Amsterdam is known for a lot of things. Tulips. Bikes. Red Lights. Herb. Rembrandt. But did you know it's basically the junk food capitol of the world? Seriously, I’ve never visited a city with more carbohydrates for sale!
I’ve been vegan since last fall, but I gave myself a hall pass on the following treats during our trip in Amsterdam. Whatever you do, pleeeeeease don’t report me to the vegan police. Or PETA. Or a nutritionist. Without further ado, here’s all the junk food I enjoyed in Amsterdam!
Oliebollen
Rene's Croissanterie | Damstraat 20, 1012 JM Amsterdam, Netherlands
When I asked the girl at the counter for the best local treat in the bakery, she immediately pointed out the oliebollens, which means"oil sphere" in Dutch. This sweet fried dumpling is traditionally served on New Year’s Eve in Netherlands and is made from enriched yeast dough and cooked in a deep fat fryer. It's served warm with a side of powdered sugar for dipping. Using actual sugar as a side dip was for suuuuure a first for me.
Cone of Frites
MannekenPis | Damrak 41, 1012 LK Amsterdam, Netherlands
It's really hard to enjoy other fries once you've been to MannekenPis where the potatoes and fried twice and served up in an adorable cone. They're hot, crispy and crunchy and can be topped with one of 23 different sauces. It's a delicious chance to branch out from good ol' ketchup and I enjoyed spearing my fries with the tiny wooden forks that came with my cone.
Gluten-Free Stroopwaffel
Croque Madame Gluten Free Food | Sint Annendwarsstraat 24A, 1012 HC Amsterdam, Netherlands
Of course we found some gluten-free junk food in Amsterdam for mah man! Stroopwaffels look like bland little things, but biting into this crispy cinnamon waffle was unexpectedly wonderful. The barista Ozzy served it warm so that the caramel just oozed out the sides. Pretty sure I want to use stroopwaffel caramel as lipstick in the future. Croque Madame is an ideal dining option for people with Celiac disease, because the entire café is 100% gluten-free!
Gluten-Free Toblerone Cake
Croque Madame Gluten Free Food | Sint Annendwarsstraat 24A, 1012 HC Amsterdam, Netherlands
If you like the classic honey and almond chocolate bar, you’ll just love this Toblerone cake. It’s hella creamy and has a nice, satisfying crunch. After dinner in the neighborhood, Josh and I liked to stop by Croque Madame for dessert and a chat with Ozzy who had great recommendations on what to do in town.
Oreo Latte
Coffee Company | 11, Oude Doelenstraat, 1012 ED Amsterdam, Netherlands
The only thing better than eating Oreos is drinking Oreos, amirite? Oreos are technically vegan so that also means they’re healthy and calorie-free, right? Mmmmmm okay, moving on. Anyways, this was the specialty winter drink at Coffee Company and they made it vegan for me without whipped cream and swapped in some almond milk.
Golden Cheesecake
Sugar & Spice Bakery | Zeedijk 75, 1012 AS Amsterdam, Netherlands
Josh shared a tiny bite of his gold flake cheesecake and dang, I could hear angels singing when I closed my eyes. There are so many beautiful pastries in this local shop, which has vegan, gluten-free and butterycreamy options.
Raspberry Meringue
Stach | Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 52, 1017 DG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This sugary beauty caught my eye en route to The Rembrandt Museum, but sadly it wasn’t for me. It’s truly like eating pure cane sugar and I threw it away after a few bites (RIP). So if that’s your thing, then yea you should definitely crush it up into tiny pieces and rub the crumblies on your gums for maximum sugar rush. Stach is a really cute corner market though, so I highly recommend it for just about anything else. Anything.
Macarons
Rene's Croissanterie | Damstraat 20, 1012 JM Amsterdam, Netherlands
There are macaron shops all around Amsterdam, but the French will be pleased to hear that while these technicolor macarons were beautiful on the outside, they aren't as tasty as the ones in Paris. Still worth buying a few to try some of their fun flavors! They're gluten-free, so it's one of Josh's go-to desserts when we're traveling.
Do you have favorite junk food in Amsterdam? If so, please let me know what I missed.