Stroopwafels (Dutch caramel waffle cookies)
Ingredients
Method
- Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk and let stand 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Add the egg, the yeast milk and the lukewarm melted butter, then knead 5 minutes into a soft, smooth dough.
- Cover and let rise 45 minutes in a warm place. Divide the dough into 12 balls of about 45 g.
- Make the syrup: melt the golden syrup, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon in a saucepan, simmer 2 minutes while stirring, then keep warm.
- Heat the thin waffle iron. Place a ball in the center, close and bake 45 seconds to 1 minute, until golden.
- Immediately cut a neat round with a 9 to 10 cm cookie cutter, then split the waffle in half horizontally with a thin knife while it is still piping hot.
- Spread a tablespoon of warm syrup on one disc, close with the other and press lightly. Let cool flat on a rack.
Notes
Two thin, crisp waffles with a fine grid pattern, held together by a buttery cinnamon caramel syrup that slowly stretches when you break them: stroopwafels are the iconic cookie of the Netherlands. These Dutch caramel waffle cookies are sold all over the country, from the markets of Gouda to supermarkets, but they never taste as good as freshly made. Here is our complete stroopwafel recipe, with the real yeasted dough, the cinnamon syrup, the right iron and how to make them without a special iron.
Stroopwafels, a Dutch pastry specialty
Stroopwafels were born in Gouda, the cheese town, in the late 18th or early 19th century. Legend has it that a baker collected the crumbs and leftover dough of the day, bound them with syrup and turned them into cheap waffles. These “poor man’s waffles” became a true Dutch pastry specialty. In the 19th century Gouda had dozens of stroopwafel bakers, and in the 1960s factories spread them across the whole country. The name says it all: stroop means syrup and wafel means waffle.
Homemade Dutch cookies
Store-bought stroopwafels are good, but homemade Dutch cookies are something else: the waffle is still crisp, the syrup warm and fragrant. At Dutch markets, people buy them hot, made in front of them, in giant 15 cm versions. Homemade, they also make a lovely holiday gift, in a metal tin or a clear bag tied with a ribbon. If you love Dutch treats, try our poffertjes too, the little buckwheat pancakes from the Netherlands. On the savory side, bitterballen, the little beef croquettes served with mustard, are the other star of Dutch cafés.
How to make stroopwafels
Here is how to make stroopwafels in four steps. First, make a buttery yeasted dough and let it rise for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the caramel syrup. Then bake each ball of dough for under a minute in a fine-patterned waffle iron. Finally, and this is the key move, cut and split each waffle while it is piping hot, then fill it with warm syrup. It is not a difficult thin caramel waffle recipe, but you need to work fast and get organized: the iron on one side, the cutter and knife on the other.
A stroopwafel dough with yeast
Real stroopwafel dough with yeast is like a buttery brioche dough. Yeast gives it a special texture: crisp outside, slightly pliable inside, so it can be split without shattering. With baking powder, the waffle would be more crumbly. The butter must be melted but only lukewarm, or it will kill the yeast. After 45 minutes of rising, the dough should have grown by about a third.
The stroopwafel iron
The stroopwafel iron (stroopwafelijzer) is an electric waffle maker with very thin plates engraved with a tight little grid. It bakes the dough into a thin 3 to 4 mm layer in under a minute. It is sold as a thin waffle iron, waffle cone maker or pizzelle maker. Models that bake two waffles at once are the most practical. Lightly brush the plates with butter before the first waffle; after that, the buttery dough no longer sticks.
Stroopwafels without a special iron
No dedicated iron? You can make stroopwafels without a special iron. A Norwegian krumkake iron makes excellent thin waffles, as does a Swiss bricelet iron or a waffle cone maker. Otherwise, roll the dough very thin between two sheets of parchment, cut discs and cook them in a hot non-stick pan, pressing with a spatula, or bake them like tuiles for 6 to 8 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F). You won’t get the grid, but the flavor will be there.
Cutting and splitting the waffles while hot
This is the tricky moment. As soon as the waffle comes out of the iron, press a 9 to 10 cm round cutter on top for a clean disc (the trimmings are for nibbling!). Then hold it flat under your hand and slide a thin, sharp knife through the middle, like splitting a bread roll. You must do it within 10 seconds: once cool, the waffle hardens and breaks.
Caramel syrup for stroopwafels
Caramel syrup for stroopwafels is the soul of the recipe. It is made from sugar syrup, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon, simmered together for two minutes. It should be thick enough not to run, but fluid enough to spread while warm. If the syrup hardens while you assemble, warm it for a few seconds on the stove. Allow a good tablespoon per stroopwafel.
Cane molasses or stroop for stroopwafels?
You often read that you need cane molasses for stroopwafels, but that is not quite right. The Dutch use stroop, a brown sugar or sugar beet syrup that is milder than molasses, which would be too bitter. Outside the Netherlands, the best substitutes are golden syrup, dark corn syrup or Belgian Liège syrup thinned with a little water. A teaspoon of real molasses can be added for a deeper taste, but no more.
Spices for stroopwafels
For once, the spice is truly part of the tradition: cinnamon is in the syrup of almost every Dutch stroopwafel. For spices for stroopwafels, choose Ceylon cinnamon, finer and gentler than cassia. You can also add a hint of Bourbon vanilla to the syrup or a pinch of nutmeg to the dough for a Christmas version. Discover all the sweet spices in our spice guide.
The trick of warming a stroopwafel on your coffee cup
It is the favorite Dutch ritual: rest a stroopwafel flat on top of your cup of hot coffee or tea and wait two or three minutes. The steam warms the waffle, the syrup melts and turns gooey, and the cookie softens. This trick of warming a stroopwafel on a coffee cup also works with stroopwafels a few days old. That is why their size is designed to cover a standard cup.
How to store stroopwafels
To store stroopwafels, let them cool completely flat, then keep them in an airtight metal tin, separating the layers with parchment paper. They keep two weeks at room temperature this way. Avoid the fridge, which hardens the syrup and softens the waffle. They also freeze very well, for up to 3 months.
Frequently asked questions about stroopwafels
Why do my waffles break when I split them?
They have cooled too much or are overbaked. Split them within 10 seconds of baking, and shorten the baking time a little if they are too hard.
Can you make the dough the day before?
Yes. After rising, keep it in the fridge until the next day, well wrapped. Let it come back to room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping the balls.
Can you replace the butter in the syrup?
Yes, with plant-based margarine, but butter gives the real caramel taste. Don’t leave it out: without fat, the syrup becomes brittle.
