This Stroopafel Recipe brings the classic Dutch treat right to your kitchen! Two thin and buttery waffle cookies are sandwiched with a layer of sweet caramel syrup. There is nothing better than that first bite of a warm, ooey-gooey stroopwafel.
🔍 Quick Look: Stroopwafel Recipe
- 🕒 Ready In: 2 hours
- 🍴 Servings: 18
- 🔥 Calories: ~364 per serving
- ⭐ Main Ingredients: Butter, brown sugar, yeast, cinnamon, corn syrup
- 📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, low sodium
- 👩🍳 Method: Stove top and waffle iron
- ⭐ Difficulty: Intermediate
This is my new & from now on only recipe! They turned out perfectly light & crispy but most of all the TASTE, wow what a difference a new recipe makes...
-Bea
I've always had a soft spot for Dutch stroopwafels! There's just something so amazing about biting into that crisp, buttery waffle and enjoying that little burst of gooey caramel in the middle.
Making this treat at home takes a bit of dedication, but the end result is completely worth it!
Jump to:
❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Warm and Gooey - Every bite has that perfect mix of a crisp waffle and sweet, buttery syrup. Your taste buds will go crazy for this treat!
- Authentic Flavor - With this recipe, you won't need a plane ticket to the Netherlands to enjoy an authentic stroopwafel! You can easily recreate it right in your own kitchen.
- Perfect with a Warm Drink - Rest a stroopwafel on top of your mug and let the warm steam soften the caramel for the ultimate cozy treat.
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Butter: I love how the butter gives the waffles their rich, golden flavor and crispy edges. It is key to getting that classic stroopwafel taste.
- Brown Sugar: Adds a warm, caramel-like sweetness to the caramel filling.
- Yeast: Makes the dough light and soft inside.
- Cinnamon: Don't skip the cinnamon! It gives the stroopwafels that signature cozy aroma and flavor.
- Corn Syrup: Makes the filling perfectly smooth and gooey without it crystallizing.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🔄 Substitutions & Variations
- Butter: You can use margarine or a plant-based butter to make the stroopwafels dairy-free.
- Brown Sugar: White sugar plus a little molasses is a great replacement.
- Yeast: Instant yeast can be swapped for active dry.
- Corn Syrup: Honey or maple syrup can also work, though the texture of the filling will be a bit thinner.
🧇 How to Make This Stroopwafel Recipe
- Combine all of the ingredients for the waffles in a stand mixer.
- After kneading the dough, allow to rest for 45 minutes.
- Boil the ingredients for the syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- After the dough has finished resting, preheat and grease a waffle cone iron or pizzelle iron.
- Knead the dough and divide it into small balls.
- Cook the waffle until steam no longer escapes, and it has turned a golden brown.
- Use a round cookie cutter to cut off the edges of the cooked waffle.
- While the waffle is still hot, gently split the waffle with a serrated knife.
- Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of the caramel filling on one of the waffles and top with another waffle. Repeat with the rest of the waffles.
🌟Expert Tips
- Slice the waffles warm. Right after the waffles come off the iron, slice and fill them as soon as possible. This makes it much easier to slice and fill them cleanly without them falling apart!
- Keep the caramel warm. If it starts to thicken too much while you're working, pop it back on the stove over low heat to keep it soft and spreadable.
- Don't overcook. The waffles should be golden brown, not dark. If they're too crisp, they'll crack when you cut them.
- Use a thin, sharp knife: This makes splitting the waffles much easier without tearing them.
- Rest on a mug: For the most authentic experience, rest the finished stroopwafel on top of a hot cup of coffee or tea for a minute to soften the caramel.
💭 FAQs
Traditionally, the Dutch enjoy stroopwafel by placing the cookie on a cup of hot and steamy coffee or tea. After a few minutes, the cookie starts to warm and soften - making it a real treat!
Stroopwafels are sweet and crispy on the outside and warm and gooey on the inside. There really is nothing better than a warm, homemade stroopwafel fresh off the iron. Although, stroopwafels can be easily reheated in the microwave for a few seconds to create a warm treat at any time of day.
These stroopwafels can be stored in an airtight container, on the counter, for up to one week. In fact, I'd highly recommend not storing them in the refrigerator as it will make them harder to eat!
Stroopwafel and pizzelle are both thin and crispy waffle cookies, but they have their differences. Pizzelle is an Italian waffle cookie that can be eaten alone or rolled to make cannoli shells, for example. Stroopwafels are Dutch and are made with two thin cookies filled with warm caramel.
If you've never heard of Dutch stroopwafels or "syrup waffles", they are made with two thin layers of baked dough with a caramel syrup filling in between. You may have seen them on Amazon or at Costco before, but those ones aren't nearly as good as freshly-made!
🍰 More Dessert Recipes
- Pumpkin Baklava
- Chocolate Fondue
- Chocolate Stroopwafels
- Classic Creme Brulee
- Stroopwafel Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Butterbeer Crepes
If you make this recipe, let me know what you think! I'd love it if you could add a star rating ★ and a comment below. Be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, too!
📋 Recipe
Homemade Dutch Stroopwafels
Equipment
Ingredients
Waffle
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 4 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- ½ cup lukewarm milk
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Caramel Filling
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- dash of salt
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients for the waffles in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Attach the dough hook and combine and knead the dough until smooth. The consistency should be similar to that of cookie dough.
