28 Waffles From Around the World
Waffles are enjoyed around the world in many different ways, and the toppings can be quite different depending on where you look. While people in the United States often enjoy their waffle recipe with toppings like chocolate chips, whipped cream, fruit, and/or maple syrup, you’ll find some waffles in Scandinavia covered in salmon, cheese, and sour cream.
Here’s a visual look at 28 different, unique, and very tasty types of waffles from around the world from Kulick’s French Toast Recipes.
No country is more known for their waffles and their waffle varieties than Belgium, which has more than a dozen different varieties of waffles. Here are some of the many popular types of waffles that come from Belgium.
- Belgian Waffles: Belgian waffles present a tasty combination of light batter and large squares and are typically topped with confectioners’ sugar, chocolate spread, and whipped cream.
- Brussels Waffles: Common at carnivals, they’re rectangular, light, and airy and are best enjoyed when covered with chocolate or powdered sugar.
- Galettes: Buttery and crunchy waffles paired with a savory filling
- Kempen Waffles: Yet another style of Belgian waffle that has many small pockets and is very crunchy, crumbly, and buttery. These make for the perfect snack.
- Liege Waffles: Rich, dense, sweet, and chewy waffles that contain chunks of pearl sugar, which caramelize on the outside of the waffle when it’s cooked.
While Belgium is the country most known for a wide variety of waffles, other countries have some tasty types of waffles as well, including Canada, which is known for their unique hot dog waffles, which are typically stuffed with sausage and can be served with many different types of sauces. There are also Dunkirk Waffles that come from England. Dunkirk waffles are typically made with brown sugar and offer a dry, crispy, and crunchy texture. Toppings for these types of waffles usually include sugar, cinnamon, and butter, and they’re most commonly served when people are celebrating Christmas and New Year’s.
Here are some other types of waffles from around the world, along with where they come from.
- American Waffles (United States): Primarily served as a breakfast food in the U.S., these waffles may be topped with fruit, chocolate chips, ice cream, bacon, whipped cream, butter, and/or maple syrup.
- Bergische Waffles (Germany): These heart-shaped waffles are commonly served with cream and cherries.
- Bubble Waffles (Hong Kong): Also known as egg waffles, these are a very popular street food that are presented as half-spheres, not squares. They’re crisp on the outside and a bit chewy on the inside!
- Chicken and Waffles (United States): This unique combination comes from American soul food. The waffle is served as it normally would be, with condiments like butter and syrup, but it’s also topped with fried chicken.
- Stroopwafels (Netherlands): These are flat, round, crispy wafers with caramel syrup filling the insides. Stroopwafel even means “waffles in syrup.”
- Taiyaki (Japan): Dating back to the 1800s, this fish-shaped waffle is commonly filled with red bean paste that is made from sweetened adzuki beans.
- Waffle Pao de Queijo (Brazil): This is a famous Brazilian cheese waffle that can be turned into a dessert by spreading jam on top.
The Full List of 28 Waffles from Around the World
| Waffle | Location | Description |
| American Waffles | United States | Primarily served as a breakfast food in the U.S., waffles may be topped with fruit, chocolate chips, ice cream, bacon, whipped cream, butter, and/or maple syrup. |
| Belgian Waffles | Belgium | Belgian waffles present a tasty combination of light batter and large squares and are typically topped with confectioners’ sugar, chocolate spread, and whipped cream. |
| Bergische Waffles | Germany | These heart-shaped waffles are commonly served with cream and cherries. |
| Brussels Waffles | Belgium | Common at carnivals, they’re rectangular, light, and airy and are best enjoyed when covered with chocolate or powdered sugar. |
| Bubble Waffles | Hong Kong | Also known as egg waffles, this is a very popular street food that is presented as half spheres, not squares. They’re crisp on the outside and a bit chewy on the inside! |
| Chicken and Waffles | United States | This unique combination comes from American soul food. The waffle is served as it normally would be, with condiments like butter and syrup, but it’s also topped with fried chicken. |
| Croffle | Korea | A dessert in Korea in which a layered dough is baked in a waffle pan and eaten with ice cream or maple syrup. They have a chewy texture much like the croissants they’re based on. |
| Dunkirk Waffles | England | This dry, crispy, crunchy waffle made with brown sugar tastes like butter, cinnamon, and sugar. They’re commonly given to friends and family to wish them a merry Christmas and happy new year. |
| Flemish Waffles | France | These can be round or irregularly shaped and are usually served with sugar and orange blossom water on top. They can be enjoyed either hot or cold! |
| Galettes | Belgium | Buttery and crunchy waffles paired with a savory filling |
| Hot Dog Waffles | Canada | Stuffed with sausage, hot dog waffles can be covered with any type of sauce. |
| Kanom Rung | Thailand | This is a coconut-flavored version of a waffle. “Kanom rung” means “beehive,” reminiscent of their honeycomb-like shape. |
| Kempen Waffles | Belgium | Yet another style of Belgian waffle that has many small pockets and is very crunchy, crumbly, and buttery. These make for the perfect snack. |
| Kue Gapit | Indonesia | These waffles are generally made with tapioca flour and get their name from the cooking process, in which they are grilled between iron molds like a waffle. |
| Lacquemant Waffles | Switzerland | Wafer-like waffles similar to the Dutch stroopwafel but covered with orange-blossom-flavored syrup |
| Liege Waffles | Belgium | Rich, dense, sweet, and chewy waffles that contain chunks of pearl sugar, which caramelize on the outside of the waffle when it’s cooked |
| Num Poum | Cambodia | Crisp waffles made from rice flour, cream, and coconut milk that are typically sold on the street and best consumed plain and hot |
| Pandan Waffles | Vietnam | A very common street food that makes for a delicious snack and uses green coloring, a fragrant nutty flavor, and cocunut milk or cream to further enrich the waffle batter |
| Pizzelle | Italy | Made from flour, sugar, eggs, butter or vegetable oil, and flavoring, these traditional Italian waffle cookies are a real treat. |
| Potato Waffles | Ireland | Also popular in Great Britain, potato waffles are essentially just waffle-shaped versions of potato pancakes. |
| Rosettes | Scandinavia | Deep-fried waffles that are thin and cookie-like, they’re known for their lacy pattern and are usually smothered in icing or powdered sugar. |
| Sandwaffeln | Germany | A crispy, thin, more biscuity version of the typical American waffle that’s commonly topped with applesauce, freshly squeezed lemon, or jam |
| Scandinavian Waffles | Scandinavia | Waffles that are generally heart-shaped and can have several unconventional toppings, such as salmon, cheese, or sour cream |
| Stroopwafels | Netherlands | Flat, round, crispy wafers with caramel syrup filling the insides. “Stroopwafel” even means “waffles in syrup.” |
| Swedish Waffles | Sweden | Usually served with whipped cream and jam, these waffles are thin, crispy, and heart-shaped. |
| Taiyaki | Japan | Dating back to the 1800s, this fish-shaped waffle is commonly filled with red bean paste that is made from sweetened adzuki beans. |
| Vegan Waffles | India | Crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, not too sweet, and filled with a good amount of fiber from the oats |
| Waffle Pao de Queijo | Brazil | A famous Brazilian cheese waffle that can be turned into a dessert by spreading jam on top |
Use the following embed code to post this infographic on your website:
This page was last updated by Bruce Kulick and Lisa Lane Kulick