Traditional Dutch Recipes
By Karin Engelbrecht, About.com Guide
- Traditional Soups
- Traditional Starters, Sides, Salads & Snacks
- Traditional Breads
- Traditional Mains
- Traditional Drinks
- Traditional Dutch Cookies
- Traditional Desserts & Sweets
- Traditional Pancakes, Pies & Pastries
- Traditional Dutch Cheese
Traditional Soups
The Dutch are renowned for hearty soups that are packed with flavour. A meal in themselves, these soups will keep you going for a while.
- Bruine Bonen Soep (Brown Bean Soup)
- Chestnut Soup Recipe
- Erwtensoep (Traditional Dutch Split Pea Soup)
- Forgotten Soup
- Groningse Mustard Soup
- Potato & Celeriac Soup with Gouda Cheese
- Spring Vegetable Soup with Meatballs (Voorjaarsgroentesoep met Balletjes)
Traditional Starters, Sides, Salads & Snacks
These recipes for tasty side dishes to accompany your Dutch meal show that there's more to Dutch food than just meat and two veg.
- Appelmoes (Apple Sauce)
- Appelstroop (Apple Syrup)
- Beef Bitterballen Recipe
- Brown Bean Salad
- Chicken Liver Pâté with Katenspek
- Crispy Herring with Mustard Sauce Recipe (Krokante Haring met Mosterdsaus)
- Cinnamon Glazed Carrots
- Dutch Shrimp Croquettes (Garnalenkroketten)
- Frikadellen
- Dutch Sandwich Spread with Cream Cheese, Chives & Celeriac
- Herring & Herb Relish
- Kaasstengels (Dutch Cheese Stems)
- Kibbeling (Deep-Fried Plaice Pieces with Ravigote Sauce)
- Kohlrabi, Celeriac, Carrot, Crunchy Apple & Currant Slaw
- Koolsla (Coleslaw)
- Pickled Herring Salad with Sour Apples & Potatoes
- Rode Kool Met Appeltjes (Red Cabbage & Apples)
- Stoofpeertjes (Poached Pears)
- Veal Croquettes (Kalfskroketten)
- Warm Sautéed Mushrooms with Crusty Bread
Traditional Breads
From wholesome whole wheat bread to fruity seasonal treats, there's plenty to get your teeth into in the Dutch kitchen.
- Duivekater Recipe
- Kerststol (Dutch Christmas Bread)
- Oliebollen (Dutch New Year's Donuts)
- Paasbrood (Dutch Easter Bread)
- Volkorenbrood (Classic Dutch Whole Wheat Bread)
Traditional Mains
I've heard it said that the Dutch don't have a cuisine, just food. I'll let you be the judge of that as you peruse this selection of traditional dishes, ranging from delicate spring asparagus to hearty winter 'stamppot'.
- Andijviestamppot Recipe
- Asparagus Hollandaise
- Braised Beef with Bischopswijn & Boerenjongens
- Chicken from the Golden Age
- Draadjesvlees (Slow-Braised Beef)
- Duck Breasts with Spices from the Dutch East India Company
- Filosoof (Philosopher's Stew)
- Hollandse Hazenpeper met Kruidkoek (Dutch Hare Stew)
- Jachtschotel (Hunter's Dish)
- Kapucijnerschotel
- Knolselderij Stamppot (Celeriac Mash)
- Lekkerbek (Deep-Fried Plaice with Ravigote Sauce)
- Mussel Pot with Trappist Beer
- Mussels with Saffron & Ginger Recipe
- Roast Guinea Fowl with Tarragon & Dill Butter
- Roast Pigeon with Grapes & Celeriac Puree
- Rolled Pork Loin with Brandy-Soaked Raisins (Varkensrollade met Boerenjongens)
- Slavinken (Bacon Wrapped Pork Parcels)
- Smoked Herring Fishcakes
- Zuurkoolstamppot met Spek (Sauerkraut & Potato Mash with Bacon)
Traditional Drinks
While we're most famous for our beer and genever (Dutch gin), our very own advocaat is exported around the world, and our mulled wine will warm you from the inside on a cold winter's day.
- Advocaat (Dutch Eggnog)
- Bischopswijn (Mulled Wine for St. Nicholas Eve)
- Boerenjongens (Brandied Sultanas)
- Classic Hot Chocolate Recipe (Warme Chocolademelk)
- Speculaas Coffee Recipe (Coffee with Dutch Gingerbread Spices)
Traditional Dutch Cookies
It is said that Dutch settlers introduced the cookie to North America. In fact, even the word 'cookie' comes from the Dutch 'koekje'. Whatever the history, there are still plenty of traditional Dutch cookies around to bake, taste and enjoy!
- Amsterdamse Koggetjes (Dutch Nougatine Cookies Recipe)
- Boterkoek (Butter Biscuits)
- Chocolate-Covered Kruidnoten
- Gevulde Speculaas (Spiced Cookies with Almond Paste Center)
- Jan Hagel Cookies
- Kerstkransjes (Christmas Wreath Cookies)
- Kletskoppen
- Krakelingen Recipe
- Kruidnoten (Small Spiced Sinterklaas Cookies)
- Pepernoten
- Speculaas (Spiced Cookies or Windmill Cookies)
- Stroopkoeken (Dutch Syrup Cookies)
- Stroopwafels (Dutch Syrup Waffles)
- Taai-Taai Cookies
Traditional Desserts & Sweets
Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves feature prominantly in traditional Dutch desserts -- a throwback to the time when the Netherlands ruled the spice trade. You'll also see wine and brandy make an appearance, as well as plenty of native forest fruits in the summer.
- Boerenjongens (Brandied Raisins)
- Boerenmeisjes (Brandied Apricots)
- Borstplaat Candy
- Chipolatapudding
- Creamy Kruidnoten Pudding
- Eyeren Lombaert (Lombardian Zabaione with Saffron
- Gemberbolus Recipe (Dutch Ginger Buns)
- Haagse Bluf (Hague Bluff)
- Hangop (Strained Yoghurt)
- Hazelnut & Chocolate Sandwich Spread (Chocopasta)
- Ice Cream with Bitterkoekjes
- Chocolate Custard (Chocoladevla)
- Rijstebrij (Dutch Rice Pudding)
- Spekkoek Recipe
- Spiced Apples
- Stoofpeertjes (Poached Pears)
- Wentelteefjes (Cinnamon Toast)
Traditional Pancakes, Pies & Pastries
Pancakes are enjoyed all over the world these days, but the Dutch have a particular penchant for these treats. We've also included pies and pastries in this section.
- Bacon & Apple Pancakes Recipe
- Banketstaaf (Christmas Pastry with Center of Almond Paste)
- Drie in de Pan Recipe
- Dutch Fruit Tart with Tropical Fruit (Tropisch Fruittaart)
- Old-Fashioned Apple Beignets
- Oliebollen (Dutch New Year's Donuts)
- Pancakes with Kruidnoten (Drie In De Pan Met Kruidnoten)
- Poffertjes (Pancake Puffs)
- Slagroomtaart (Dutch Cream Cake)
- Speculaasstaaf Recipe
- Tompoes (Custard Slice)
- Traditional Dutch Apple Pie Recipe
Traditional Dutch Cheese
Holland is renowned for its excellent cheese. I offer an overview of the most important varieties, what they taste like, what to look out for and where to buy them, plus a few recipes featuring Holland's cheesiest product.