Stroopwafel Ice Cream: Five Ways to Put the Two Together

A stroopwafel is two thin waffles pressed around a layer of soft caramel. Ice cream is cold, sweet and wants something to bite against. Put the two together and you get one of those pairings that feels obvious the moment you try it: the caramel firms up against the cold, the waffle stays chewy instead of soggy, and the whole thing tastes like a Dutch summer.

Here are five ways to do it, from the thirty-second version to a proper no-churn stroopwafel ice cream, plus the one mistake that ruins all of them.

1. The ice cream sandwich

The simplest and, honestly, the best. Take two stroopwafels, put a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on one, press the other on top until the ice cream reaches the edges, and put it in the freezer for twenty minutes. That short wait is the whole trick: the ice cream sets, the caramel chills to a firm chew, and the sandwich holds together in your hand.

Vanilla is the safe choice, but a salted caramel or coffee ice cream leans into the syrup rather than fighting it. If you want a wrapped version for a party, roll the edges in chopped hazelnuts or chocolate chips before freezing.

2. Chopped over the top

Cut a stroopwafel into rough pieces the size of your fingernail and scatter them over a bowl of ice cream. Do it right before serving, not before, so the pieces stay chewy. This is the version to reach for when you have three waffles left in a pack and people coming over. It works with almost any flavour, but is quietly perfect over apple or pear sorbet, where the cinnamon in the syrup gets to shine.

3. Stroopwafel caramel sauce

The filling of a stroopwafel is caramel already, so you can turn a couple of waffles into a sauce with almost no effort. Chop three stroopwafels finely, put them in a small pan with 100 ml of cream, and warm gently, stirring, until the pieces melt into a thick, glossy sauce. It takes three or four minutes. A pinch of salt sharpens it. Pour it warm over vanilla and it sets into soft ribbons on contact with the cold.

The sauce keeps in the fridge for a few days and reheats in a few seconds. It is also very good over pancakes, which is not the topic of this post but deserves saying.

4. Stroopwafel affogato

Put a scoop of vanilla in a small cup, rest a stroopwafel over the rim so the steam softens the caramel, then pour a shot of hot espresso over the ice cream and let the waffle fall in. The Dutch already rest their stroopwafels over a hot coffee to warm them; this just adds the ice cream. Two minutes, no cooking, and every element is doing its job.

5. No-churn stroopwafel ice cream

If you want the waffle inside the ice cream rather than on it, this is the one, and it needs no machine.

• 400 ml cold double cream
• 1 tin (about 400 g) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt
• 6 stroopwafels, chopped into small pieces

Whip the cream to soft peaks. Stir the condensed milk, vanilla and salt together in a separate bowl, then fold the cream into it in two or three additions, keeping as much air as you can. Fold in two thirds of the chopped stroopwafels, pour into a loaf tin or a lidded container, and scatter the rest over the top. Freeze for at least six hours, ideally overnight.

The pieces on the inside soften into caramel pockets; the ones on top stay a little chewy. Let it sit on the counter for five minutes before scooping. If you like a swirl, warm two extra waffles into the sauce from step three, cool it, and ripple it through before freezing.

The mistake to avoid

Do not leave a stroopwafel sitting on melting ice cream for long. Ten minutes on a warm plate and the waffle takes on water and goes limp, which is the opposite of what you want. Every version above either keeps the waffle cold and firm, or adds it at the last second. Stale waffles, on the other hand, are fine here; the syrup rescues them. If you have a pack that has gone a bit hard, this is what it is for, and how to store stroopwafels explains how it got that way.

Which stroopwafel to use

Any will work. A fresh one works better, because the caramel is softer and there is more of it, so the chew against the cold is more pronounced. Our flavours add a second layer: a Salted Caramel or Brownie Fudge waffle in the sandwich needs no other topping, and the Biscoff one chopped over coffee ice cream is a cheat code. If you are not in Amsterdam, the stroopwafel pack ships across the Netherlands, Europe, the UK and the US and stays fresh for weeks, which is more than enough time to try all five.

And if you are already on the dessert path, the stroopwafel tiramisu is the next stop.