Poffertjes are small, round, and puffy Dutch pancakes made with yeast and buckwheat flour. They are baked in a special pan called poffertjespan, and usually served warm on a piece of cardboard paper when prepared outdoors, at festivals and outdoor events.
They are consumed as a snack, and are rarely eaten for breakfast. Traditionally, poffertjes are topped with melted butter and powdered sugar, although there are a number of other, non-traditional toppings such as whipped cream, fresh fruit, or rum.
During the Christmas and New Year period, poffertjes can be found throughout Dutch streets at numerous street carts.
MOST ICONIC Poffertjes
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Kibbeling is a popular Dutch street food item consisting of pieces of fish that are dipped in batter, deep-fried in hot oil, and served with a dipping sauce such as garlic sauce, remoulade, ravigote, or whiskey sauce. In the Netherlands, kibbeling is mostly consumed as a snack, but it can also be prepared for dinner, when it is recommended to pair it with French fries, a fresh salad, and a sauce of choice.
MOST ICONIC Kibbeling
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Kalfsvleeskroket is a Dutch kroket variety that is typically consumed as a snack. It can be bought at numerous streets from vending machines that serve food, or at snack bars. This elongated kroket is made from veal ragù that is thickened with flour, then breaded and deep-fried.
Veal ragù kroket is usually consumed as it is or with mayonnaise, and its popularity lies in the fact that it is simple and convenient.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Rundvleeskroket is a Dutch kroket variety that is typically consumed as a snack, oftentimes bought at numerous street vending machines that serve food. It has an elongated shape and consists of a flour-thickened beef ragù that is breaded and deep-fried.
Rundvleeskroket is most commonly paired with mustard and consumed as it is, although it can also be placed in a bun.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
At just about every haringhuis (herring stand) or vishandel (fish shop) in Amsterdam, one can buy the Dutch delicacy of smoked eel, known as gerookte paling. In the past, smoked eel was a staple in the country, but today it is a true delicacy due to the scarcity of eels and its high price.
The dish is both healthy and flavorful, filled with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and protein. It is usually served on a bun or a cracker and consumed as a snack.
MOST ICONIC Gerookte paling
Oliebol is a traditional and Belgian snack that can be literally translated as oily ball. The dough, which is deep-fried in hot oil, is made with flour, eggs, yeast, milk, and baking powder. The exterior is crunchy, while the interior is chewy and soft, just like a true representative of comfort food at its best.
Traditionally, the fritters are sprinkled with powdered sugar, while some varieties are filled with raisins or currants that were previously incorporated into the dough. Oliebollen are often prepared and consumed at numerous fairs, and they are especially popular during the Christmas and New Year period.
MOST ICONIC Oliebol
View moreA typical snack from the Dutch province of North Brabant, worstenbroodje is a meat-filled roll that is especially popular during the colder winter months. The dough is made with flour, milk, yeast, sugar, butter, and eggs, while the filling is usually made with ground beef and pork, eggs, milk, breadcrumbs, and flavorings such as salt, pepper, nutmeg, and chopped parsley.
Shaped into an elongated oval, these sausage rolls are baked in an oven until their exterior becomes golden-brown and crunchy.
MOST ICONIC Brabants worstenbroodje
Kroket is a modern Dutch counterpart to the classic French croquettes, consisting of ingredients such as meat, seafood, cheese, and gravy that are refrigerated, rolled into logs, breaded and deep-fried until they develop a golden-brown color.
The most typical Dutch kroket is made with meat ragout covered in breadcrumbs. The oldest recipe for the Dutch kroket is believed to date back to 1830, and since then, it has appeared in numerous Dutch cookbooks. Originally, kroket was served as a side dish, but after World War II, it quickly became a popular snack item.
VARIATIONS OF Kroket
MOST ICONIC Kroket
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Bitterballen are Dutch deep-fried, breadcrumbed, meat-filled balls. The filling usually consists of beef, flour, beef broth, and various seasonings. The dish is usually served as a snack at bruin cafes, a popular type of bar in the Netherlands.
Bitterballen are traditionally paired with mustard, french fries, and bittertjes, or Dutch bitters. It is believed that the dish was invented in the 17th century, when the Spaniards occupied the country, and the wife of an Amsterdam pub owner refined and adapted the Spanish version of the dish and served it with beer and jenever.
MOST ICONIC Bitterballen
View moreSaucijzenbroodjes (sausage rolls) is a Dutch dish consisting of meat that is wrapped in puff pastry. It is a popular snack that can be found at numerous Dutch fast food joints, street stands, bakeries, and train stations. Although the name suggests that the dish contains sausages, that is not the case–it is filled with ground beef that is spiced with nutmeg and black pepper.
The combination of these ingredients is then shaped into small logs that resemble sausages. Many people like to consume it for lunch as a light meal, although the rolls can also be served at home as an appetizer. They are quite easy to make, making them a favorite food for parties and similar social gatherings.
MOST ICONIC Saucijzenbroodjes
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 26 Dutch Snacks” list until February 13, 2025, 1,925 ratings were recorded, of which 1,706 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.