Liege Waffles

For a long time, waffles and Eggo were synonymous in my mind. I didn’t have a waffle maker when I was growing up, so frozen waffles were pretty much all I knew. But as I got older and started eating out more, I began graduating to different levels of waffle consumption.

First came the standard Belgian waffle. When Eggos are your frame of reference, Belgian waffles feel pretty darn sophisticated. I was thrilled by their deep crevices, which made it possible to saturate the waffles with maple syrup. Eventually, I graduated to the Liège waffle, which quickly became my favorite variety. The way the pearl sugar inside the dough melts and caramelizes on the exterior of the waffles is a thing of magic.

This Liège waffle recipe requires a mere 30-minute rise, which means you’ll be sitting down to a freshly made stack in just about an hour. Here’s how to do it.

Although both waffles are from Belgium, Liège [lee-eyzh] waffles specifically hail from a city in the eastern region of Belgium by the same name, Liège. The two waffles vary in technique, too: Liège waffles are made with a brioche-like dough that’s scooped onto the center of the waffle iron, while Belgian waffles are made with a thinner, pourable batter that spreads to the edges. Liège waffles also contain their signature pearl sugar.

Nope! You can make Liège waffles with whatever waffle maker you’ve got, although a Belgian waffle maker is more traditional and will produce fluffier, better-looking results.

My favorite thing about Liège waffles is that, thanks to the pearl sugar, they’re perfect all on their own. With that said, feel free to top them with a dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle of chocolate, or a spoonful of fresh fruit.