- Once the dough is well-kneaded, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the water, sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring constantly.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add the cinnamon, salt, and vanilla and continue boiling until the syrup reaches the "soft ball stage" (234°F-240°F on a candy thermometer). This should only take a couple of minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- After the dough has finished resting, preheat and grease a waffle cone iron or pizzelle iron. Set the temperature to a medium setting.
- Knead the dough and divide it into small balls, roughly the size of tennis balls (you can adjust the size if you find they are too big).
- Place a ball of dough on the preheated iron and slightly flatten it. Cook the waffle until steam no longer escapes, and it has turned a golden brown.
- Carefully remove the cooked waffle from the iron.
- Use a round cookie cutter to cut off the edges for a perfectly circular waffle. While the waffle is still hot (this is key), gently split the waffle with a serrated knife. Continue the process until all of the waffles are cooked and split.
- Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons (more or less depending on your preference) of the caramel filling on one of the waffles and top with another waffle. Repeat with the rest of the waffles.
- Serve the waffles with a hot drink. Store in an air-tight container for up to one week.
Notes
- Adapted from SprinkleBakes and King Arthur Flour.
- If not eaten fresh, stroopwafels taste great warmed up in the microwave for a couple of seconds. They are also traditionally placed on top of a hot drink, with the steam from the drink helping to warm them up.
katie says
can you freeze the dough?
Ashley says
Yes! It can be frozen for up to 3 months, just wrap in tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Make sure to let it defrost completely before making the stroopwafels.
Bea says
This is my new & from now on only recipe! They turned out perfectly light & crispy but most of all the TASTE, wow what a difference a new recipe makes. Your blog spoke to me & I knew these were going to be great, The filling, OMG phenomenal. Thank you will post to your Instagram.
Ashley says
Thank you so much for your comment Bea! I'm so glad you like this recipe. There's nothing better than a warm, homemade stroopwafel! 🙂
Carm says
I have the Italian pizzelle maker so I think it's perfect so when I make them I'll post how it goes.i have tried fresh ones in Amsterdam and the bought ones are way better so I'm interested to see how these taste.
Ashley Amundsen says
I haven't tried this recipe with a pizelle maker yet, but I bet it will turn out amazing! Homemade stroopwafels are so yummy!
Amy Liu Dong says
One of the easiest and most delicious dessert recipes to make for everyone.
To be honest, my kids love it so much!
Zhen says
My Dad has always wanted to make this! Thanks for sharing this waffle recipe, we'll try it this weekend!You make it look so easy!
Ann says
Oh my goodness, these sound delicious! I now know what I am making for breakfast tomorrow morning! Thanks for the share!
Cassandra Sexton says
I have some many extra s any ideas how to use them up??
Caren says
I just made these today, although I have had the recipe for a while. I was afraid of making the caramel. They came out fantastic. I, too, put two together instead of cutting each one in half. I buy them at Target, but no more. Thank you.
Ashley says
I'm so glad you gave the recipe a try! They are so much better than the store-bought ones. 🙂
Paul says
Hi Ashley,
I’m a Belgian living in Indonesia and I make and sell also stroopwafels here.
The trick for cutting the waffle is, baking short time on high temperature, once out of the waffle maker, cut this out with a ringshape ((if you like that) and cut the waffle horizontally with a small, thin sharp knife.
If you bake the waffle to long on a lower temperature than he’s already to dry inside and cutting is impossible .
Good luck
Ashley says
Thanks for the tip Paul! I was wondering what the secret was. 🙂 I'll have to try that next time around!
Liana Nachtigal says
Hi Ashley,
This is my first time making these and they turned out great. The only thing I may do differently next time is leave my syrup filling a little softer. I found using an artists off set palette knife to open around the edges and then finishing off with a drywall mudding spatula (new of course:) to finish off worked perfectly, I got nice thin intact wafers. Now to enjoy, Cheers!
Ashley says
I'm glad that turned out well Liana! That's a great idea to use the palette knife and drywall spatula! 🙂
Astrid Riedel says
Thanks for that tip, I just ordered a pizella, so can't wait to try.
Tiffanie says
Very delicious! i was a little worried about working with the yeast at first and just throwing it all together but it all worked out beautifully. Now...to figure out how to cut them because i struggled with that as well! i saw someone use a guitar string with handles on it!
Ashley says
I'm so glad it turned out well for you! Cutting them is definitely the hard part. Ooh I love the idea of the guitar string! You'll have to let me know if you find any good tricks. 🙂
Sawliha says
Hi there,hope you are in good health
I'd like to know if I can use a standard waffle machine when making these
Ashley Amundsen says
Unfortunately, you'll need to use a waffle cone iron to make this recipe. Anything else will be too thick! Here's the waffle cone iron from Amazon that I recommend. Happy baking!!
Chris says
Is the caramel filling able to be made in advance and stored?
Ashley Amundsen says
Hi Chris! Yes, you could definitely make it in advance. I recommend pouring the filling into a glass jar or container and then storing it in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it. The filling will thicken up in the fridge, so you'll want to reheat it in the microwave or on the stove until it's a good consistency for spreading on the stroopwafels. Happy baking!