These Buttery Belgian Liege Waffles are everything you could wish for in breakfast food. Thick and fluffy with clumps of pearl sugar throughout, these waffles are sweet, buttery perfection.
If you love the texture of these Liege waffles, then you should try our brioche french toast and jelly-filled brioche donuts.
Belgian Liege waffles
While Belgian waffles are pretty famous, this recipe for Belgian Liege Waffles is a little different. Originally from the city of Liege, located in the Wallonia region of Belgium, these waffles are rounder than the more common Belgian waffles, with a dough that is very similar to brioche. They have a rich, buttery, sweet flavor that is amazing, each waffle containing little pieces of sugar that are half-melted. These waffles are unique in their use of Belgian pearl sugar, which are coarse chunks of white sugar that don’t fully melt during baking. You will love these fluffy Liege waffles that have the perfect blend of rich butter and crystallized sugar.
What you need to makes these waffles
To make buttery Belgian Liege Waffles, you will need (of course) Butter, as well as Brown sugar, Pearl sugar, Eggs, Milk, Yeast, Flour, Vanilla extract, and Salt.
Do I have to use pearl sugar?
No, but it’s recommended for texture purposes. Pearl sugar, unlike other sugars, won’t fully melt when it’s cooked, leaving little bits of sugar throughout the waffles. If you use regular white sugar in place of it, you’ll miss out on this unique element of these special waffles.
How to make these amazing Liege waffles
- Make the yeast froth. Warm the milk to 105 degrees Fahrenheit and add the yeast with the brown sugar. Whisk it well and let it froth up for about 10-15 minutes.
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Mix the ingredients (except the pearl sugar). In the bowl of a stand mixer, pour the flour, salt, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Then add the yeast mixture. Mix the dough on a low speed with the hook attachment until it begins to come together. Then increase the speed to high for about 1 minute.
- Add in the pearl sugar. Now, add the pearl sugar and mix again until it is well-combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
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Allow the dough to rise. Transfer the waffle dough to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for about 2 hours, or in the fridge overnight.
- Separate the dough. Take the dough and separate it into 8 balls the size of a baseball. Then, heat the waffle iron and coat it with nonstick spray.
- Cook the waffles. Place a ball of dough in the center of the waffle iron and close it. Cook for about 4-5 minutes before carefully removing the waffle with a fork. Continue doing this with the rest of the waffle dough.
- Serve. Serve these Belgian Liege Waffles warm with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
TIPS
- Make sure the milk for the yeast is warm- Yeast needs warmth as well as sugar in order to froth and rise. Make sure that the milk is warm, about 105 degrees Fahrenheit, before mixing it with the yeast and brown sugar.
- Allow the waffle dough to rise- Don’t skimp on the time you let your dough rise. Without a proper rise, your Liege waffles will be missing the deliciously thick and fluffy texture that they are known for.
- Add the pearl sugar last- Don’t rush and add the pearl sugar with the rest of the ingredients. By adding it last after most of the mixing is done, you allow these clumps of sugar to remain intact, ensuring that they’ll be laced throughout your sweet and buttery waffles like little drops of heaven. 🙂
Topping suggestions
- Strawberry jam
- Chocolate ganache
- Chantilly cream
- Raspberry sauce
- Blueberry pie filling
- Cherry pie filling
How to make them in advance
There are 2 ways for making Liege waffles in advance: Allow them to rise overnight or keep them warm in the oven after they’re made. Either of these methods will save you time if you want less prep when serving these for breakfast or brunch.
How long will they keep?
These buttery Liege waffles can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Place them in a ziplock freezer bag to keep them fresh. If you decide to freeze them, place the bag of waffles in the freezer and they will last for 2-3 months. To reheat, just let them defrost in the fridge overnight and then bake them in the oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit until crisp and warm.
