Rip Van: A Dutch Ritual, Rebuilt For The Everyday

A Tradition In The Suitcase

From The Netherlands To Brown

Rip Pruisken grew up in the Netherlands, where the stroopwafel came with its own moment of ceremony. When he arrived at Brown University, he brought the treat with him. His friends quickly understood the appeal.

By his junior year, Rip and co-founder Marco De Leon were making hundreds by hand in the dorm at three in the morning. They sold them for a dollar each on the campus green.

The brand recalls selling 300 stroopwafels in an hour in 2010. The early batches sold out, and a familiar snack from home began to look like an idea worth pursuing.

The Question Behind The Recipe

Why Should A Treat Feel Like A Tradeoff?

Rip and Marco enjoyed snacking. What frustrated them was the choice between treats they loved eating and products that felt more considered in their formulation but lost the pleasure along the way.

They started taking the components apart: dough, filling, coating. The goal was to rebuild the experience with more attention to sugar and fiber, without forgetting why someone reaches for a treat in the first place.

That became the working philosophy behind Rip Van. Not an imitation of enjoyment, but a reason to keep texture, flavor, and the small ritual of a snack at the center of the design.

Taking The Wafels On The Road

A Volvo, A Launch, And A Move West

The company’s timeline marks its official launch in 2012, supported by Kickstarter funding. Rip and Marco drove stock across the country themselves in a Volvo, bringing the early business beyond campus.

In 2013, the story moved west into Silicon Valley. The wafels found an audience among the tech crowd, carrying a little of that Dutch coffee-break tradition into a different setting.

By 2016, Rip Van had reached Starbucks locations nationwide, according to the company’s history. That year also brought recognition for both founders on Forbes and Inc. 30 Under 30 lists.

The Chapter That Nearly Ended It

A Factory Fire And A Difficult Rebuild

In 2017, Rip Van established a US stroopwafel factory. Then a fire caused irreparable damage and nearly brought the business down.

The company describes the years around its recovery as especially difficult. Rebuilding was not only about replacing what had been lost; the founders were also continuing the formulation work that mattered to their original idea.

By 2019, the business had recovered and reached what it describes as a breakthrough in its lower-sugar recipe development. The story continued, but not along an uncomplicated upward line.

Another Change Of Direction

When The Coffee-Shop Business Disappeared

The pandemic brought another upheaval in 2020. Rip Van says it lost its foodservice business and shifted toward online sales and Costco.

In 2021, the range moved beyond wafels with the introduction of wafers. The company that began around one Dutch treat was finding other textures and formats to explore.

Today, the brand reports seven product lines and distribution in more than 20,000 stores. Those numbers describe its wider business; the collection below brings together the Rip Van products available here.

Start Where The Story Started

Dutch Caramel And Vanilla

The Dutch Caramel & Vanilla Wafel pairs two thin waffle layers with chewy caramel. Its product information lists 3 grams of sugar, 6 grams of prebiotic fiber, and 120 calories per wafel.

For the classic serving ritual, rest the unwrapped wafel on a hot mug of coffee or tea for about a minute to soften the filling. It can also be enjoyed straight from the wrapper.

The collection includes a separately labeled gluten-free version and mini wafels as well as other wafel flavors. Check the specific product rather than assuming one recipe or nutrition profile applies to every version.

Follow The Texture You Like

From Lemon Wafers To Cookies And Creme

Lemon Wafers combine three thin wafer layers with two layers of lemon cream filling. They offer a different direction from the caramel wafel: a crisp, layered format with a citrus-flavored center.

Leos Cookies & Creme bring the idea into sandwich cookies, while the wider collection includes chocolate-hazelnut, peanut-butter, and chocolate-focused treats.

That variety is part of the brand’s evolution. The original ritual is still there, but choosing a Rip Van treat no longer means choosing only a stroopwafel.

Recipes differ across the range. Review each ingredient and allergen label, especially for wheat, milk, peanuts, and tree nuts, and use the product’s own nutrition information when comparing options.