From Aruba to My Kitchen: Homemade Stroopwafels, Gratitude, and Slowing Down
There’s something special about bringing food memories home with you.
On a recent trip to Aruba, I picked up a few fresh stroopwafels from Super Food — thin waffle cookies with a warm caramel center. Simple. Comforting. Perfect with coffee. When we got back home, I decided to try making them from scratch.
This was my first attempt, and what surprised me wasn’t the recipe.
It was how much process mattered.
Portion size mattered.
Heat mattered.
Timing mattered — seconds, not minutes.
Miss one step and the waffle cracks. Rush the syrup and the texture changes. Get impatient and the balance is off.
Coffee, Gratitude, and the Space to Slow Down
The first batch turned out great — not overly sweet, very European in profile. Crisp edges. Chewy center. Meant to be warmed over a mug of coffee, not rushed.
Standing in the kitchen with a cup of coffee, watching the steam soften the center, I felt a real sense of gratitude. Gratitude for time. For learning something new. For being present enough to enjoy it.
That coffee moment mattered as much as the result.
As I look ahead to 2026, I want more of that — more intention, more appreciation for the process, and more enjoyment in the quiet moments that don’t show up on a calendar but shape how we show up everywhere else.
The Recipe: Homemade Stroopwafels (v2.0 – Balanced Sweet)
Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
- ¼ cup milk (or 2 Tbsp heavy cream + 2 Tbsp water)
- Pinch of salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp vanilla
Syrup Filling (Balanced Sweet)
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
1. Make the dough
Warm the milk until just lukewarm. Add yeast and let bloom for 5 minutes. Mix all dough ingredients and knead until smooth. Cover and let rise 30–45 minutes (it should puff slightly, not double).
2. Portion
Divide dough into 30–32 g balls. Roll smooth.
3. Cook
Preheat an electric stroopwafel iron. Lightly grease once. Press dough balls and cook ~38–40 seconds until golden.
4. Slice
Immediately slice each waffle horizontally while hot.
5. Make the syrup
Simmer syrup ingredients (except cinnamon & vanilla) 6–7 minutes until thick but pourable. Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon and vanilla.
6. Assemble
Spread a thin layer of warm syrup edge-to-edge, cap, and let rest.
How to Enjoy Them
Caption: Best enjoyed warm, rested on top of a coffee mug.
The best way to eat a stroopwafel is still the simplest:
Place it on top of a hot coffee mug for about a minute and let the steam do the work.
It’s a small ritual — and a good reminder that balance often beats excess, in cooking, in work, and in life.
Final Thought
This wasn’t just about making stroopwafels.
It was about slowing down, paying attention, and enjoying the process.
That’s something I’m carrying with me into 2026.
