Tim Chin is a professional cook and writer who has contributed to Serious Eats and America’s Test Kitchen. A graduate of The International Culinary Center, Tim has cooked at restaurants in New York and Boston, working at Rouge Tomate, Northern Spy, and BiSq.

Tim Chin

These waffles check all the diner-nostalgia boxes. Crisp, light, and deep-golden brown, with the distinctive toasty, malty, almost caramelized flavor of malted milk powder, these waffles cry out for a dollop of whipped butter and a few glugs of maple syrup. All that’s missing is some burnt drip-coffee, a plate of fried eggs, a few sausage links, and a side of just-okay hash browns.  One thing to note: Diner menus lie, and these waffles ain’t Belgian. Unlike waffle styles that actually originated in the land of Tintin, like <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/recipes/liege-waffles">Liège</a> and <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/recipes/crispy-yeasted-waffles">yeasted Brussels waffles</a>, these are Belgian in name only (more on that below). But they’re undeniably delicious.

Diner-Style “Belgian” Waffles