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 andJjelly-filled Brioche Donuts.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
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 unique in their use of Belgian pearl sugar. I love this breakfast item with its perfect blend of rich butter and crystallized sugar.
- TASTE: They have a rich, buttery, sweet flavor that is amazing, each waffle containing little pieces of sugar that are half-melted.
- TEXTURE: These waffles are rounder than the more common Belgian waffles, with a dough that is very similar to brioche. They are so fluffy, they’ll melt in your mouth.
- TIME: It will take 2 hours 45 minutes to make these, but 2 hours of that is resting time.
- EASE: This is such an easy recipe to follow. Let me show you how to make the most amazing liege waffles to really impress your guests.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Belgian Pearl Sugar- These are coarse chunks of white sugar that don’t fully melt during baking. They add amazing sweetness and texture.
- Active dry yeast- Adding yeast to the batter gives these waffles an extra fluffy texture.
- Buttery- Adds buttery flavor and moisture to these rich waffles.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute the brown sugar- You can use honey or white sugar in place of brown sugar, or make your own by combining white sugar with molasses.
- Make it gluten-free- Substitute the flour for gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1:1, for a gluten-free breakfast treat.
- Add spices- Try this recipe with some cinnamon, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, or allspice for an aromatic, spiced liege waffle.
- Use baking powder- If you haven’t got yeast, you can use baking powder to leaven the waffles instead.
How to Make Belgian 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.
Pro Tip: Make sure your milk is warm, but not too hot. This provides the optimal environment for activating your yeast and creating really fluffy waffles.
- 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.
- 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 whipped cream and enjoy!
Recipe 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.
- If your yeast doesn’t froth- If this happens, it may be expired, you may not have let it sit long enough, or the milk might have been too cold. Start again because you want it to be frothy.
- 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. 🙂
FAQs
The difference between a liege waffle and other waffles is that a liege waffle contains Belgian pearl sugar, which is coarse chunks of sugar that don’t fully melt when baked, adding texture to the waffle as well as sweetness.
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.
Serving Suggestions
This Belgian Liege Waffle recipe is sweet and fluffy and it goes well with lots of other dishes. Serve these waffles with other breakfast favorites as well as lots of toppings at your next brunch.
- Toppings: Top them with Strawberry jam, Chocolate ganache, Chantilly cream, Raspberry sauce, Blueberry pie filling, or Cherry pie filling.
- Eggs: Pair these Belgian Liege Waffles with Eggs Benedict, Shakshuka, Easy Poached Eggs with Caramelized Onions, or Hash Brown Quiche.
- Pancakes: Serve them with some German Pancakes (VIDEO), Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes, Buttermilk Pancakes, or Cottage Cheese Pancakes.
- Muffins: Enjoy these waffles along with some Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (VIDEO), Blueberry Muffins (VIDEO), or Cinnamon Apple Muffins (VIDEO).
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: 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.
Storing: 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.
Freeze: 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.
More Delicious Breakfast Dishes!
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. Don't keep them in the oven too long or they will become dry and hard.
Notes
- 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. 🙂
- Make them ahead of time-There are 2 ways of 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.
Nutrition
- Braised Beef - December 2, 2024
- Amaretti Cookies (VIDEO) - November 18, 2024
- Double Chocolate Cookies (VIDEO) - November 16, 2024
Amy says
Hi I’ve never try any belgian waffle before (I’m from indonesia) and when I saw this recipe I really really want to try to make it cause it looks sooo good, but I don’t have a mixer, can I just knead the dough with hands?
Dina says
Hi Amy, yes you can knead the dough by hand, but it may take a little longer than it would with a mixer. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Amanda Yannotti says
Hello Dina. What would you suggest as far as making these to keep?
1. Prepare the dough, separate into balls then wrap and freeze?
2. Prepare and cook them freeze and reheat?
I’m giving your recipe a try today. Dinner menu is chicken and waffles.
Amanda
Dina says
Hi Amanda, these waffles actually freeze really well after they are cooked. I love to thaw and warm them on a low temp in the oven on a baking sheet and they taste like they were just made! I hope you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Elizabeth says
My waffle maker has different heat settings. What temperature should I use to make the liege Belgian waffles?
Dina says
Hi Elizabeth, you should heat the waffle iron to about 350-375 degrees F.
EB says
What temperature should your waffle iron be set on?
Dina says
Your waffle iron usual comes with heating instructions but typically it should be about 375 degrees F.
Dorcas says
What size are the eggs? Large, medium or small?
Thanks,
Dorcas
Dina says
Hi 🙂 I use large eggs for this recipe. I typically stick to large eggs for my recipes to keep things consistent. I hope you love these Belgian Liege waffles! Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Hafsa says
Does matter what yeast you use?
Dina says
Hi, the recipes calls for dry active yeast 🙂
Nita Simmons says
Best waffles ever!! My favorite part is they don’t turn soggy with syrup. The yeast gives them actual structure.
Dina says
That is so awesome to hear Nita! 🙂 I am so glad that you gave my recipe a try and that these waffles turned out perfectly! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your awesome feedback! 🙂
Andrea Williamson says
Hi there. Quick question, I apologize if this has been asked before. Can you freeze the dough balls, or cooked waffles? To save them?
Dina says
Hi Andrea, they freeze really well after cooking them 🙂
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 🙂