starts melting out during kneading, pop the whole mixing bowl into the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes and then continue kneading. Enriched doughs can warm up during long mixing, and the butter starts separating out rather than emulsifying in. Cold dough fixes this.

Optional overnight cold ferment: for deeper flavor, mix the dough and let it rise for 30 to 45 minutes at room temperature, then cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, let the dough come back to workable temperature (30 to 60 minutes at room temperature) before folding in the pearl sugar. Cold dough is harder to fold pearl sugar into cleanly.

A quick fridge chill can also help with shaping if the dough feels too warm and soft. 15 minutes in the fridge firms it up enough to handle.

Honey is traditional in the most authoritative Belgian Liège waffle recipes, but you can substitute with an equal amount (20 g) of extra brown sugar if you prefer.

Waffle iron: A Belgian waffle iron with deep pockets is essential. Make sure it’s well preheated before pressing the first dough ball, the pearl sugar needs hot contact with the iron to caramelize properly.

Storing: Liège waffles are best eaten within minutes of coming off the iron. They keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in a waffle iron on low heat for a minute or two to bring back some of the crispness, or briefly in a toaster. Freeze for up to 2 months and reheat from frozen in a toaster or hot waffle iron.

Nutrition

Serving: 1waffleCalories: 275kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 6gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 303mgPotassium: 93mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 415IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 2mg

Keyword authentic belgian waffles, belgian sugar waffles, liege waffles, Luikse wafels, pearl sugar waffles

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