Name: Stroopwafles
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: PT-481997H7M46S
Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients: 1/2 cup warm milk (120°F – 130°F); 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (.25- ounce packet); 4 cup all purpose flour; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup butter, cubed; 2 large eggs; 2 cups granulated sugar; 1/3 cup water; 2 tablespoons light corn syrup; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 2 tablespoons butter

By: Shelly Posted: Aug 20, 2020 Updated: Aug 31, 2022 17 Comments

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Stroopwafles are a delicious Dutch cookie, made with two thin, crispy waffle-style cookies filled with a gooey caramel filling. AND they are easier than you think to make at home!

stacked stroopwafles stack with one broken in half

Table of Contents

Homemade Stroopwafles Are Easy To Make!
What Type Of Waffle Iron Or Cookie Press Do You Need For Stroopwafles?
What To Look For In Your Stroopwafles Iron:
What Ingredients Do You Need?
Make The Dough First:
Cook The Waffles:
Fill With Caramel:
Are Stroopwafles Breakfast Or Dessert?
What Else Can You Fill Stroopwafles With?
Looking For More Caramel Filled Treats? Here Are A Few More:
Get the Recipe

Homemade Stroopwafles Are Easy To Make!

Ok, stay with me here…making Stroopwafles at home? I’m telling you it seems super extra but they’re actually pretty easy to make. AND not only does making them at home make you feel like a complete rockstar, they are TOTALLY amazing.

When I went about developing this stroopwafles recipe I was just hoping to make a stroopwafle that was as good as the ones you get on a United flight. Instead, I was shocked at how much better they are…which is saying a LOT…because I LOVE me a good airplane stroopwafle.

breaking a stroopwafle in half with caramel

What Type Of Waffle Iron Or Cookie Press Do You Need For Stroopwafles?

Ok, yes, you need a special tool to make these. I know, I know I HATE single use appliances. Like DESPISE. But, this beauty isn’t necessarily a single-use waffle iron/cookie press. Of course you can (and should) use it for stroopwafles. BUT you can also use it for pizzelles, sugar wafers, sugar cones, ice cream cones…

So while, it’s limited, you can definitely get creative.

THIS IS THE IRON I HAVE AND LOVE LOVE LOVE. It is a Palmer Electric Belgian Cookie Iron in the THIN size.

I know there are other irons out there, and I am sure they work fine, but this is the one I have experience using and it’s fantastic for these cookies. I am quite certain you can also use a pizzelle cookie press, or I know they even make special sugar cone makers.

What To Look For In Your Stroopwafles Iron:

Mine makes 4- inch diameter waffles. This is what my recipe is written to accommodate. If your iron is smaller, adjust the portion of the dough accordingly.
Nonstick isn’t always best. I have good luck with my iron and it’s cast aluminum. I don’t even need to spray it very often with nonstick spray.
Thinner is better…at least for stroopwafles. You can clamp the iron closed for thinner or leave it unclamped for thicker. You see you need it to be thin, but also thick enough to be able to split in half. It’s a fine line. But I feel like this recipe is pretty foolproof if you follow the steps.
My iron doesn’t have a temperature setting…just on or off. This made me nervous at first, but it work perfectly! If yours does I recommend a setting of med-high to cook your waffles.

What Ingredients Do You Need?

I tested this recipe multiple times before I found what I thought to be the most authentic. I tried doughs with yeast and without yeast (because I know how everyone feels about yeast)…and while the non-yeast waffles TASTED great (I subbed in baking powder in its place) the yeast dough proved to be the exact right texture and thickness. But note, you just have to let this dough rest for an hour…there’s no real rise time or kneading. Essentially the yeast is just another ingredient.

warm milk (120°F – 130°F)
active dry yeast
all purpose flour
granulated sugar
ground cinnamon
kosher salt
butter
eggs

Cutting flour and yeast together to make a dough — Cutting the butter into the dry ingredients

Dough formed into a ball inside a bowl — Cutting the butter into the dry ingredients

Make The Dough First:

So the dough comes together very easily. It’s a different type of dough…kind of a cross between a biscuit, because you cut cols butter into the mix, but then there’s also yeast, which makes it a little like a bread. It’s unique and delicious!

Mix warm milk and yeast together and let it sit for 5 minutes to dissolve.
Whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt and then cut in the butter using a fork or pastry blender until you have coarse crumbs. Alternately you could do this step in the food processor if you prefer.
Then add in the eggs and stir to combine. Then get your hands messy and knead the mixture until it forms a dough ball and holds together. Cover that and let it rest for an hour.

Pressing dough into a waffle press — Pressing prepared dough into a waffle press

Spreading caramel inside of a half a waffle — Pressing prepared dough into a waffle press

Cook The Waffles:

Preheat your waffle iron and while it’s preheating, portion out the waffle dough into 2 1/4- ounce balls (you will get 18 balls). Flatten the balls slightly into thick disks. Flattening the dough makes it spread evenly as it’s being pressed, so your waffle will be all one thickness.
Place the disks into the waffle iron and press down for 1 1/2 minutes.
When the waffle is golden and crisp immediately slice it in half using a serrated knife.

