Nasibal is an unusual fusion of Indonesian and Dutch cuisines, a snack that is usually bought from numerous street vending machines that serve food. Shaped like a ball, nasibal consists of nasi goreng filling (fried rice and various spices) that is breaded and deep-fried in hot oil.
It can also be prepared at home, typically with leftover nasi goreng. For the best results, pair the snack with Indonesian peanut sauce.
Beschuit met muisjes is a traditional snack that is consumed when celebrating the arrival of a baby. It consists of beschuit – a round, toasted, dry, and crunchy rusk that is smeared with either margarine or butter, then topped with muisjes – sugar-coated aniseeds.
The topping can either be pink and white if the baby is a girl (these are the traditional colors), or blue and white if it's a boy (modern colors). It is believed that aniseed stimulates milk production in nursing mothers, so beschuit met muisjes is a staple at almost every Dutch household when a baby is born and guests come to visit.
Balkenbrij is a traditional dish made from pork scraps (organs, leftover sausage stock), blood, flour, and spices such as ginger, pepper, licorice, anise, sugar, and cinnamon. The mixture is slowly cooked and left to cool. Once it is cooled, balkenbrij is usually sliced and baked in the pan.
It can be placed on bread and consumed as a snack or it can be paired with potatoes and consumed as a main dish. The name balkenbrij is derived from balk, meaning intestines, and brij, meaning porridge or mush.
MOST ICONIC Balkenbrij
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This unique, skinless, deep-fried sausage is a popular snack that is mostly consumed in Belgium and the Netherlands. There has been a long dispute whether frikandel is originally Belgian or Dutch, and although the exact origin of frikandel is unknown, it is certain that the dish first appeared in the 1950s.
The original frikandel sausage consisted of a variety of meat, most commonly pork, chicken, and horse meat. However, since eating horse meat is sometimes regarded as taboo these days, most producers eliminated it from their recipes. Traditionally, it is served plain, with a dollop of mayonnaise on the side.
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Satekroket is one of the popular Dutch fast food items and a variety of kroket. It can be found at numerous snackbars or bought on the streets from vending machines that serve food. The snack consists of a combination of peanut satay sauce and meat ragù that is thickened with flour.
The combination is then breaded, deep-fried, and ready to satiate the appetites of hungry consumers. It is said that satekroket tastes the best after a wild night out.
Ontbijtkoek is one of the staples of a traditional Dutch breakfast: a rye cake spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, honey, pepper, and cloves. Although it is mostly consumed for breakfast, it is equally popular as a lunchtime treat or a midnight snack, topped with butter or jam, and sometimes with a few pieces of cheese on the side.
When it is consumed as a snack, it is often paired with a cup of tea or coffee. Ontbijtkoek has been baked in the Netherlands since the 16th century, and today there are numerous regional varieties of this flavorful sweet bread. In the southern parts of the country, it is known as peperkoek, referring to the fact that pepper is one of the ingredients used in its production.
Bamischijf is a popular Dutch snack with Indonesian influences, consisting of a slice of bami goreng (stir-fried noodles) that is coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried in hot oil. The snack is usually produced in factories, where it is frozen and then shipped to snack bars.
There are also several varieties of bamischijf such as bamiblok and bamibal, but the main difference is in the shape of the snack.
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.
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ALTHOUGH THERE ARE CLAIMS THAT EATING SPACE CAKES CAN LEAD TO PSYCHOSIS OR PSYCHOSIS SYMPTOMS FOR SOME PEOPLE, THERE'S STILL NOT ENOUGH CONCLUSIVE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THEM. Originating from Amsterdam, space cake is a notorious delicacy that belongs to a group of cannabis-infused edibles.
Variations on this specialty abound, and any baked good that contains cannabis butter may be called a space cake. This Dutch specialty is usually prepared with typical cake ingredients such as flour, sugar, baking powder, butter, milk, and eggs, which are combined with a certain quantity of cannabis.
MOST ICONIC Space Cake
View moreBerenklauw is a popular Dutch street food dish consisting of a combination of meatballs and onions that are fried together and served on a skewer. The dish is often served with a dipping sauce on the side, such as sweet and spicy peanut sauce, or gypsy sauce–consisting of tomatoes, paprika, onions, and sugar.
Berenklauw can be found throughout the Netherlands, sold by street vendors, in pubs, and in bars.
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 “18 Worst Rated Dutch Snacks” list until February 15, 2025, 1,927 ratings were recorded, of which 1,707 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.