What is a Liege Waffle?

Published on May 30th, 2025

MEET BELGIUM’S OTHER, CRISPIER WAFFLE STYLE

What’s better than a waffle for a snack? A waffle with a legend behind it for a snack. That’s what you get with Liege waffles, the crispier, chewier, more brioche-esque cousin to the traditional Belgian waffle.

Legend has it that in the mid-1700s, the prince-bishop of Liege (a city in southeastern Belgium) told his personal cook to make waffles for the royal court. But he didn’t want just any waffle — he wanted something sweeter, a little crispier, and a whole lot better than what they’d been eating. So, his chef created the dough-based Liege waffle. Now you can find them all over Belgium, in stands in Brussels and throughout the country. The best, though, still come from their hometown of Liege. (It’s important to note, though, that there is no actual recorded history of this bit of Liege trivia. So while we may theorize the folklore behind Liege waffles, the actual original recipe has been completely lost to time. The modern recipe only appears for the first time in print in 1921!)

Want to know more? Keep reading to find out exactly what is a Liege waffle.

What is the difference between Liege waffles and regular waffles?

In Belgium, though, these waffles are considered Brussels waffles, because that’s the style waffle you can find shelled out to tourists in Brussels and the surrounding areas with mountains of whipped cream and other toppings. Heading south into the Wallonia region, you’ll find Belgium’s other waffle, the Liege waffle, also known as the pearl sugar waffle. The Liege waffle is crunchier on the outside and not shaped like a rectangle or square. Its edges are more amorphous. That’s because while Belgian/Brussels waffles are made with a batter, Liege waffles are made with a yeasted dough.

What does a Liege waffle taste like?

Crispy and lightly sweet on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside — a Liege waffle is a delightful taste you don’t want to miss. It has more flavor than a Brussels waffle and, although it can stand up to toppings, it’s best enjoyed on its own. Liege waffles are a bit chewier than Brussels waffles, too, though “chewy” is pretty relative here. It’s still soft and easily melts in your mouth. Because the outside is caramelized sugar, you can also get a tiny bitterness that mixes well with the sweet and buttery waffle itself.

How do you eat Liege waffles?

Liege waffle ingredients

Like most waffles, Liege waffles are made from a combination of milk, eggs, flour, and butter — but these Walloon delights have a couple ingredients that make them unique: yeast and pearl sugar (instead of plain old granulated sugar). The most important difference is that you make a dough for a Liege waffle instead of a batter, so a ball of it sits atop the waffle iron before you smash it, instead of pouring it in like the Belgian waffle batter you may be used to. The pearl sugar throughout the dough melts and caramelizes on the surfaces of the waffle as it cooks, which gives Liege waffles the crunchy bite everyone loves.

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