Based in Fayetteville, Georgia, 3Bros Dutch Cookies, a husband and wife/family-owned business, opened their bakery in 2019, becoming one of the only bakeries making fresh stroopwafels in the United States. These sweet treats are not imported from Holland or Canada, as this product is traditionally brought in, and are made without preservatives, according to the company.

3Bros was founded by Leslie and Guido Vliegen to encourage the bonding of their three sons, helping educate them about important life skills. They started as a small company, frequenting the local farmer’s markets, but quickly developed a strong following that resulted in nationwide distribution.

To explain the product, Stroopwafels are a popular Dutch treat — a wafer cookie enjoyed with coffee or hot tea.  “A stroopwafel is like a mini-waffle that we make on a press.  And when it comes off the press and is still hot, we slice it open and fill it with caramel,” Vliegen explains. 

Unlike a typical stroopwafel factory, this authentic bakery does not adjust the recipe in favor of a long shelf life. Instead, the “enjoy-by” dates are just 12 weeks from baking.

In 2019, the family decided to take 3Bros across the country by building a bakery in Fayetteville, dedicated to making fresh stroopwafels. After all, the family had the stroopwafel recipe and had experienced success with the public.

By March 2020, the fully licensed commercial bakery was ready to go, and the company hired a full staff to make these delicious cookies by hand.

Vliegen shares that their customers can order packages of 8 or get them individually wrapped. They come in quantities such as 24, 48, and 96.

“There are special varieties such as chocolate-dipped cookies and S’more cookies,” he says. “We even have Snippers, the traditional stroopwafel crumbs that result from cutting our stroopwafels into a circle.”

Regular subscribers enjoy the cookie subscription box. It comes in the cookie quantity of your choosing, allowing you to get a regular supply of the famous Dutch cookies without leaving home.

3Bros can now be found at over 75 local coffee shops, grocery markets and retailers in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, they are also available on Amazon and sold on the 3Bros website.

The company uses the original Dutch recipe, made with butter and sugar beet molasses which is then spread inside a pressed cinnamon wafer cookie. Unlike other stroopwafels on the market, 3Bros has limited their shelf life to only twelve weeks to ensure the ideal freshness. 3Bros Stroopwafels are baked with care in Georgia, and are currently available in singles, 8 packs, and Snippers which are a great option for topping off your favorite dessert. 3Bros can customize their fresh stroopwafels for any occasion with cookie cutter shapes and/or chocolate-dipped decorations and packaging.