You Don't Need A Toaster For Eggo's New Offering

With a 2018 market share of more than 70% among all the major frozen waffle brands (via Birch Benders), it's not as if you'd think Eggo would be in any immediate need of a marketing push. Nevertheless, we couldn't help but notice that, lately, the Kellogg frozen breakfast brand has been doing quite a bit of courting when it comes to the demographic some may recognize as the "frazzled American family that never has time for breakfast." 

Right on the heels of giving away a million free Eggo waffles to tired parents when the clocks "sprang forward," the company is introducing a brand new offering. This one was created "with busy parents in mind," as Eggo's Director of Marketing, Joe Beauprez, put it in the press release announcing the launch of Eggo's new Grab & Go Liege-Style Waffles. And when we say "new," we mean it's more than a new product. It's a new concept for Eggo. What Eggo has done here is to create a new frozen waffle that doesn't need toasting. You just take it on the go. And while you can toast it if you want, you really don't have to. 

Eggo's new liege-style waffles don't need to be toasted before enjoying them on the go, according to an April 12 press release from Eggo's parent company, Kellogg. Moreover, they don't need syrup or other toppings. As to how that could be, we can't speak to Eggo's trade secrets. But some basic aspects of how a liege-style waffle recipe works more generally could give a sense of why a company might choose this dish as a toaster-liberated grab-and-go breakfast.

Liege-style waffles, aka pearl sugar waffles, are a subset of the Belgian waffle. Eggo already has a line of Belgian waffles, but liege-style Belgian waffles are completely different, as you may be able to ascertain just from the photos you see above. Unlike other batter-based waffles, liege-style waffles start with a sugar-studded yeasty brioche dough that caramelizes on the outside when it comes into contact with the heat of the waffle iron, according to The Belgian Kitchen. And forget about dealing with maple syrup: That crust on the outside is all that's needed in terms of a topping. The only caveat we can think of is that since these are stored in the freezer, then they would at least need to be thawed, which should take under an hour.