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You’ve never had a waffle like a Liege Waffle! These waffles are similar to a Belgian waffle but made sweeter by pearl sugar. They are perfectly crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. Topped with fresh berries and whipped cream, you won’t find a better brunch companion!
It’s no secret I love breakfast. I think about every breakfast recipe I write, I have to remind you that it’s the best meal of the day (in my opinion!). I also can’t help but love a good brunch served with warm waffles or fluffy pancakes, a side of scrambled eggs, and a fun drink like an Orange Julius!
Liege Waffle
At this point, let’s be honest, we all want to know what a liege waffle is right?! How is it different, and why does it look so darn cute? Well, a liege waffle is a type of Belgian waffle that is a little sweeter because of the pearl sugar. The dough is much thicker than your usual waffle batter, and you actually form little dough balls to put into your waffle iron. They are crispy on the outside and warm and soft and dreamy on the inside. This liege waffle recipe is a copycat of the amazing waffles you can get at Bruges here in Salt Lake City, Utah!
If you are a waffle lover, you need to drop everything and make this recipe right NOW! It’s that good. I think it’s safe to say that waffles are my favorite breakfast food and these are knock your socks off amazing. I like to dress them up on the super sweet side by adding raspberries and a powdered sugar glaze. Once at a fun friends brunch, I served them for dessert with a scoop of ice cream and some hot fudge on top. I’m drooling just thinking about it now! These waffles are the perfect brunch or special occasion breakfast that will go down in the history books (and hopefully your recipe book!).
Ingredients
The best part about these liege waffles is that they aren’t any harder than a homemade waffle. This is a yeasted waffle, so make sure to double-check your pantry for some instant yeast.The other special ingredient is Belgian pearl sugar. I just got some on Amazon, but you may be able to find some in stores too. You don’t need a special waffle iron for this recipe, I got away with using my usual one. Another ingredient I sometimes add is vanilla extract. You can find the measurements below in the recipe card.
- Whole Milk: I really recommend using whole milk because it helps the batter get so thick and creamy.
- All-Purpose Flour: This is the easiest to work with. I haven’t tried this recipe with gluten-free or other varieties of flour, so I’m not sure how they would work.
- Instant Yeast: This is how you will get pillowy and fluffy waffles. You can use instant or active dry yeast.
- Granulated Sugar: This is a sweet waffle, so a little sugar goes into the batter too. This helps the outside to get nice and golden brown. You could use brown sugar instead if you prefer.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted so that I can control the amount of salt that ends up in the batter.
- Eggs: Make sure to leave them out before you go to make this recipe, the batter will come together better if they are room temperature.
- Salt: To balance out all the sweet flavors.
- Sugar Pearls: This is what makes this waffle so unique and delicious! You’ve got to try them, you’re going to love it!
Liege Waffle Recipe
The best part about liege waffles is you really don’t have to go out of your way to make them. They have one extra step, which is activating the yeast and letting the dough rest so it can rise. I make homemade bread all the time so this doesn’t even feel like an extra step to me, I know how delicious the results will be so it’s totally worth it!
- Warm Milk and Activate Yeast: Heat the milk for 15 seconds in the microwave, until lukewarm. Add the packet of yeast and mix. Let sit for 2-3 minutes until dissolved.
- Make Batter: In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, butter, eggs, salt, and milk mixture. Mix until fully combined. Set aside and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Heat Iron: When the dough has risen, grease and heat your waffle iron.
- Fold Sugar Pearls Into Dough: Fold in the sugar pearls to the dough. Portion out the dough and form into 4 ounce balls.
- Cook Dough: Flatten the balls slightly into patties and cook in the preheated waffle iron for 3-4 minutes, until deep golden brown.
Tips for Making Liege Waffles
These liege waffles are a total breeze, but I always appreciate tips when I go to make a recipe for the first time! Here are a few tips for cooking the best waffles you’ll ever have.
- Adjusting Sweetness: The sugar pearls make these waffles quite sweet, so if you prefer a little less sugar feel free to reduce or omit the granulated sugar in the recipe.
- Cook Time: The cook time depends on your waffle maker. I found the best temperature for my waffle maker to be about medium and they cooked for just about 3 and a half minutes.
- Toppings: Serve with whatever toppings your heart desires! Syrup, jam, Nutella, chocolate, strawberries, bananas, the list goes on! These waffles are delicious even on their own. I mentioned earlier that I’ve even eaten them as a dessert waffle with ice cream and sundae toppings. However you eat them, you are going to fall in love!
Storing Leftovers
This yeast dough is really versatile, and I share my tips on storing dough below. Your liege waffles are going to make the best leftovers. I prefer to reheat them in the oven to keep the outside nice and crispy!
- In the Refrigerator: Cooked waffles can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for 4-5 days.
- Freezing Dough: The dough can be frozen at step 2. It can be pre-portioned into balls and frozen. Stored in a ziplock freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before adding sugar pearls to individual balls (a tablespoon or so). Let rest for 5-10 minutes before cooking.
- Storing Dough: The dough can be prepped the night before, covered, and stored in the fridge overnight. Let come to room temperature before adding the sugar pearls and portioning. Cook as directed.
More Brunch Recipes
Whether it’s Mother’s Day, a birthday, or just a Sunday tradition, brunch is always a good idea. I love the excuse to whip up something fun and delicious to eat with my family. Here are a few of my favorite brunch recipes you have to try!
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Liege Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 packet of instant yeast
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 10 ounces unsalted butter melted
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups sugar pearls
Instructions
- Heat the milk for 15 seconds in the microwave, until lukewarm. Add the packet of yeast and mix. Let sit for 2-3 minutes until dissolved.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, butter, eggs, salt, and milk mixture. Mix until fully combined. Set aside and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
- When the dough has risen, grease and heat your waffle iron.
- Fold in the sugar pearls to the dough. Portion out the dough and form into 4 ounce balls.
- Flatten the balls slightly into patties and cook in the preheated waffle iron for 3-4 minutes, until deep golden brown.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The first time I made these I think I used 10 tablespoons of butter, went to make them this time and it says 10 ounces, so I thought maybe I was mistaken last time and did it this way but it did have a ton of butter just left in the bowl that wasn’t absorbed- still turned out okay but just wanted mention it.
I was going to reduce it to 8 tbsp, but then I, like you, noticed it said 10 OUNCES. That’s over two sticks of butter, which seems ridiculous. It was too late to change my recipe, and it actually turned out great using only a stick, so I suspect it was a mistake in the recipe.
You never specified whether Leige Waffles could be baked in regular waffle iron. Please comment.
You can make these in a regular waffle maker. However, they will turn out more crispy than fluffy.
What brand/model of waffle iron did you use for these?