How to Make Traditional Dutch Stroopwafels at Home

This recipe brings the authentic Dutch experience into your own kitchen. Inspired by Melly's original waffles, it uses simple ingredients and a proven method for a crisp, buttery waffle with a thick, delicious syrup centre. It is best enjoyed with a hot drink. Prefer to leave it to us? Book a hands-on stroopwafel workshop instead.

Timing and yield

• Prep: 20 minutes
• Resting: 60 minutes
• Syrup: 5 minutes
• Total: about 1 hour 30 minutes
• Makes: roughly 10 to 12 stroopwafels

Ingredients

For the dough

• 30 ml warm milk (about 37°C)
• 10 g dried yeast
• 300 g plain flour
• 150 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 90 g soft light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the syrup filling

• 200 g syrup (such as golden syrup or light treacle)
• 100 g soft light brown sugar
• 75 g butter
• Ground cinnamon (optional)

Make the dough

• In a small bowl, mix the warm milk with the yeast and leave it for about 5 minutes until foamy.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, softened butter, sugar, egg, salt and cinnamon.
• Pour in the yeast mixture and bring everything together by hand until a dough forms.
• Turn it out and knead briefly until smooth. Do not over-knead. Cover with a clean cloth and rest in a warm spot for 1 hour.

Make the syrup

• Heat the syrup in a pan over medium heat until it gently bubbles.
• Add the sugar and butter and stir continuously until the sugar fully dissolves.
• Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until it thickens slightly, then take it off the heat to cool and thicken. Add a little cinnamon if you like.

Press and fill

• Divide the rested dough into 10 to 12 equal balls.
• Flatten each into a disc about 2 mm thick.
• Press one disc at a time on a heated stroopwafel iron until golden.
• While still hot, carefully slice it in half horizontally with a thin, sharp knife.
• Spread a generous layer of warm syrup on one half, place the other on top and press gently to seal.

Serving and storage

Rest a stroopwafel over a hot cup of tea or coffee for a minute to soften the syrup, the traditional Dutch way. Store the waffles in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four weeks, or freeze them for longer. Let them come back to room temperature before serving. For more on this, see our guide to storing stroopwafels, or skip the baking and order a tin of ours.