International Waffle Day (March 25)

International Waffle Day falls on March 25. It’s one of those food holidays that doesn’t need much explanation. Most people already have an opinion about waffles.

Some like them thin and crisp. Others want deep pockets drowning in syrup. Some treat them as dessert. Others insist they’re strictly breakfast.

March 25 just gives everyone an excuse to make a batch.

When is the Holiday?

Every year on March 25. The date comes from Sweden, where the day was originally tied to a religious observance that gradually turned into something much more edible.

Who Invented the Holiday?

In Sweden, March 25 was known as Vårfrudagen (Our Lady’s Day), marking the Annunciation. Over time, the name blurred in pronunciation and became associated with våffeldagen, waffle day.

Instead of church services, people started making waffles. The tradition stuck.

The History of the Holiday

Waffles themselves go back much further. Ancient Greeks cooked flat cakes between heated plates. By the Middle Ages, European waffle irons were often decorated with patterns, coats of arms, or religious imagery.

Belgium later made its own mark with thick, airy waffles built to hold toppings. Liège waffles, on the other hand, are denser and sweeter thanks to pearl sugar baked into the dough. American waffles took yet another path, softer and often served as a breakfast staple.

Waffles have never really gone out of style. They just change shape.

Facts About the Holiday

Belgium often gets the most attention when waffles come up, but even there the styles differ. Brussels waffles are lighter and rectangular with deep pockets, while Liège waffles are denser and sweeter, made with pearl sugar that caramelizes as it cooks.

Waffles show up in far more places than people realize. Hong Kong’s bubble waffles are cooked in round molds and folded into cones. Scandinavian waffles are often heart-shaped and thinner. In the U.S., waffles became especially popular once stovetop irons made them easier to cook at home.

The first American patent for a waffle iron was granted in 1869 to Cornelius Swartwout. That’s when waffles started becoming a regular kitchen thing instead of a special-occasion project.

In medieval Europe, waffle irons were sometimes decorated with coats of arms or religious symbols. They weren’t just cooking tools, they were crafted items, and waffles were more of a treat than a weekday meal.

Coloring Page

For a quick activity to go with breakfast, this International Waffle Day coloring sheet is easy to print and color.

Activities to Celebrate

One of the easiest ways to mark the day is to slow down and actually make waffles from scratch instead of reaching for the toaster. There’s something satisfying about hearing the batter sizzle when it hits the iron and waiting for that first lift of the lid to see how they turned out. Even small changes, adding vanilla, lemon zest, or a handful of chocolate chips, can make it feel different from your usual routine.

If you’re feeling curious, try making two styles side by side. A lighter Brussels-style waffle and a denser Liège version taste surprisingly different, even though they share the same basic idea. It’s a simple way to turn breakfast into a bit of a comparison test.

Waffles also work well beyond breakfast. We’ve used them as sandwich bases, layered them with fruit and yogurt for an easy dessert, or even gone savory with cheese and herbs in the batter. They’re sturdy enough to handle toppings without falling apart, which makes experimenting less risky than it sounds.

And honestly, if you don’t want to cook at all, visiting a local brunch spot and ordering whatever waffle sounds the most over-the-top works just fine. Sometimes celebrating just means letting someone else handle the waffle iron.

Related Recipes

If you want to go beyond a plain waffle with syrup, these variations are worth trying.

• Savory Cheddar Bacon Waffles lean fully into breakfast-for-dinner territory. The melted cheese crisps around the edges while the bacon adds just enough salt to make maple syrup optional.
• Caramelized Onion and Apple Waffles sound unusual at first, but the sweetness of slow-cooked onions paired with tender apple slices works surprisingly well. They’re especially good with a fried egg on top.
• Fluffy Lemon Waffles with Berry Syrup feel lighter and brighter. A little citrus zest in the batter changes the flavor completely, and warm berry syrup makes them feel more like brunch than breakfast.
• Brownie Waffles blur the line between dessert and breakfast. The batter cooks up with crisp edges and a soft center, and they’re hard to resist with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
• Easy Bubble Egg Waffles are inspired by Hong Kong street vendors. Their round, pull-apart bubbles make them fun to eat plain or folded into a cone with fruit and whipped cream.
• Ham and Cheese Waffles turn the iron into a sandwich press. The cheese melts into the batter, and the ham adds just enough heartiness to make them filling without much effort.
• Zucchini Carrot Cake Waffles sneak in grated vegetables and warm spices. They’re not overly sweet, which makes them just as good with yogurt as they are with syrup.

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Links to Resources

If you don’t already have one, a Belgian Waffle Maker makes a noticeable difference. The deeper grids give you those thick waffles with real pockets for syrup instead of thin, flat ones.

A Waffle Mix Variety Pack can be helpful if you don’t feel like measuring flour first thing in the morning. It’s also an easy way to test flavors without committing to a full batch from scratch.

A Waffle Recipe Book is useful once you’re past the basics. There are more savory and dessert-style waffle ideas out there than most people realize.

And if counter space is tight, a Mini Waffle Iron is surprisingly practical. It’s quick to heat up and works well for small batches or kids who want their “own” waffle.

Related Holidays

If waffles are your thing, there are a few other breakfast-focused dates worth circling.

• National Crepe Day (February 2) leans toward thinner, more delicate batter. Crepes are often folded or rolled with fillings inside, which makes them feel a little more café-style than a stack of waffles.
• National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day (First Saturday in February) is exactly what it sounds like. It started as a playful family tradition and has turned into an excuse to bend the rules and top morning favorites with a scoop of something cold and sweet.
• International Pancake Day (Day before Ash Wednesday) has older roots tied to using up rich ingredients before Lent. In some places, it even includes pancake-flipping races through town streets.
• National Cereal Day (March 7th) celebrates the quicker side of breakfast. It’s less about cooking and more about nostalgia, everyone has a childhood favorite.
• National Oatmeal Nut Waffle Day (March 11) focuses on heartier waffles made with oats and nuts. They’re denser, slightly less sweet, and often feel more like something you’d eat slowly with coffee than something drenched in syrup.

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