Ice Cream Waffle (Burpple Beyond: $10)!
Cafe ice cream waffle for two via Burpple Beyond: two Belgian waffles topped with hazelnut / earl grey ice cream and chocolate sauce. $10.
Dessert hit. Ice cream waffles via Burpple Beyond, $10. ππππΌ
What was on the table:
- Two golden Belgian waffles: deep grid pattern, golden-brown surface, the cafe-standard yeasted style
- Each topped with a single ice cream scoop: light brown (hazelnut or earl grey, hard to tell), the kind of pastel-cream colour that suggests a milk-tea or nut-based flavour
- Icing sugar dust across both waffles: powdered, just-enough
- Chocolate sauce drizzle around the plates: the dark sweet-sauce ring artistic flourish
- The rose-coloured / pink-cream porcelain plates that the cafe chose for the dessert presentation
Burpple Beyond strikes again. The $10 effective price after the 1-for-1 deal (regular price probably $9-$11 per waffle) makes ice cream waffles one of the best-value desserts in the cafe deal economy:
- Per pax cost: around $5 for a complete dessert plate
- Vs cheapest fast-food ice cream cone: still under the standard dessert place pricing
- Vs supermarket Ben & Jerryβs pint ($14-$18): you get a full plated experience and a hot waffle
The Belgian waffle base is the cafe dessert workhorse:
- Yeasted batter (not just baking powder): the airy interior and the slightly tangy flavour
- Pearl sugar inside (in the proper Liège-style versions): the caramelised crunch
- Cooked in a heavy iron press: the deep grid pattern that holds the ice cream from sliding
- Served hot: the temperature contrast with the cold ice cream is the whole point
The ice cream scoop on the warm waffle is the entire concept:
- Within 30 seconds: ice cream starts melting along the contact lines
- Within 60 seconds: a small puddle forms in the waffle grid, the ice creamβs centre still firm
- This is the eating window: dip waffle pieces into the melting pool while the ice cream is still substantial
- After 2-3 minutes: the ice cream is gone, the waffle is soggy
The chocolate sauce drizzle around the plate is the garnish flourish that adds visual layering without adding actual chocolate to most bites (you have to dip deliberately for it).
Why the Burpple Beyond cafe deals were a 2020-2022 staple:
- Pandemic-era cafes leaned into dine-in deals to drive footfall back after lockdowns
- The 1-for-1 model rewards date-night and friend-meetup visits
- Subscription cost ($5-$8 per month basic tier) paid for itself in 2 visits
Overall: 4.4 / 5. ππππΌ Solid ice cream waffle hit. The hot-cold contrast nailed the format. Would re-order.
