Best Desserts in Amsterdam | TOP 5 • Abroad with Ash

After researching the BEST desserts in Amsterdam and trying too many to count...I narrowed the list down to the TOP 5. Creamy ice cream, fresh from the oven cookies, and traditional stroopwafels, these are the must try Amsterdam desserts!

Amsterdam is known for its picturesque canals, tolerant culture, and “coffee shops”. Did you also know there are several Dutch treats that are quite famous as well?

From traditional stroopwafels with gooey caramel centers, warm chocolate cookies that bring lines of customers, and the creamiest of ice creams...you won't be neglecting your sweet tooth here.

Make a stop for a quick treat between sights and decide for yourself which wins first place!

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This map shows each spot for the best Amsterdam Desserts. Click the icon in the very top left to see a list view of each pinned location. Click the top right button to enlarge the map. Click the star to save to your own Google Maps account. To access this map once saved (after clicking the star), open Google Maps (on your phone/computer/tablet), click the menu button, go to "your places", select "maps", and you will see this map listed.

1. Winkel 43 - Dutch apple pie

The Dutch are known for their apple pie and Winkel 43 serves some of the best I've ever had. Dare I say it might even beat my grandmother’s recipe?

Thankfully I don’t live here, otherwise I’d be in trouble having daily access to this famous pie shop.

I loved that the crust was soft and crumbly, almost cake like. It's such a disappointment when your pie has a hard crust, or heaven forbid, a "soggy bottom".

The apples were fresh and gave the pie a perfect combination of sweet and tart. It wasn’t overly sweet, and I appreciated that the recipe doesn’t overdo the sugar or cinnamon.

Basically, Winkel 43 knows their stuff when it comes to Dutch apple pie and easily makes the top of the list for the best desserts in Amsterdam.

Do yourself a favor and go early in your trip because you'll want to go back for seconds before you leave.

2. Rudi's Original Stroopwafels or Van Wonderen Stroopwafels

I must be Dutch because I became addicted to stroopwafels during my visit to the Netherlands. The stroopwafel is one of the most popular desserts in Amsterdam as it was invented here.

Two thinly pressed disks made of spiced cookie dough with a golden caramel center.

Rudi's Original Stroopwafels sells the original recipe and serves each stroopwafel fresh out of the oven. This means the center will be a perfect, gooey consistency and the actual waffle part will be soft, not hard.

You'll find Rudi's Original Stroopwafels food truck at the Albert Cuyp Market. It's a few minute's walk outside the city center but trust me, it's worth it. These stroopwafels are a bit larger than others you'll find in the city. About the size of your hand. Try one regular and one with melted chocolate on top.

Another spot to try is Van Wonderen. While overpriced at €7 to €8 for a medium stroopwafel with toppings, this is the spot if you want an Instagrammable waffle. There are a variety of toppings to choose from and the packing is great for photos.

Van Wonderen is close to the famous flower market, so it makes for a convenient stop.

If you buy a package of stroopwafels to enjoy later, put them on top of your steaming coffee to melt the caramel center.

This traditional Amsterdam dessert is a nice option when you don't want something that will fill you up as it's wafer thin.

BEST DAY TRIPS FROM AMSTERDAM – THE HAGUE & DELFT

3. Van Stapele – warm out-of-the-oven chocolate cookies

I’m not really a cookie person, but oh my, were these cookies the definition of homemade, straight out-of-the-oven goodness! The shop is tiny and the line is always out the door.

Don’t worry, it goes fast and is evidence Van Stapele should be on the list of the best desserts in Amsterdam.

The constant demand ensures you will get a freshly baked cookie (or 7, which was the limit for that day) that is still warm and gooey. It’s a dark chocolate cookie with a big chunk of white chocolate melted in the middle, aka pure bliss.

Jake's top dessert pick - one wasn't enough...

4. Van Der Linde – ice cream

This Amsterdam dessert is so good you might want to buy two cones, like Jake. When an ice cream shop sells one flavor of ice cream and the line is consistently out the door, you know it must be good.

Don’t let the line scare you. The employees scoop your ice cream cone in the blink of an eye.

I really enjoyed the flavor because it was simple and not too sweet. I would describe the flavor as being similar to a super creamy and flavorful whipped cream. It’s a steal at €1.50 a cone!

Make sure to bring cash.

This is one of the best desserts in Amsterdam to enjoy on a hot day. This ice cream shop is also conveniently located in the center of the tourist zone.

5. Sweet Bob Amsterdam – Brazilian brigadeiros

This bite-sized sweet has nothing to do with Amsterdam and yet it’s the #1 dessert on TripAdvisor. A brigadeiro is the Brazilian version of a chocolate truffle.

The flavors change daily and you can find anything from salted caramel, pistachio, and coffee to tiramisu and lemon pie.

Sweet Bob is a quick 3 minute walk from Winkel 43, so if you haven’t hit sugar overload yet, stop by and pick a flavor.

This is one of the best desserts in Amsterdam if you want something to-go and is delicious with a hot coffee or espresso.

In Summary

I hope you get to try all 5 of the BEST desserts in Amsterdam. I would consider booking a trip back to the Netherlands just to get my sweet tooth fix with these treats. If you can only fit one Amsterdam dessert in, I would definitely lean towards the Winkel 43 apple pie.