Fill With Caramel:

The caramel recipe I used for these stroopwafels is perfection. It creates a caramel that stays gooey and delicious, but refrigerates and reheats beautifully. It takes a few extra minutes to become a deep amber color as the sugar cooks, but it’s worth the wait.

If you don’t have a candy thermometer, don’t worry. You will know by the color. The deep amber color means it’s time to add the cream. It will take a bit to get there, but once it does, make sure you don’t burn it!

Use a heavy bottomed saucepan and cook the sugar, water, and corn syrup over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil.
Stir only occasionally, or swirl the pan just to make sure the sugar is mixed in.
Once the mixture comes to a boil, allow it to cook for about 15 – 20 minutes, stirring gently or swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture becomes a deep amber color (330°F – 340° F on a candy thermometer).
Once it’s that pretty amber color, slowly stir in the heavy cream. It will bubble up, so do this carefully. Cook for 1 more minute while stirring to mix thoroughly. Then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter until it’s melted.
Pour the caramel through a fine wire strainer or sieve to filter out any crystallized sugar. This will ensure the creamiest caramel. And then let it cool! You can make the caramel in advance also! Just refrigerate it airtight until you’re ready to use. And then you can just microwave it for 20 or so seconds until it becomes a spreadable consistency.
Then spread about a tablespoon of caramel onto the cut waffle cookie to create a sandwich!

stack of waffle cookies filled with caramel

Are Stroopwafles Breakfast Or Dessert?

Well that’s up to you! I mean, who am I to judge having a cookie for breakfast…especially when it has waffle in the name!

These are great placed on top of your hot coffee, so the heat from the coffee warms the caramel filling making them extra gooey.

What Else Can You Fill Stroopwafles With?

I mean, the possibilities are endless! And yes, of course you can use a quality store-bought caramel if you don’t want to make your own. But here are some other ideas…

Nutella
Honey
Melted chocolate
Maple syrup (although only use a little, as it doesn’t firm up as much as caramel.
No filling, and just dust with powdered sugar!!

Looking For More Caramel Filled Treats? Here Are A Few More:

Stroopwafles

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Author: Shelly
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes + rest time for dough
Yield: 16 stroopwafles 1x
Category: Cookies
Method: Waffle Maker
Cuisine: Dessert

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Description

Stroopwafles are easy and impressive, not to mention OUT OF CONTROL delicious! Making them at home is fun and they’re so much better than store-bought!

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 cup warm milk (120°F – 130°F)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (.25- ounce packet)
4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup butter, cubed
2 large eggs

Filling:

2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Cookies: In a small bowl mix the milk and yeast together. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes, until the yeast dissolves and is bubbly.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add in the cubed butter and using a pastry cutter or fork work the butter into the dry mixture until you have coarse crumbs.
Add in the eggs and yeast mixture using a wooden spoon, stir to combine. Then using lightly floured hands, knead the mixture until the dough comes together and forms a ball.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 1 hour*
Preheat your waffle iron** for 10 – 15 minutes.
Portion out the waffle dough into 2 1/4- ounce balls (you will get 18 balls). (Note – this recipe is written using a 4- inch in diameter iron for each waffle). Flatten the balls slightly into thick disks. Lightly coat your waffle iron with nonstick spray. Place the dough into the waffle iron and press down and clamp closed. Cook waffle for 1 1/2 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
Remove the waffles from the iron and immediately cut in half horizontally using a serrated knife***.
Repeat with all the dough.
Filling: In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat combine the granulated sugar, water, and corn syrup.
Allow the mixture to heat until it comes to a boil and the sugar dissolves, stirring very gently only occasionally.
Once the mixture comes to a boil, allow it to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring gently or swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture becomes a deep amber color (330°F – 340° F on a candy thermometer).
Turn the heat down to low and slowly stir in the heavy cream. Mixture will bubble up so do this slowly. Once combined, cook for 1 minute and then remove from the heat.
Stir in the butter.
Pour the caramel through a fine wire strainer or sieve to filter out any crystallized sugar. Allow the caramel to cool until it’s a spreadable consistency.
Assembly: Spread a heaping tablespoon of caramel onto the cut side of half of the waffles, spreading it out leaving a small space at the edge, so when you sandwich it, it won’t squeeze out. Top with the remaining cookies to create sandwiches.

Notes

*I like to make my filling while the dough is resting. This allows the filling time to cool while you are cooking your waffles. Alternately you can make your caramel days in advance and when ready to spread microwave it for 20 seconds until spreadable consistency.

**If you have heat settings on your iron, set it to medium-high.

***Make sure to cut your waffles when they are hot, as they are much harder to cut when cooled.

Store airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days.

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