These authentic Norwegian waffles (Hjertevafler) are sure to become a family breakfast favorite! Buttery, crisp and tender and made with wholesome, simple ingredients, these heart shaped waffles are a delicious way to begin the day.
A comment about these waffles from a reader, Naja: "Great waffles! This will be my go-to from now on. My whole family down these waffles. Not too sweet nor too airy. Just perfect."
Choose from a variety of traditional Norwegian toppings (sour cream, whipped cream, fresh berries, jam, fruit compote or brown cheese (Cheese? Yes, really. More on that later). Or go ahead and top them butter and maple syrup....it's not the Norwegian way but still SO delicious. Need more inspiration? I have a whole post dedicated to waffle topping ideas, both sweet and savory.
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The Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour
- Sour Cream gives these waffles a tender texture.
- Milk
- Vanilla extract and ground cardamom brings that quintessential Scandinavian flavor. Feel free to use pre-ground cardamom or grind your own at home.
- Butter adds richness and creates a perfectly crisp exterior.
- Sugar brings sweetness and helps achieve a golden brown color.
- Baking Powder acts as the leavener in this recipe.
- Eggs add structure to the waffle batter.
- Salt offsets the sweetness and heightens the flavor of the waffles.
Variations
- Buttermilk: Substitute 1 ¾ cups buttermilk for the sour cream and milk and add 1 teaspoon of baking soda with the dry ingredients.
- Savory Cheese: Reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons and omit the vanilla and cardamom. Fold 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives into the prepared batter. Cook as directed.
- Savory Cheese and Bacon: Reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons and omit the vanilla and cardamom. Fold 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives and 4 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped into the prepared batter. Cook as directed.
The Equipment
This recipe requires a waffle maker. Norwegian waffles are traditionally heart shaped, so a heart shaped waffle maker is an authentic choice here. But any waffle maker will work just fine with this simple batter.
How To Make Norwegian Waffles (Hjertevafler)
- Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Step 2: Whisk eggs together in a large bowl. Add sour cream and whisk until smooth. Add milk, vanilla and melted butter and whisk until fully combined.
- Step 3: Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir gently with rubber spatula until the mixture just comes together (It will not be entirely smooth).
- Step 4: Cook according to your waffle maker's instructions.
SO simple and easy!
Expert Tips
I've got a few tips and tricks for ensuring that your Norwegian Waffles are the best they can be every time:
- Don't over mix the batter. You want to gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula until they JUST come together. A few streaks of visible flour here and there is even okay.
- Don't skimp on the batter and position it properly. One of the most frustrating things about making heart shaped waffles is when the batter doesn't get all the way to the edges of the waffle iron and they aren't as heart shaped as you want them to be. Be sure to center the batter in the middle of the iron and to use enough to ensure that it will travel all the way to the edges when pressed.
- Get to know your waffle iron. Mine works best with a generous ½ cup of batter per waffle, and I cook it on the highest setting because I like my waffles to be nicely browned. Your waffle maker might be different! Take time to read the instructions and play around with the settings until you are happy with the results.
- For best results, enjoy immediately! Hot waffles are best enjoyed right from the iron, in my opinion. If you want to keep them all warm so you can eat at the same time, Keep them in a 200 degree oven, preferably on a wire rack set inside of a baking sheet, until you are ready to eat.
Recipe FAQS
Slathered in butter and drizzled with maple syrup, waffles are an American Sunday morning mainstay. But they do waffles their own way in Norway. A few distinct differences:
-They are thin and charmingly heart-shaped.
-The batter is often made with cream or sour cream rather than buttermilk.
-The batter usually contains cardamom.
-Whipped cream, fresh berries, jam or brown cheese are the toppings of choice rather than butter and maple syrup.
These waffles freeze really well. Allow them to cool completely and then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and slip them into a freezer bag. They will keep well in the freezer for a couple of months. When you are ready to enjoy a waffle, simply unwrap the plastic, break the waffle in half and toss it in the toaster. Homemade toaster waffles! But do keep a close eye on them while they toast. They can get overly dark really quickly.
Waffles are enjoyed all throughout the year, but they are particularly popular on March 25th, Våffeldagen (Waffle Day).
March 25 is International Waffle Day in the Nordic countries. It is also the date of the Feast of the Annunciation (also known as Our Lady’s Day), which is why waffle day is celebrated on March 25 in the first place. In the Swedish language, Our Lady’s Day (Vårfrudagen) when pronounced sounds a lot like Våffeldagen (Waffle Day). As a wink and a nod to this linguistic similarity, people in Sweden started celebrating Vårfrudagen by eating waffles.
