Gaufres de Lièges (Belgian Liège Waffles)

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Gaufres de Lièges (or Belgian Liège Waffles) are the ultimate sweet Belgian treat! These pearl sugar waffles are decadent enough for dessert, yet simple enough for an afternoon snack.

Closeup of shiny caramelized Liege waffles stacked two layers high on a white platter.

(This recipe was originally published in June 2015, but was updated with new photos and content in 2023).

Just because a waffle is baked in a Belgian-style waffle maker doesn't automatically make it Belgian. If we're going to get technical, a true Belgian Liège waffle (gaufre de Liège aka a Belgian sugar waffle or pearl sugar waffle) is very different from its cousins.

Popularized in Liège, a Belgian city about an hour east of Brussels, authentic Liège waffles are more time consuming to prepare. They feature a rich and buttery brioche dough studded with Belgian pearl sugar. The dough is enriched with butter and egg, and is made with yeast instead of baking powder, giving these pearl sugar waffles a much more complex flavor and texture.

If you've never eaten a real Belgian Liège waffle before, it's very different from what you'd expect. Gaufres de Lièges are crunchy, chewy, buttery, and rich, yet delicate, sugary sweet, and so exquisite. It's almost like waffle meets candy, so much more than your basic breakfast.

What happens is the pearl sugar begins to soften and melt in the waffle iron, creating pockets of soft sugar within the waffles, and caramelized sugar coating the pan. When you make more waffles, the caramelized sugar almost becomes like a shellacked sugar coating on the waffle's exterior, resulting in a glistening, golden crunch.

For that reason, these Liège waffles are better enjoyed warm. Once they cool, the sugar cools too resulting in harder waffles. You can easily rewarm them in your oven or toaster oven, if needed.

Ingredient notes

Ingredients for Belgian Liege waffles on a beige background.

Belgian Pearl Sugar: Belgian pearl sugar can be a bit challenging to find in stores, but it's easy to find online. Do not confuse it with Swedish pearl sugar, which is vastly different and not an appropriate substitute. Swedish pearl sugar is smaller and used as a topping for baked goods. Meanwhile, Belgian pearl sugar is larger and can tolerate higher heat. You can also try using roughly crushed sugar cubes, although the result won't be same.
Flour: Use plain all-purpose flour for your Liège waffle dough. As with any baking, it's preferred to weigh your flour (and all your ingredients) using a digital scale rather than measuring in volume (cups) to get the most accurate results.
Yeast: This recipe uses active dry yeast as the leavening agent for the dough.
Butter: You'll need a lot of unsalted butter for the dough (that's why it's so rich and delicious!). Leave your butter out at room temperature overnight or for several hours at least until it is soft. If you need to soften it in the microwave, cut it into chunks and do so in short bursts to ensure the butter only barely softens but doesn't start to melt.

Eleven waffles stacked in rows on a white rectangular platter on top of a striped towel.

How to make it

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add warm milk. Add sugar and yeast and stir to combine (PHOTO 1). Set aside for 5 minutes until the mixture is foamy (PHOTO 2).

Warm milk and yeast in a metal bowl before and after blooming.

Whisk in eggs and vanilla (PHOTO 3). Then stir in all but about 1 cup flour. Once the flour is mostly combined, stir in the salt (PHOTO 4).

A foamy liquid in a metal bowl, and then a shaggy dough in the same bowl.

With the stand mixer running on medium-low speed, add soft butter, a little at a time, thoroughly kneading in each addition (PHOTO 5). Scrape down the bowl as needed between additions of butter until all the butter is mixed in smoothly (PHOTO 6).

A shaggy dough with butter pieces on top, and then a wet dough fully mixed together.

Finally, add the remaining flour and mix with the dough hook on low speed for 5 minutes, or until the dough is stretchy and glossy. It will be quite soft (PHOTO 7). Transfer the dough to a clean, large, lightly greased mixing bowl to proof (PHOTO 8).

Thick dough in a metal mixing bowl and then ready to proof in a larger bowl.

You can let the Belgian Liège waffle dough rise two ways, first at room temperature and then in the fridge, or vice-versa.

For room temperature first: This is my preferred method. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature (in a slightly warm, draft-free place) for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until doubled in size (PHOTO 9). Punch down the dough to deflate (PHOTO 10), re-cover with plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge overnight, or up to 24 hours.

Puffy proofed Belgian Liege waffle dough in a metal bowl before and after deflating it.

For fridge first: Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge overnight, or up to 24 hours. The dough will not look fully doubled when you take it out. The day you want to the make the waffles, bring the dough back to room temperature for 1 hour. Punch down to deflate, and let it rise again for another 1 ½ to 2 hours until doubled in size.

