Lukken are thin dessert waffles, traditionally made in West Flanders to celebrate the New Year and other feasts.^[1][2] Compared to other traditional waffles, lukken is made with more sugar, and since sugar was historically a luxury good, lukken was associated with the nobility and with celebrations.^[1] Jules Destrooper popularized a version of lukken called butter waffles.^[1]

The main ingredients in lukken are flour, butter, and sugar.^[3] The Westvlaamsch Idioticon, a West Flemish dictionary, defined lukke as a "thin, solid little wafer, usually oval-shaped."^[3]

The term lukken is derived from the Dutch word for luck, geluk.^[1][4] Traditionally, on New Year's Day, children would congratulate (luk) their godparents by offering lukken.^[5] The baking of lukken became idiomatic for something that could be done quickly and simply, as in the Flemish expression Het gaat lijk lukken bakken ("it goes like baking lukken").^[3]

In Belgium, lukken are sometimes called nieuwjaarswafeltjes, meaning "New Year waffles."^[3][6][3] In the Netherlands, lukken goes by names such as ijzerkoekjes and kniepertjes.^[3]

Traditionally, Lukken were produced on special "luk irons" (lukijzers) that sometimes became family heirlooms.^[5][4] A museum in Bruges came into possession of one such iron, dating from the 18th century, and bearing the phrase Ik wens u een zalig nieuwjaer ("I wish you a happy New Year").^[5]

When electric waffle irons were introduced, the time to bake a single lukken could be reduced from 3 minutes to 30 seconds.^[7] The Gazette van Detroit, a newspaper for Belgian Americans, often advertized the sale of lukken irons around the holidays.^[5]

Jules Destrooper popularized a version of lukken called butter waffles.^[1]

• Ijzerkoekje
• Pizzelle
• Stroopwafel