Starbucks Large Caramel Waffles

Starbucks Large Caramel Waffles cost £2.90 and carry 352 calories with 28g of sugar and 9.4g of saturated fat. A stroopwafel style caramel filled waffle, sold singly.

This is the same idea as the Mini Waffles in a different format, and comparing them is instructive. One large waffle carries 352 calories against roughly 157 for a mini, so it is a little over two minis, at a price that buys five of them in a bag. A single waffle is convenience rather than value.

The caramel between the layers is what the format is built around. Two thin waffle discs are baked, split while hot and filled with a caramel that stays soft, which is why the whole thing is pliable rather than brittle. It also means the sugar and the saturated fat sit in a layer rather than spread through the biscuit.

9.4g of saturated fat is close to half an adult daily reference intake, and 28g of sugar is substantial for something this size. Fibre at 1.2g and protein at 2.4g are both low; there is very little here beyond flour, butter, sugar and caramel.

The intended method is worth knowing, since the waffle is sized for it. Set on top of a hot cup for a minute, the steam softens the caramel and warms the biscuit, which is how these are eaten in the Netherlands where they come from and a noticeably better experience than eating one cold.

Stroopwafels are a Gouda invention from the late eighteenth century, originally made from bakery offcuts and sweetened with syrup because sugar was expensive. That origin explains the format better than any modern description: thin, cheap layers held together by the least costly sweetener available, which turned out to be delicious.

Soya, wheat and milk are declared, with no diet labelling published. Prices reach £3.85 on delivery.