Authentic New Year Belgian Waffles (5-Minute Prep!)

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These Belgian waffles are super simple and addictive! They’re authentic waffles, often made to celebrate the New Year and welcome loved ones. With only 5 minutes needed to prep the batter, they’re the perfect treat to share!

Happy New Year! 🎉I hope you had an amazing festive season! So, tell me… are you already trying to work off those extra kilos from all the holiday feasting? Same here! 😅

But let’s be real, this recipe isn’t going to help with that. And honestly, who cares? I just had to share it with you because THESE BELGIAN WAFFLES ARE CRAZY ADDICTIVE!

You’re probably thinking “ugh, another Belgian waffle recipe? Haven’t I seen enough of these?”. I get it. The internet is overflowing with waffle recipes. But how many of them are truly authentic? And how many places claiming to sell “Belgian waffles” are actually serving the real deal?

As someone who grew up in Belgium and as an avid traveler, I’ve seen it all. Many waffles outside Belgium are absolutely delicious but not quite traditional. Growing up in a traditional Belgian family, I can confidently say: you can’t fool me when it comes to authentic Belgian sweets 😋

This recipe is my mom’s recipe. She’s been making these waffles every single year around New Year for as long as I can remember. It’s a family tradition, and now I’m so excited to share it with you. Trust me, you’re going to love them!

What are New Year Belgian waffles?

I call them “New Year Belgian Waffles” because there isn’t an exact translation for their name. In French, they’re called “4×4 waffles“.

Why 4×4? It’s because they’re made with four main ingredients – flour, sugar, butter, and eggs –and each ingredient is used in equal weight. Fun fact: the batter is the same as the one used for the classic “4×4 cake” so you can even bake a cake with this recipe!

Now, these waffles are not the famous Liège or Brussels waffles that most people know about. They’re a completely different type of waffle, traditionally made exclusively around New Year in Belgium.

They’re served to family and friends who visit to exchange New Year wishes. That’s why we don’t just make a small batch of 10, we whip up a whole lot of them to share with everyone!

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour – For the best results, stick to all-purpose flour. Avoid substituting with other types of flour.
• Caster sugar – Do not reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe. While I usually prefer using less sugar in my recipes, this one relies on the 4×4 ratio for its texture and taste, so the sugar cannot be adjusted.
• Butter – Once melted, let the butter cool down slightly before mixing it with the other ingredients. This helps ensure the batter’s consistency.
• Eggs – I use medium-sized eggs for this recipe.
• Vanilla sugar – If you can’t find vanilla sugar in your country, you can either omit it or use a drop of vanilla extract. Vanilla sugar adds a subtle hint of vanilla without overpowering the recipe. If you’re substituting with vanilla extract, make sure it’s real vanilla extract and not vanilla essence or aroma. Some brands of essence or aroma can have a chemical aftertaste (speaking from experience!).

NOTE: Ingredient measurement – Since these New Year waffles require equal parts of each ingredient, it’s crucial to use a scale to measure everything accurately. Using cups for measuring can be too approximate, which may affect the balance of the recipe.

Preparation

1. Prepare the batter – In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla sugar.
2. Cook the waffles – Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, mix until fully combined.
3. Preheat your waffle iron to medium-high.
4. Place one tablespoon of batter onto the iron, close it, and flip immediately for even batter distribution.
5. Cook the waffle until golden brown. Cooking time will vary depending on your waffle iron’s power, usually between 1 minute to 1 minute and 45 seconds. Do a test waffle to determine the optimal cooking time.
6. Use a waffle fork to carefully remove the waffle and place it on a cooling rack.
7. Repeat with the remaining batter.

How to make softer waffles?

My mom has tried making her waffles in two different ways, using the same ingredients and batter. But we noticed that the texture changes depending on whether you add the whole eggs or whisk the egg whites separately.

If you add the whole eggs as they are, you’ll get denser waffles, which is what my family prefers. On the other hand, whisking the egg whites makes the batter lighter, resulting in airier waffles. If you choose the lighter, airier option, make sure to chill your batter in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. This will help firm it up and prevent it from being too liquidy when cooking.

Can you cook Belgian waffles in a regular waffle maker?

A Belgian waffle maker has deeper grid patterns than a regular waffle maker. This is because traditional Belgian waffles (excluding these New Year waffles) contain yeast in the batter, and they need space to rise.

That said, you can cook these New Year Belgian waffles in a regular waffle iron since they don’t contain yeast. However, for Brussels or Liège waffles, a regular waffle maker won’t work. There won’t be enough space for the batter to rise properly, so it will get compressed.

Regular waffle makers come in various shapes, but a Belgian waffle maker is usually larger and rectangular.

When buying a waffle maker, make sure you invest in quality. Some well-known Belgian brands that make high-quality waffle irons include FriFri and Nova.

Serving

Typically, we enjoy these waffles plain. No Chantilly cream, no fruits, no chocolate sauce. They’re served just like biscuits. This is different from Liège or Brussels waffles, which are often topped with a variety of toppings.

That being said, if you want to get creative or add any toppings you like, feel free to do so!

Storage

Like any homemade waffles, these dry out quickly. The best way to store them is in an airtight container (and be sure to actually keep the lid closed – my family often forgets to close it after sneaking in so many times😅).

You can typically store homemade waffles for about 3 to 4 days. After this time, they may start to lose their freshness and become dry.

Don’t wait until the next day to store them. By then, they’ll have already started to dry out a bit.

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