July 24, 2025, 11:00 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Their aroma evokes memories, and their taste is addictive. Belgian waffles straight from the waffle iron are hard to beat. Tips from professionals to make them taste as good as they did at Grandma’s.
Whether you call them Belgian, Brussels waffles, or cream waffles, sweet tooths know them as the same: rectangular, thick waffles with deep pockets. These are important so you can top them well—unlike their thinner heart-shaped sisters. Even for the German Kay Baumgardt, Gault Millau’s Patissier 2020 in Switzerland, the thought makes his mouth water, as he admits. “Whether you smell them at the Christmas market or in a gourmet restaurant, this scent brings back so many childhood memories that there’s nothing better than having warm, freshly baked waffles right in front of you!” The patissier shares his recipe for perfect Belgian waffles and three tricks to keep in mind.
Overview
Basic Recipe for Belgian Waffles
Ingredients
- 280 g wheat flour
- 16 g baking powder
- 2 g salt
- 70 g fine dark brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 380 ml milk
- 50 g melted butter
- Vanilla bean seeds
Preparation
Mix wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and half of the brown sugar. Add 2 egg yolks, milk, and vanilla bean seeds, and whisk everything into a smooth batter. Then stir in 50 g of melted butter.
While the egg whites from the two eggs are beaten stiff with a hand mixer, slowly sprinkle in another 35 g of fine dark brown sugar. The sweet meringue is then carefully folded into the batter.
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3 Recipe Tricks for Perfect Belgian Waffles
30-Minute Rest Trick
But patience is needed before enjoying them. Kay Baumgardt lets the batter rest for 30 minutes. “You should always do this to let it recover,” says the patissier. He also has another tip: The batter should be freshly prepared. “Chilling it overnight and using it the next day is nonsense. The butter solidifies, and the batter loses its creaminess and fluffiness.”
The Waffle Iron Must Be Properly Heated
Grease the waffle iron if necessary and heat it on medium. For each waffle, place 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter in the center of the iron and bake until golden brown in three to four minutes. To make the waffles as crispy as possible, they need a certain level of heat. Therefore, the waffle iron shouldn’t be too cheap; otherwise, it might not get hot enough, and the waffles won’t bake properly.
Kay Baumgardt recommends not skimping on technical equipment: “You should invest at least 80 euros to make it enjoyable. And if you handle the device properly, it will last a lifetime,” he says. Nowadays, really good irons with various settings are available starting at about 100 euros.
The Brown Butter Trick
“To give the waffle an even greater aroma, let the butter simmer slowly until it turns brown,” advises Baumgardt. This creates a nutty flavor. However, you need to simmer a bit more butter to ensure the amount of 50 g is correct.