Learn Hardcore Dutch: De chef gebruikt minder suiker, waardoor het dessert luchtig blijft. - The chef uses less sugar, which keeps the dessert light.

Waardoor is a subordinating conjunction that introduces a cause–effect relationship. It literally means “through which” or “as a result of which.” In your example it links the fact that the chef uses less sugar to the consequence that the dessert remains airy.

Why is the verb blijft at the end of the clause after waardoor?

In Dutch, a subordinating conjunction (like waardoor, omdat, dat, etc.) sends the conjugated verb to the very end of its clause. So whereas a main clause has Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) word order, in a subordinate clause introduced by waardoor you get …Object–Subject–Verb. Hence het dessert luchtig blijft.

Could I use zodat instead of waardoor, and what’s the difference?

Yes, you can often swap them:

waardoor: emphasizes the cause and the direct result (“by which…result”).
zodat: stresses the intended purpose or result (“so that…”).

In your sentence both work:
De chef gebruikt minder suiker, zodat het dessert luchtig blijft. (focus on the intended result)
De chef gebruikt minder suiker, waardoor het dessert luchtig blijft. (focus on the causal link)

What is the difference between minder suiker and weinig suiker?

minder = less → a comparison (less sugar than usual or before).
weinig = little → a small amount (in general).

So minder suiker implies “he’s cutting down on sugar” compared to some standard, whereas weinig suiker simply states “he uses a small amount of sugar.”

Why is there no article before suiker?

Suiker here is an uncountable (mass) noun, so you normally don’t use an indefinite article. You could say de suiker if you mean the sugar (a specific sugar). But minder suiker = “less sugar” in general, so no article.

How can I tell that gebruikt is present tense and not a past participle?

As a main verb in the present tense, gebruikt is simply the 3rd-person-singular form of gebruiken: hij gebruikt.
A past participle would need a helping verb (hebben), e.g., heeft gebruikt (“has used”).

Here there is no heeft, and the structure is Subject–Verb–Object (SVO), so it’s present tense.

Why does the sentence have a comma before waardoor?

Because waardoor introduces a subordinate clause, and Dutch grammar requires a comma between a main clause and any subordinate clause. Here the main clause is De chef gebruikt minder suiker, and the subordinate clause is waardoor het dessert luchtig blijft.

What’s the nuance between chef and kok in Dutch?

kok = cook, anyone who prepares food professionally.
chef (or chef-kok) = head chef, the person in charge of the kitchen brigade.

Using chef here suggests a higher level of responsibility and skill than just kok.