Rip Van Wafels

Update Review April 2019

Ok, I finally found a stroopwafel I really loved!

It hails from Rip Van Wafel, a San Francisco based company that I have reviewed before.  However, in my previous attempts, I either 1) failed to consume them properly or 2) just didn't really care for them.  I finally succeeded, after not trying them for 5 years.

"A chewy, syrup filling, sandwiched between two thin crisp cookie wafers. Carefully pressed on a traditional Dutch iron to less than 1/4 inch for a perfect mouth feel."

Rip Van Wafel has expanded their product line considerably in their successful past few years, now offering low sugar versions, high protein ones, and minis too, but all still based around stroopwafels.  They also added a slew of flavors.  Which, for me, was key: finding an awesome flavor.

The other key for me is *not* serving it in a traditional style of heating over a cup of steaming coffee, and not dunking it in my coffee.   Of course that is just one way to enjoy them, and their individually wrapped grab-n-go nature makes them easy to just grab as a snack, post-workout treat, dessert, etc.

Chocolate Brownie.

Ok, don't mind the broken wafel.  I really didn't plan to review this (it came in a snack box and a friend who doesn't eat chocolate gave it to me).

Like the Dark Chocolate Sea Salt I had last time, and their popular Cookies & Cream version, this one had a chocolate wafel.  It also had chocolate caramel inside.  And somehow ... tasted *exactly like a brownie*.  The flavor was great.  

I consumed it just at room temperature, breaking off chunks, and dunking it into thick sweetened whipped cream (I love whipped cream on brownies to compliment the rich dark chocolate - or warm with ice cream, but putting whipped cream on this wouldn't really work, since you need to break it apart).  The crispy texture, and chewy caramel, and creamy thick cream I used just worked together great.  Fun to eat, and really just quite tasty.  Cocoa powder, brown sugar, and molasses, and perhaps a backdrop of the chickpea flour, just created a really rich brownie flavor somehow.

I really enjoyed it this way, and would gladly get another.

This is also available in a low sugar recipe with only 3 grams of sugar (uses monkfruit extract for sweetness).

Update Review, November 2015

Yeah, yeah, yeah.  In my original review, I said I was done trying these things.  But ... they expanded the product line to not just include the 'traditional' stroopwafel I had before, but they now have one with a coconut filling, a more wholesome one with oats and honey, and, something a bit more up my alley: chocolate.  So, I tried again.  Oops.

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt.

"Bold dark chocolate with a hint of salt."

I wanted to tell you all about this.  But ... it went exactly the same was as attempt #1 before.  I placed it over my cup as instructed, turned my head for about 2 minutes, and ... then it was gone.  Doh.  Collapsed into my coffee.

I can't tell you anything about this product.  What I can tell you is that coffee, with little disintegrated bits of wafel floating in it, is really not very good.

Original Review, April 2015

Yesterday I reviewed real waffles, so today, for "snack foods Friday", I turn to packaged "wafels" instead, by Rip van Wafels.

Rip van Wafels is a local San Francisco business, sold at many coffee shops around town, but the treats are Amsterdam style, designed to just be consumed with your drink.

Unfortunately, due to user error on my part, which you'll read about below, I didn't actually get to enjoy one of these.  Whoops!

Individual Packaged Wafel.

The packaging has clear instructions.  You are to take your wafel-cookie, place it on top of your coffee/tea/hot chocolate/hot cider/etc, and wait.  Patiently.  And wait some more.  They sorta insist that you wait.  They promise it will be worth it, while the caramel inside melts due to the steam from your warm drink.

Perfectly sized to fit on top of cup. 

So I waited.

Well, please, I am me, so of course first I had a tiny bite.  The cookie part reminded me of a sugar cone from a Drumstick, a bit soggy-like.  Hmm.

So I waited, as instructed.  While I waited, I went to read the web site to learn more about the product.  I also saw that I could dip it if I preferred.  So, I eagerly turned to my cup to try dipping it.

And ... my stroopwafel wasn't there.  Wat? Did I move it?  I looked around frantically.  No, I swear, I left it on top of my cup.  Then it dawned on me.  It fell in!

I must have waited too long, so it got too limp, and collapsed into the cup.  I fished it out, hopeful that it was salvageable, but it was a lost cause.  Just a soggy mess.

I can't tell you anything more about this product, since I clearly failed at eating it.  Whoops :(

Attempt #2.

Curiosity got the better of me, so I tried another.  This time I perched it on the edge, just like in the pitcher, rather than fully covering the top of the cup.

And I waited.  And waited.  It never really got soft.  I mean, it got a bit softer, but certainly not as I expected given the description that the caramel was supposed to get soft and melty inside.  I waited longer.  Now my coffee was just getting cold.  Grumpy cat.

Since I didn't really like it when it was just at this temperature, I ended up mostly dunking it into the coffee instead, sorta like it was biscotti.  This was ... ok, but really not great.

If I were to acquire another one, I'd want to just use it with ice cream, rather than coffee.  I think it would make a great ice cream sandwich, or, even just break it up and mix it into ice cream.  But as a side with my coffee? Not really doing it for me ...

Attempt #3.

I gave it another valiant effort.  Went back to a coffee cup where it fit perfectly.  And waited.

It never really got soft.  The caramel never got gooey.  My coffee got cold.

Even dunked in my coffee I didn't care for it.

I'm done trying these!