Best Stroopwafel

Last Updated: May 16, 2023 @ 3:23 pm.

Finding the best stroopwafel . . . and a bit of caramel cookie history!

It’s a tough job, but someone had to do it.

We ordered in stroopwafels—those gooey Dutch cookies filled with caramel—and did a blind taste test. Which was most yummy? What about other flavors besides caramel? And is there such thing as a reduced sugar stroopwafel that tastes as good as the full sugar ones? 

Before we get to the winners, let’s take a quick look at the history of this quintessential Dutch treat.

Stroopwafels were invented in the 1840’s in the Dutch city of Gouda . . . yes, like the cheese.

The waffle-like cookie was formed from leftover breadcrumbs sweetened with syrup. The cookies went viral and are a favorite in the Netherlands to this day. Stroop is Dutch for caramel, by the way.

At one point in the mid 20th century, the town of Gouda was home to 17 bakeries that churned out stroopwafels (we’d love to live in that city just for the aroma). 

Credit United Airlines for widening the appeal of stroopwafels—the airline started serving the cookies as a snack in 2016.

Caramel is the most popular flavor of stroopwafels, but you can also find honey and chocolate. And yes, there are gluten-free versions of stroopwafels—we’ll recommend one later in this article.

So, what are the best stroopwafels? Here are the winners of our taste tests!

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