Full Recipe Instructions

Buttery Belgian Liege Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tsp yeast
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 1/4 cup flour  spooned and leveled off
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 14 tbs melted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pearl sugar
Instructions
Make the frothy yeast mixture
- Start off by warming 1 cup of milk to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Then add 2 teaspoons of yeast and 3 tablespoons of brown sugar to the milk. Give it a good whisk and let it froth up for about 10-15 minutes.
Mix everything into a stand mixer
- In your stand mixer, add 4 and 1/4 cups of flour (spooned and leveled off), 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla, 14 tbs melted unsalted butter, and 2 large eggs.
- Then, pour in the frothy yeast mixture.
- Using the hook attachment, mix the waffle dough on low speed until it begins to come together. Then pick up the speed to high for about 1 minute.
Add in the pearl sugar and mix again
- Then add 1 cup of pearl sugar and mix just until the pearl sugar is well mixed. Use a spatula to help scrape down the sides of the mixer.
Let the dough rise
- Now transfer the waffle dough into a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for about 2 hours or in the fridge overnight.
Separate into 8 pieces and cook in the waffle maker
- Now separate the dough into 8 balls the size of a baseball. Then heat your waffle maker according to the instructions of your waffle iron and coat it with nonstick spray.
- Then place the first ball of waffle dough in the center and close it. Cook for about 4-5 minutes. Carefully remove the waffle with a fork and continue doing this with the rest of the waffle though.
Make-ahead TIP
- If you want to make these waffles in advance, once you've finished making them, keep them in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven for a maximum of 1 hour before serving.
Notes
- Strawberry jam
- Chocolate ganache
- Chantilly cream
- Raspberry sauce
- Blueberry pie filling
- Cherry pie filling
Nutrition
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Silvia says
Hiya I was about to make these as I went to a festive market and tried these Belgian waffles and they are so so good and I really wanted to recreate them. I pretty much have all the ingredients but the pearl sugar. Do you have to use pearl sugar or does regular granulated sugar work? Love all ur recipes btw. 😉
Dina says
Hi Silvia, yes you can make these waffles without the pearl sugar. But the texture might be a little different. The pearl sugar is what makes the waffles soft and pillowy, while also giving them bursts of crispy caramelization. I hope that helps 🙂 And thank you for the sweet comment!
Leona So says
I am from Belgium and yes those are real good wafels if you can not find the sugar ,take cubes and smash then in little pieces and it will do the same thing, just a suggestion to make it easier on people making the wafels and not able to get the sugar pieces.I am one of your favorite reader and user of your recipes.Leona So.
Dina says
Hi Leona, thank you for the wonderful suggestion. I really appreciate it 🙂 And thank you for supporting my blog!
Cat says
I have Demerara sugar will that work similarly? It still seems much smaller than pearl sugar. It seems as if you would cut back the quantity then? Do you know by how much? Thanks
Dina says
Hi 🙂 I have not tried using demerara sugar for these liege waffles so I am not too sure how they will turn out. If you give it a try let me know how it goes 🙂
Lana says
Hi Dina! Just want to clarify.. in the list of ingredients, it says 4 1/4 cups of flour. But in the instructions, it say to just place 1/4 into the mixer. Where do the other 4 cups go? Or was that just a typo?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Lana 🙂 Yes that is a typo. Thank you so much for catching that for me 🙂 I hope you love these Liege waffles! Let me know how they turn out 🙂
Katya says
I would like to try this recipe but have a question. Do I have to warm up the dough to room temperature after I take it out from the refrigerator in the morning? Or will it be ready for cooking right away? Thank you in advance! By the way, all of the recipes I tried from your website are very delicious and I have no doubt the waffles will turn out great! Love the “Pearl sugar” addition!
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Katya! I am so happy to hear that you enjoy my recipes. That makes me so happy 🙂 If you refrigerate the dough balls, you can still place them right onto the preheated waffle iron. No need to let them come to room temperature. I hope you love this recipe!
Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says
These waffles look amazing! Yum!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you so much, Valya 🙂