These delicious Dutch cookies consist of a very thin layer of syrup, sugar, butter, and cinnamon that is sandwiched between two thin wafers. Stroopwafels were invented in the late 18th century in the city of Gouda, and many sources give credit to a baker named Gerard Kamphuisen as their inventor.
In the Netherlands, stroopwafels are traditionally consumed with tea or coffee, and it is a custom to place a cookie on top of the cup and let it steam for a few minutes, so that the cookie is heated and the syrupy layer softens.
MOST ICONIC Stroopwafel
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Speculaas are spiced cookies mainly made in Belgium and the Netherlands, although they are also popular in Germany (Rhineland and Westphalia), Luxembourg and northern France. With an intense fragrance of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger, the cookies are traditionally baked on the eve of St Nicholas Day, celebrated on December 5 and December 6.
Before going to bed, the children put their shoes by the chimney, and if they behaved well, they are rewarded with speculaas in their shoes. There are a few theories on the origin of its name - one says it derives from the Latin word speculum, meaning a mirror, referring to the mirrored images that the cookies are decorated with.
Gevulde koek is a popular Dutch cookie with a tender, crumbly texture and a buttery flavor. The name of this tasty treat means filled cookie, referring to the fact that it is filled with a sweet, moist almond paste. The cookies can be found throughout the country, from posh bakeries to small kiosks located at most Dutch train stations.
MOST ICONIC Gevulde koek
Kletskop is a traditional cookie consisting of flour, butter, sugar, salt, and either almonds or peanuts. The cookies are usually flavored with cinnamon and have a delicate, crispy texture. It is recommended to serve kletskoppen with a cup of tea or coffee on the side.
Kruidnoten are popular Dutch cookies consisting of flour, sugar, butter, and milk. They are heavily spiced with a variety of ingredients such as ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, white pepper, cloves, and nutmeg. The cookies are traditionally baked in a round shape, unlike pepernoten, which are shaped into squares.
There is also a chocolate-covered variety of kruidnoten called chocolade-kruidnoten.
Krakeling is a Dutch variety of a sweet kringle, which is itself a variety of a pretzel due to its shape. It is typically topped with sugar or cinnamon. When made in a larger shape, krakeling is traditionally consumed with coffee at funerals and cremations because its shape symbolizes the beginning and the end of life.
Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, bokkepootjes are traditional Dutch cookies consisting of a light meringue that is dipped in chocolate. The meringue is filled with butter cream or other ingredients such as almond paste or apricot jam.
The name bokkepootjes means goat's feet, referring to the visual resemblance between the cookies and the hooves of a small goat.
Fryske dúmkes are a popular wintertime treat in the Netherlands. These cookies are a specialty of the province of Friesland, hence the name that can be translated as Frisian thumbs. They consist of flour, milk, salt, sugar, butter, chopped hazelnuts, and warming spices such as aniseed, ginger, and cinnamon.
It is believed that the cookies got their name because their size and shape is that of a children's thumb. Another theory suggests that it is because bakers push their thumbs into the cookies when taken out of the oven to check if they are still soft.
Kaasstengel is a savory cookie that is popular throughout the Netherlands and Indonesia. It consists of flour, margarine, baking powder, egg yolks, and Dutch cheeses such as Edam or Gouda. Cream, powdered milk, or cornstarch are sometimes added to the combination in order to develop a richer and crispier texture.
In the past, kaasstengels were often used as an accompaniment to soups or salads, but today they are mostly consumed as a snack, especially during Ramadan in Indonesia and during Christmas in the Netherlands.
Jan Hagel are traditional Dutch cookies that are a part of the Feast of St. Nicholas and the Christmas tradition in the Netherlands. They consist of a flaky, buttery shortbread crust, a variety of crunchy nuts such as almonds or walnuts, and crystallized sugar.
Due to the fact that the word janhagel denotes an unruly mob or a swarm, it is believed that the unusual name is quite fitting for these cookies made with a variety of nuts. The inventor of janhagels is still unknown, but apart from the Netherlands, there are many sources linking the cookies to France and Belgium.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 18 Dutch Cookies” list until February 14, 2025, 1,284 ratings were recorded, of which 1,126 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.