There’s no doubt about it: Belgian desserts are world-class. It’s easy to see why when their most famous exports are waffles and chocolate!
If you’re ready for a sugar rush, check out these 11 Belgian dessert recipes. You’re sure to discover some new favorite treats.
1. Oliebollen (Doughnuts)
Say it with me: Olie bollen oxen free! What a super fun name for a doughnut.
While some refer to these as Belgian doughnuts, they’re more closely related to beignets from New Orleans. These are balls of fried dough covered in powdered sugar, just like beignets, but the batter contains a few surprises.
Oliebollens use Granny Smith apples, raisins, and currants, unlike beignets. The fruity and tangy taste sets them apart. They’re absolutely divine.
2. Belgian Pancakes
The country might be known for its waffles, but Belgian chefs also dominate at pancake making. These aren’t like the pancakes you’re used to, though. For one, they’re a lot thinner!
Their texture and appearance might remind you more of a crepe, but their rich, buttery taste will have you thinking pancake. Maybe I should call them pancrepes!
These light and airy delights are especially good when coated in berries and powdered sugar.
3. Belgian Chocolate Waffles
Here’s a great way to round out this list of Belgian waffle recipes!Any chocolate lover is sure to be in heaven after eating these chocolate waffles.They’re ready in about half an hour.
Follow the directions for regular waffles, but add half a cup of cocoa powder and half a cup of coffee.If you don’t want coffee flavor, just add more milk!
Get started by combining the dry ingredients, then beat the eggs and mix in the milk, coffee, vanilla, and oil.Incorporate the wet and dry ingredients, and pour onto your waffle iron.They’ll be ready in about 20 minutes.
4. Belgian Waffles
If you want a great waffle recipe, it has to be a recipe for Belgian waffles. No one makes them better than the Belgians!
Be sure to have a Belgian waffle iron, or the batter won’t rise and fluff up like it should.
The ingredients list is just what you’d expect: flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, and salt. The batter comes together and the waffles cook in only 10 minutes!
These waffles are wonderful because of how deep they are. They’re great for adding all your favorite toppings, so try more than just syrup and butter. Berries, whipped cream, honey, or chocolate chips are all great ideas.
A little syrup with crumbled crispy bacon is my favorite!
5. Apple Turnover (Appleflap)
These apple turnovers are warm, golden, puffy, and covered in a truly wonderful glaze. I find myself making them quite often once fall arrives. Because they’re easy to make and only take about half an hour, I think they’re ideal any time of year.
You can use store-bought puff pastry dough for the simplest version that still tastes just as good. Then, all you need to do is create the filling and glaze.
Granny Smith apples are key to the best filling, since their sweetness is balanced by a bit of tartness. A simple combination of powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla is all you need for the glaze.
As an added bonus, your kitchen will smell amazing from the baking apples and cinnamon!
6. Belgian Hot Chocolate
Few things are better on a chilly day than hot chocolate, but Belgian hot chocolate is something else altogether! This is real hot chocolate, made with milk, two kinds of chocolate, cinnamon, and just a pinch of salt on the stovetop.
Use a hand mixer or whisk to combine. Keep mixing or whisking until the chocolate melts completely and the mixture is consistently smooth.
Serve hot with whipped cream and chocolate curls on top.
Craving hot chocolate during the summer? Pour it over ice and enjoy with a chocolate straw for even more fun.
7. Liège Waffles
Most of the time, Americans think of Brussels waffles as Belgian waffles. In reality, most Belgians think that Liège waffles are much better. And I agree!
These waffles are made from a rich, thick dough that’s a step above Brussels waffles. They also use pearl sugar, adding to the flavor and texture.
The waffles end up browner, more flavorful, and simply wonderful. Toppings are welcome, but they can stand alone. Also, Liège waffles are still tasty when they’re cold, unlike Brussels waffles.
8. Speculoos (Spice Cookies)
This recipe takes more than three hours, which might seem like a lot of time to spend on cookies. However, that’s the time it takes to prepare a huge batch of cookies for things like pumpkin pie crusts. A single batch of speculoos takes less than half an hour.
The dark brown sugar, flour, and loads of spices come together to make a spicy cross between shortbread and sugar cookies. They’re easy to prepare, and the dough works well with cookie cutters, so go crazy with shapes.
Making these is a great activity for families with young kids, who will love using cookie cutters to make fun shapes.
9. Strawberries and Whipped Cream
I had been enjoying this treat for years before I realized that it was also popular in Belgium. It’s so quick and delicious! It’s kind of like a lazy parfait.
All you have to do is mix the strawberries and sugar, and let it sit for 15 minutes to let the sugar melt into the berries. Next, make the cream by mixing the whipped cream, sugar, and vanilla. Then, just separate and layer the strawberries and cream in individual cups.
The recipe makes enough for six cups with two layers of each ingredient. I like to add a bit of maple syrup or honey, and chill for an hour before serving.
10. La Dame Blanche (Belgian Hot Fudge Sundae with Vanilla Ice Cream)
You can find la dame blanche, which means “the white lady,” at almost any Belgian restaurant. This treat only requires a bit of cooking to prepare the hot fudge.
Store-bought hot fudge works, but homemade tastes better. The sauce is just sweetened condensed milk, semi-sweet chocolate, and vanilla.
Simply heat the chocolate and milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once done, take it off the heat and add the vanilla.
Drizzle the sauce over vanilla ice cream (or your favorite). Top with whipped cream and maraschino cherries. For a more homemade dessert, also prepare your own vanilla ice cream!
11. Cinnamon Belgian Waffles
The land of waffles is sure to have lots of ways to prepare them. Just like normal Belgian waffles, these are light, airy, fluffy, crispy, and tender, but they also contain apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, and nutmeg. The apple and cinnamon flavors are what stand out to me.
It gives waffles a new, unexpected taste.
There are also instructions for making caramelized apple topping and bourbon maple syrup. I’m all for the caramelized apples, but I like good old maple syrup more than the bourbon version.