Amsterdam is full of traditional Dutch snacks, from bitterballen and stroopwafels to haring, kibbeling and poffertjes. This guide helps you understand what to try, what each snack tastes like and where you are most likely to find it in the city. In the Netherlands, a snack is not usually a full meal, but something small, casual and easy to enjoy between activities. Think of it as a warm bite during a walk, something sweet with coffee, or a savoury snack at a café after a long day in the city.
A quick word on Dutch snack culture
Dutch snack culture is simple, practical and very much part of everyday life. A snack is usually small, affordable and easy to eat without making a whole event out of it. You find them at markets, snack bars, bakeries, cafés, street stalls and sometimes from a small window in the wall.
Some snacks are eaten standing up at a market. Others are part of a borrel, the Dutch moment of having drinks with something savoury on the side. And then there are sweet snacks, the kind you grab between sightseeing stops or enjoy with a cup of coffee.
That is why this guide does not include dishes like stamppot or snert. Those are meals. Dutch snacks are lighter, quicker and often more spontaneous. You do not need a reservation or a full evening. Just a little curiosity and, ideally, something freshly made.
Sweet Dutch snacks worth trying
Amsterdam has plenty of sweet snacks that fit perfectly into a day of walking, sightseeing and stopping for coffee. Some are warm and sticky, some are soft and comforting, and others are almost impossible to eat neatly. That is part of the charm.
Stroopwafel
A stroopwafel is one of the most famous Dutch snacks. It consists of two thin waffles with a layer of caramel syrup in between. You can buy them packaged in supermarkets, but the fresh version from a market stall is the one to try first.
When a stroopwafel is made fresh, it is warm, slightly crisp on the outside and soft in the middle, with the syrup slowly melting as you take a bite. You will find good fresh stroopwafels at markets such as the Albert Cuyp Market, and at stalls that specialise in Gouda-style stroopwafels.
A small local tip: if you buy a packaged stroopwafel, place it on top of a hot cup of coffee for a minute. The steam warms the waffle and softens the syrup inside.
Oliebollen
Oliebollen are deep-fried balls of yeast dough, usually covered with powdered sugar. They are especially connected to New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands, but in Amsterdam you will often see oliebollen stalls appear from mid-October until early January.
They are warm, soft inside and slightly crisp on the outside. Some are plain, others contain raisins or apple pieces. Oliebollen are not something you will find all year round in the same way as stroopwafels or fries, so if you visit Amsterdam in winter, they are worth trying.
The best place to find them is at one of the seasonal oliebollen stalls that pop up around busy squares, shopping streets and neighbourhood centres. A fresh one, still warm in the paper bag, is the real experience.
Appeltaart
Dutch appeltaart is thicker, deeper and more rustic than many other apple pies. It is usually filled with apple pieces, cinnamon and sometimes raisins, with a firm crust and a generous topping of whipped cream.
In the Netherlands, a slice of appeltaart with coffee is not really treated as dessert. It is more of a sweet break, especially in the afternoon. You will find it in cafés, brown cafés and bakeries across Amsterdam.
Winkel 43 and Café ‘t Papeneiland are two well-known places for appeltaart, but many local cafés have their own version. The best moment to eat it is simple: when you have been walking for a while, it is raining a little, and coffee suddenly sounds like a very good idea.
Poffertjes
Poffertjes are small, fluffy Dutch mini pancakes, usually served warm with butter and powdered sugar. They are smaller and thicker than regular pancakes, and traditional poffertjes are made with yeast and buckwheat flour, which gives them their soft, airy texture and gentle flavour.
Freshness matters a lot here. Supermarket poffertjes exist, but they are not the same as poffertjes made fresh in a poffertjes oven. When they come straight from the plate, they are warm, soft inside and lightly golden on the outside.
If you want to understand the tradition behind them, read more about What are poffertjes made of. And if you are looking for a place to try them properly in the city centre, Pat’s Poffertjes is a warm, easy stop at Nieuwendijk 32 and Oude Leliestraat 7. You can also read more here: Where to eat poffertjes in Amsterdam.
Tompouce
A tompouce is a Dutch pastry made with layers of puff pastry, vanilla cream and a bright pink glaze on top. On King’s Day, the glaze is often orange instead of pink.
You can buy tompouce at bakeries and supermarkets, and HEMA is probably the most famous everyday place to get one. It is sweet, creamy and crisp, but also famously difficult to eat neatly. The cream pushes out, the pastry cracks and the glaze sticks to your fingers.
That is not a problem. That is part of it. Nobody really eats a tompouce elegantly, and that may be exactly why people love it.
Ontbijtkoek
Ontbijtkoek literally means “breakfast cake”, but Dutch people eat it at many different moments of the day. It is a spiced rye cake, usually sliced and sometimes served with a little butter on top.
The texture is soft and slightly sticky, with warm spices that make it feel familiar and comforting. You can buy it in every supermarket, but bakeries sometimes offer richer or more traditional versions.
It is not the most dramatic snack in Amsterdam, but it is very Dutch. Quiet, simple and easy to like.
Savoury Dutch snacks you shouldn’t skip
Not all Dutch snacks are sweet. Many of the most popular ones come from snack bars, cafés and borrel culture. These are the snacks people order with drinks, grab after going out, or eat when they want something warm, salty and satisfying.
Bitterballen
Bitterballen are small, round, deep-fried snacks with a crispy outside and a warm, creamy ragout filling. They are usually served with mustard and are one of the most classic Dutch borrel snacks.
