Belgian liege waffles are a divine sugar-studded delight you must taste to believe. Golden and crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, with bits of crunchy sugary goodness in every bite, it feels like dessert but is perfect anytime! These waffles are sold at a premium at restaurants like Waffle Love and Bruges, but with a waffle iron, Belgian pearl sugar, and some pantry ingredients you can enjoy these at home for much less.
Liege waffles are traditional for brunch, but I love to eat them for dinner or dessert. These babies go down a treat topped with whipped cream, maple syrup, fruit, or my favorite, cookie butter.
Holiday brunch would be epically delicious with liege waffles alongside brioche French toast and chai-spiced banana bread. Just make sure to invite me!
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What is the secret ingredient in Belgian liege waffles?
It's not really much of a secret, but the ingredient that makes these waffles so amazing is Belgian pearl sugar. These little sugar pearls are mixed in with the yeast dough and caramelize when heated in the waffle iron, creating crunchy pockets of sweetness and making these waffles irresistible!
Ingredients for Liege Waffles
Aside from the pearl sugar, the ingredients for these waffles can probably be found in your pantry and fridge right now. Belgian pearl sugar is readily available online due to the popularity of these waffles, so let's get cooking!
- active dry yeast
- whole milk
- eggs
- vanilla
- butter
- brown sugar
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- Belgian pearl sugar
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Belgian Liege Waffles
Heat the milk in the microwave until it feels warm to the touch, but not hot. Too-hot milk will kill the yeast. Combine yeast with milk and stir. Allow to sit for a few minutes until foamy.
Add yeast mixture to bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Add in eggs, vanilla, butter, and brown sugar. Mix until well combined.
Add in 2 cups of flour and mix until well combined.
Add butter in small chunks, beating well between each addition.
Add in remaining 1-½ cups flour and mix until well combined. If the dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl, add additional 1 tablespoon of flour at a time and mix until the dough is sticking to itself and not to the bowl.
This is what your dough should look like when you finish adding ingredients and mixing. The dough is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl and is one mass. You should be able to handle the dough without it sticking to your hands. Cover the dough and allow it to rest in a warm place until doubled in size, 3-4 hours. If your kitchen is cold (below 70 degrees), try setting your oven to lowest setting for a few minutes, then turn it off. Let the dough rise in the warm oven until doubled in size.
Punch the dough down and add the pearl sugar. Knead to distribute pearl sugar evenly throughout the dough. At this point you can keep the dough covered in the fridge overnight if desired before cooking. It may rise a little more in the fridge, which is okay.
Divide the dough into 12 even pieces and roll each into a rough ball shape. I like to divide the dough in half, then in half again, and then divide each piece into 3 to get it even.
Heat up your waffle iron and spray with nonstick spray. Place a dough ball in the center of the iron and cook until golden brown in color.
Every waffle iron is a little different so it may take some experimenting to get the right timing, but my waffle iron takes about 3-4 minutes to cook the waffle through.
Substitutions
- all-purpose flour - bread flour can be substituted.
- brown sugar - granulated sugar is okay to substitute.
- whole milk - I think whole milk contributes to the rich flavor, but 2% or skim milk can be used.
- active dry yeast - instant yeast is fine.
Equipment
To make Belgian liege waffles you will need a waffle iron. I highly recommend getting a waffle iron with removable plates such as this one. When pearl sugar is heated up it turns into a liquid that gets into all the crevices of the waffle iron and can be difficult to clean unless you can take the plates out and wash them separately. The other option is heating up the waffle iron and cleaning molten liquid sugar off while trying not to get burned, which is always dicey.
I would also highly recommend a stand mixer. This recipe makes a stiff dough that would be hard to mix by hand.
Helpful Hint
Melted or partially melted pearl sugar is extremely hot! Use caution when removing the cooked waffles from the waffle iron, and let them cool a few minutes before serving.
Toppings for Liege Waffles
This is where you can really go crazy with these waffles! They taste amazing plain; I eat them like cookies throughout the day for a snack. If you want just a little extra pizazz, try sprinkling with cinnamon and sugar (or even chai spice and sugar). Try topping them with cookie butter, maple syrup, fruit, Nutella, whipped cream, marshmallow cream, sprinkles, or literally anything else you can think of!
Homemade Belgian Liege Waffles {Waffle Love Copycat}
Equipment
- waffle iron removable plates make for easier cleanup of melted sugar
- stand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- ¾ cup whole milk lukewarm, 110-115 degrees
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter softened (2 sticks)
- 3-½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1-½ cups Belgian pearl sugar (about 8 oz)
Instructions
- Dissolve yeast in lukewarm milk. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes until foamy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add milk/yeast mixture, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Mix with dough hook until combined.
- Add 2 cups of flour and mix until combined. Add butter 2 tablespoons at a time while mixing. Add remaining 1-½ cups of flour. If the dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl, add additional 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until the dough is sticking to itself and not the bowl.
- Let the dough rise covered in a warm place until doubled in size, about 3 hours.
- Knead in Belgian pearl sugar until distributed evenly throughout.
- Divide the dough into 12 even pieces and roll each into a loose ball.
- Heat waffle iron and spray with nonstick spray. Cook each dough ball for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Cook time will vary with each waffle iron.
- Let the waffles cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve with desired toppings.
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