When you're ready to cook the waffles with either proofing method, knead in the pearl sugar. You can do this in a few additions by flattening the dough, topping with some of the sugar, then folding it into the dough (PHOTOS 11-12).

A round disc of dough topped with pearl sugar and then folded up to enclose sugar.

Repeat several more times until you've added all the sugar.

Closeup of Liege waffle dough studded with pearl sugar cut in half.

Divide the dough into 16 pieces (roughly 70 grams each). If you don't have a scale, the easiest way to do this is to divide the dough roughly in half, then shape each half into a somewhat flat circle. Cut each circle into 8 wedges like a pizza to yield 16 similar-sized pieces. They won't be exact, but you'll get close.

Cutting a round disc of waffle dough on a wooden board into wedges like a pizza.

Shape the portioned dough pieces into slightly rectangular or oval discs.

Portioned pieces of dough with pearl sugar on a black tray next to a waffle iron.

Heat your waffle iron (this is the one I have), preferably a deeper Belgian-style one, over medium heat. Place the first disc of waffle dough on the grid and cook according to the waffle maker’s instructions.

Two pieces of pearl sugar-filled waffle dough pressed onto a waffle iron.

Note: Depending on your waffle iron, you may be able to cook several Belgian Liège waffles at once–mine has a capacity for two rectangular waffles. If you have a round waffle iron, you can also fit two or more of these smaller waffles at a time. Keep in mind that the rectangular waffle iron shape is more authentic for gaufres de Lièges.

Cook until deeply golden all over, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Two cooked pearl sugar waffles in a rectangular waffle iron.

Then carefully transfer the pearl sugar waffles with tongs or a fork to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining discs of dough, adjusting temperature of waffle iron as needed to get the color you want.

You’ll likely find that the waffles look more caramelized and glossy as you go on. The melted sugar left behind in the grids will caramelize onto the later batches of waffles. You may even end up with a moat of caramelized sugar around the edges of your waffle iron.

Closeup of two caramelized Belgian Liege waffles cooking in a waffle iron.

Keep Belgian Liège waffles warm in a 200°F oven if you plan to eat them right away. As the waffles cool, they will harden but will soften again when you rewarm them. For best results, always serve gaufres de Lièges warm.

Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

Shiny caramelized gaufres de Lieges Belgian waffles stacked two layers high on a white platter.

Expert tips

These pearl sugar waffles are quite sweet and rich on their own. They don't really need additional embellishments in the form of syrup, whipped cream, ice cream, fruit, or Nutella, however you can definitely dress them up if you'd like. A little dusting of confectioners' sugar is a popular way to finish them. They're absolutely sublime plain, so don't feel the need to cover them up.

You also don't really need a fork and knife. Belgian Liège waffles are a great snack and can be enjoyed handheld and on the go.

Cleaning your waffle iron after making Liège waffles can be challenging. The sugar caramelizes and can harden quite drastically to the inside of your waffle iron. It's more complicated to clean than wiping down with a wet paper towel. A Belgian waffle iron with removable plates would be ideal in this scenario. If you don't have one of those (I don't either but I might get one in the future), this is how I clean mine:

I pour a little hot/boiling water onto the bottom plate (very carefully since you can't submerge the machine in water) while the machine is still hot and before the sugar fully cools and hardens on the surface.
Then I use a small brush to scrub and loosen the sugar.
Next, I carefully dump out the water (making sure not to get the electrical parts wet). Repeat with more hot/boiling water and scrubbing with a small brush. I also use a toothpick to try and pry and loosen some of the hardened sugar once it softens enough.
I follow that up with using wet and then dry cotton swabs to finish cleaning between the grids.

Closeup of glistening pearl sugar waffles arranged on a white rectangular platter.

FAQs

How do you store Belgian Liège waffles?

Store leftover Belgian Liège waffles in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.

How do you freeze Belgian Liège waffles?

To freeze, arrange the cooked waffles in a single later on a sheet pan and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 1 month. You can also freeze the dough before baking. Freeze the portioned dough on a sheet pan or tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw the dough overnight in the fridge before cooking as directed.

How do you reheat Belgian Liège waffles?

It's best to reheat your gaufres des Lièges before eating! If they were frozen, I prefer thawing in the fridge but you can reheat from a frozen state if needed. Place waffles in a single layer and reheat in the oven or toaster oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes or until heated through.

Glossy Belgian Liege waffles stacked on a white rectangular platter on top of a striped towel.

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