You will find them on almost every café menu in Amsterdam. They are especially good with a beer, a glass of wine or anything that makes you want to sit a little longer.
One warning: bitterballen are very hot inside. Let them cool for a moment before taking a bite, even if everyone around you seems impatient.
Kroket
A kroket is similar to a bitterbal, but larger and shaped like a cylinder. The filling is usually beef ragout, veal ragout or a vegetarian version, with a crispy fried outside.
You can eat a kroket on its own, on a soft white bun, or straight from the wall at FEBO. For visitors, FEBO is a small Amsterdam experience in itself. You put in money or pay by card, open a small glass door and take out a hot snack.
It is quick, casual and very Dutch. Not fancy, but definitely part of the city.
Frikandel
A frikandel is a long, deep-fried meat snack without a skin. The taste is mild and savoury, and you will find it at almost every Dutch snack bar.
The classic order is a frikandel speciaal. That means the frikandel is cut open and topped with mayonnaise, curry ketchup and chopped onion. It may not be the most elegant snack, but it is one of the most recognisable ones.
This is the kind of food people eat after school, after football, after a night out or simply because they felt like going to the snackbar.
Haring
Haring is one of the more adventurous Dutch snacks for many visitors. It is raw herring, usually served with chopped onion and pickles. The best-known version is Hollandse Nieuwe, which is especially popular from May to July.
There are two ways to eat it. The classic way is to hold the fish by the tail, tilt your head back and take a bite. The easier way is to order it as a broodje haring, on a soft bun.
You will find haring at haringhandels, the small fish stalls around the city. It is fresh, salty and very Dutch. If you are curious, try it at least once.
Kibbeling
Kibbeling is a much easier fish snack for many visitors. It consists of fried pieces of white fish, often cod, with a crispy coating and a sauce such as garlic sauce or remoulade.
It is warm, savoury and very approachable. If haring feels like a big step, kibbeling is a friendly place to start.
The best kibbeling is often found at markets, especially the Albert Cuyp Market, Dappermarkt and Ten Katemarkt. Eat it fresh and warm, straight from the paper tray.
Patat
Dutch fries, or patat, are thick, crispy fries usually served in a paper cone or tray with sauce on top. They are a classic street snack and easy to find throughout Amsterdam.
The most famous orders are patatje oorlog, with mayonnaise, satay sauce and chopped onion, and patat speciaal, with mayonnaise, curry ketchup and onion. It sounds like a lot, but it works.
Manneken Pis and Vleminckx are two well-known addresses in the city centre. You will often recognise them by the queue, which in Amsterdam is usually a good sign.
Dutch snacks to take home
Not every Dutch snack needs to be eaten fresh on the street. Some are easy to bring home from the supermarket, a bakery or a small food shop. They make simple souvenirs, especially if you want to continue the Dutch snack experience after your trip.
- Drop: Dutch licorice, especially salty drop, can be intense. Take the first bite with an open mind.
- Hagelslag: Chocolate sprinkles eaten on bread, usually with butter. Very normal in the Netherlands, surprisingly fun for visitors.
- Speculaas: Spiced biscuits often served with coffee, especially in autumn and winter.
- Packaged stroopwafels: Easy to pack, easy to gift and even better when warmed over coffee.
Where to find traditional Dutch snacks in Amsterdam
Street markets are one of the best places to try Dutch snacks without overplanning. The Albert Cuyp Market in De Pijp is popular for stroopwafels, kibbeling, fries and many other quick bites. Dappermarkt in Amsterdam East and Ten Katemarkt in West feel a little more local, while Noordermarkt in the Jordaan is a lovely option on market days.
Snack bars and wall automats are where you go for kroketten, frikandellen and fries. FEBO is the famous version, especially for the experience of buying a hot snack from a small window in the wall. Local snack bars outside the busiest tourist streets can be just as good, sometimes better.
Cafés and brown cafés are ideal for bitterballen, kroket on bread and appeltaart with coffee. They are also a good way to experience Dutch snacks in a slower setting, especially when you want to sit down for a while.
Bakeries are the place for tompouce, ontbijtkoek, appeltaart and sometimes fresh stroopwafels. Supermarkets are useful too, especially for snacks to take home, but for anything warm or freshly baked, a market stall or bakery usually gives you a better first impression.
For poffertjes, look for places where they are made fresh instead of pre-packed or reheated. In the centre of Amsterdam, Pat’s Poffertjes keeps the experience simple and traditional, with locations at Nieuwendijk 32 and Oude Leliestraat 7.
Tips for trying Dutch snacks like a local
- A queue is often a quality signal. If locals are waiting, there is usually a reason.
- Cash can still be useful at markets, although many stalls now accept card.
- Eat street food warm and fresh. Stroopwafels, kibbeling and bitterballen lose much of their charm when they go cold.
- Pay attention to the season. Oliebollen are mainly a winter snack, while Hollandse Nieuwe haring is best from May to July.
- Keep portions small. The idea is to try a few different snacks in one day, not to fill up completely at the first stop.
Start with one warm bite
Amsterdam has a rich snack culture, and the best way to discover it is simply to begin. Try a fresh stroopwafel at a market, order bitterballen at a café, taste kibbeling from a fish stall, or stop for warm poffertjes while walking through the city.
There is no perfect route and no strict order. Dutch snacks are meant to be casual, easy and enjoyable.
And if poffertjes are on your list, Pat’s Poffertjes is happy to welcome you at Nieuwendijk 32 or Oude Leliestraat 7. Freshly baked, warm from the poffertjes oven, served the classic way.
Eet smakelijk.
