When people search for cookies amsterdam, they usually mean Dutch cookies and sweet treats you can eat there or take home. (Amsterdam also has a well-known coffeeshop called Cookies, but this guide sticks to baked goods and keeps things simple.) The short list: stroopwafels, speculaas, jodenkoeken, and the many cakes and biscuits from neighbourhood bakeries. Here is what to look for and where to find it.
The cookies worth trying
Stroopwafels
The most famous Dutch sweet. A stroopwafel is two thin waffle-like layers pressed around a caramel syrup filling. The best way to eat one is fresh and warm, when the syrup is soft and sticky. Many markets make them to order. A trick locals use is to rest a stroopwafel on top of a hot cup of coffee or tea for a minute so the filling softens. Packaged ones from supermarkets are fine for gifts but not the same.
Speculaas
Spiced shortcrust biscuits flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and other warm spices. They are especially linked to the Sinterklaas season in late autumn but available all year. Thin, crisp speculaas goes well with coffee. You may also find speculaas spread, similar to a biscuit-flavoured paste, popular on bread.
Jodenkoeken
A buttery, round cookie with a slightly crumbly texture, traditionally topped with a sugar glaze. The name relates to the old Jewish bakeries of Amsterdam, and the name has come under discussion in recent years, so you may see alternative labels. Check the bakery’s own description.
Other Dutch sweets
- Boterkoek: a flat, dense butter cake.
- Kruidnoten: small spiced biscuits sold around Sinterklaas.
- Appeltaart: not a cookie, but the Dutch apple pie is a must if you are visiting a café.
- Poffertjes: small fluffy pancakes dusted with powdered sugar.
Cookies Amsterdam: where to find them
Street markets
The Albert Cuyp Market in De Pijp is one of the best places for freshly made stroopwafels, and the Noordermarkt on Saturdays has bakery stands. Check market days before you go, as they change seasonally.
Local bakeries
Dutch bakeries (bakkerij) often sell a mixture of bread, pastries and biscuits. Neighbourhoods such as De Pijp, the Jordaan and Amsterdam-Oost have many independent options. Walk in, look at the display, and ask what is fresh that day.
Cheese shops and souvenir stores
Tourist-oriented shops near Dam Square and the Nine Streets sell packaged stroopwafels and speculaas in gift tins. They are convenient but often more expensive. Compare prices to supermarkets such as Albert Heijn or Jumbo.
Coffee shops that are actually cafés
A reminder: in Amsterdam, “koffieshop” often refers to places licensed to sell cannabis, which is for adults only. If you want a regular café with coffee and cake, look for signs that say “café”, “bakkerij” or “patisserie”. Cannabis shops are not suitable for minors, and rules about sales and consumption can change, so check local guidance.
Tips for buying and bringing cookies home
- Freshly made stroopwafels are best the same day. For gifts, buy sealed packs.
- Tins and boxes travel better than loose bags.
- Check customs rules if you travel outside the EU. Baked goods are generally allowed, but check your country’s rules for meat or dairy products.
- Stash them in your carry-on to avoid crushing.
- Allergies: most Dutch cookies contain wheat, butter and sometimes nuts. Ask staff to be sure.
How to tell a good bakery from a tourist stop
A few simple signals help. Look for a short queue of locals at lunchtime, a display with items that change through the day, and handwritten labels rather than glossy photos. A good bakery usually smells of butter and baked sugar before you reach the door. Be cautious of shops where the same pre-packed tin is stacked in the window in six languages, since those are made for volume, not freshness. That said, a well-sealed tin is perfectly good as a gift, so the choice depends on whether you want to eat now or carry home.
Ask the person behind the counter which item they would pick. Staff in small bakeries are usually happy to explain the difference between butter cake and ginger biscuits, and they will often let you buy a single piece rather than a whole bag.
When to go
Late autumn is the best time to meet the seasonal biscuits, because shops fill with speculaas, kruidnoten and chocolate letters in the weeks before Sinterklaas on 5 December. In winter, oliebollen, deep-fried dough balls dusted with sugar, appear at stands around New Year. In spring and summer, market days and sunny terraces make it easy to combine a warm stroopwafel with an afternoon walk along the canals. Whatever the season, go earlier in the day for the freshest choice, since popular items sell out by the afternoon.
A short sweet-tooth route
- Morning: coffee and a warm stroopwafel at the Albert Cuyp Market.
- Midday: pick up speculaas and boterkoek from a local bakery.
- Afternoon: apple pie in a Jordaan café.
- Evening: poffertjes if you feel like one more treat.
For official city information, including market listings and neighbourhood guides, check I amsterdam. Whether you buy a single warm waffle or a bag of biscuits for friends back home, the best cookies amsterdam offers are usually found away from the busiest streets.
Photo: Andy Li, CC0, source.