Although Waffle Day originated from an idiosyncrasy in the Swedish language, it is celebrated on March 25 throughout the Nordic region, including Norway.
What to Serve with Norwegian Waffles (Hjertevafler)
There are many different toppings that go with Norwegian waffles. Here is a list of ideas to get you started:
- Whipped cream (my Vanilla Skyr Whipped Cream is a really good choice for these waffles)!
- Sour cream
- Creme Fraiche
- Cloudberry Cream
- Fresh berries or other fruit. Juicy ripe peaches in the summer are a wonderful option.
- A homemade seasonal compote or cooked fruit topping such as Roasted Strawberries (pictured below), Blueberry Cardamom Compote, Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Compote, Simple Pear Compote, Peach Compote or Apple Compote.
- Store bought or homemade jam (lingonberry jam is especially Scandinavian and really delicious here).
- Norwegian brown cheese (Brunost). Brown cheese is made by boiling down a mixture of milk, cream and whey (a byproduct of the cheese making process) until it is caramel-y, sweet and brown in color. In America, the most commonly available form of brown cheese is Gjetost which is made from goat's and cow's milk, cream and whey. It is a very popular topping for waffles in Norway. Simply top your waffle with thin slices of Brunost and dig in!
- Or choose the American route and go with butter and pure maple syrup. Not traditional but delicious in its own right.
Related Recipes
Looking for more festive Scandinavian-inspired breakfast ideas? I've got several delicious options here on the blog. Here are a few tasty recipes to get you started:
If you tried these Norwegian Waffles (Hjertevafler) or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Recipe
Norwegian Waffles (Hjertevafler)
Ingredients
For the Waffles:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon fsalt
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- To Serve:
- Fresh berries sliced peaches, jam or fruit compote
- Whipped cream or Yogurt Whipped Cream
- Norwegian brown cheese (Gjetost)
Special Equipment Needed:
Instructions
- Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cardamom together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk eggs together in a large bowl. Add sour cream and whisk until smooth. Add milk, vanilla and melted butter and whisk until fully combined. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir gently with rubber spatula until the mixture just comes together (It will not be entirely smooth).
- Heat waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions. Cook waffles one at a time until golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately or transfer to a 200 degree oven to keep warm. Serve waffles with fresh berries, sliced peaches, jam, fruit compote, whipped cream, sour cream, creme fraiche, Yogurt Whipped Cream, Norwegian brown cheese (Gjetost) and/or other toppings of your choice.
Notes
-
- Buttermilk: Substitute 1 ¾ cups buttermilk for the sour cream and milk and add 1 teaspoon of baking soda with the dry ingredients.
-
- Savory Cheese: Reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons and omit the vanilla and cardamom. Fold 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives into the prepared batter. Cook as directed.
-
- Savory Cheese and Bacon: Reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons and omit the vanilla and cardamom. Fold 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives and 4 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped into the prepared batter. Cook as directed.
Jo
Fabulous detailed instructions and tips. I made a batch of these this morning and they are absolutely delicious.
Thank you.
Kristi
Hi Jo,
So glad you enjoyed the waffles! Thanks so much for your feedback!
Kristi
Margarita
Would this batter work in a Belgian waffle iron? Looks yummy!
Kristi
Hi Margarita,
I've never tried it but I don't see why not!
Kristi
Richard F Gorton
Yes, this recipe worked very well for belgian style. Yield about 6 - 8 depending on Iron used.
Richard F Gorton
Was the best and easy to blend all ingredients. The Cardamom was a nice touch but will double amount as wasnt much of a taste of this spice. Th finished product was amazing however. Well be my go to for Våffeldagen batter.
Kristi
Hi Richard,
So glad you enjoyed the waffles. Thanks for your comment!
Kristi
Terri Jackson
We just made these waffles this morning and they were wonderful! Thank you for such a great recipes and detailed information!
Kristi
Hi Terri,
Thanks so much for your comment! I'm glad you enjoyed the waffles!
Kristi
Carolyn Lipp
I'd like to freeze 6 of the waffle, but would like them reheated whole- not in the toaster. Can they be related in anon? If so, at what temperature and should they be thawed first? Thanks!
Kristi
Hi Carolyn,
I would put them all on a baking sheet in a 300 or 325 degree oven and bake them from frozen until they are warmed through. No need to defrost them first!
Kristi
Naja Aparico
Great waffles! This will be my go-to from now on. My whole family down these waffles. Not too sweet nor too airy. Just perfect. They were filling.