If you visit Norway, there is a good chance you will be offered Norwegian waffles at some point. They appear at cafés, family gatherings, school events, ski cabins and sport events. They are simple to make and usually served warm with jam. They're so popular, they've even got their own official day - the waffle day!
Norwegian waffles are quite different from American waffles. They are thin, soft and heart-shaped, and they are baked in a round waffle iron that divides the waffle into four, five or even sometimes six small hearts.
Below is a simple recipe that works well at home.
Norwegian waffle recipe
This recipe makes about 10 waffles.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1¾ cups milk
- 3 eggs
- 100 g melted butter (about 7 tablespoons)
How to make the waffles
- Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl using a hand mixer.
- Add the milk and whisk again. Then add flour, baking powder and cardamom. Mix until the batter is smooth.
- Finally stir in the melted butter.
- Let the batter rest for about 10 to 15 minutes. This gives a smoother batter.
- Heat the waffle iron, lightly grease it if needed, and pour in just enough batter to fill the pattern. Bake until the waffle is lightly golden. Lift it off the iron with a fork, being careful not to scratch the iron.
- To keep the waffles soft, stack them on a cooling rack and cover them with a kitchen towel while you're making the rest of the waffles. If you let them cool down without a cover, they will become more crispy.
How Norwegian waffles are usually served
In Norway waffles are normally served soft, not crispy. They are often folded in half along the heart shape before eating.
Typical toppings include
- strawberry jam
- raspberry jam
- sour cream
- brown cheese (a typical Norwegian cheese called brunost)
Many people combine jam and sour cream together. Personally I prefer waffles with just strawberry jam.
Waffles are often eaten with coffee in the afternoon, especially when visiting family or spending time at a cabin in the mountains.
How to get a Norwegian waffle iron
To make heart-shaped waffles you need a Scandinavian waffle iron. These are easy to find online. Just search for Norwegian waffle iron, and you'll find the traditional heart shaped iron. They're available in any kitchen supply shop here. But even if you live outside Scandinavia, Amazon and many kitchen supply shops sell them. Just make sure you get one with the right voltage/plug for your country. (Or you'll have to use a converter.)
I've never tried making them in a different type of waffle iron. My guess is that irons for Belgian waffles or American waffles will be too thick, and the batter for Norwegian waffles will be too thin to fill the iron and bake evenly.
A quilt inspired by waffles
Waffles also inspired one of my quilt patterns. The Waffles & Jam quilt is based on the grid pattern of the four-heart Scandinavian waffles, with warm waffle colours and small accents of pink or white that represent jam and sour cream.
The quilt is made from simple blocks and works well as a beginner friendly quilt project.