Dutch Cuisine for Cyclists
Cycling in the Netherlands is best paired with its food culture—discover savory classics, street snacks, and sweets perfect for every stop.
Cycling in Holland isn’t just about tulip fields and canal paths—it’s also a chance to taste the country’s simple yet satisfying food culture. Dutch cuisine is rooted in hearty, straightforward dishes designed to fuel active days, balanced with beloved sweets and iconic snacks that you’ll spot everywhere from village cafés to bustling markets.
Food here is more than fuel—it’s a reflection of daily Dutch life, with many dishes best enjoyed in relaxed cafés, roadside stalls, or even at outdoor markets along your cycling route.
In this guide, we’ll explore:
- What’s on the menu
- How to navigate dietary restrictions
- Introduction into the Dutch coffeculture
- Overview of the meals during your cycling trip
Let’s get straight into the hearty dishes that will help you refuel after a rewarding ride through Holland.
Savory & Hearty Dishes
These traditional Dutch meals are rich, filling, and the perfect way to refuel after a ride through Holland’s landscapes.
Stamppot
A cornerstone of Dutch home cooking, stamppot is a comforting mix of mashed potatoes and vegetables such as kale, sauerkraut, or carrots. It’s typically topped with rookworst, a smoky sausage, and sometimes gravy. This hearty dish has fueled Dutch winters for centuries and remains a satisfying option after long days in the saddle.
Pea-soup
This thick split-pea soup is a Dutch winter classic, often so dense that the spoon almost stands upright. Made with split peas, pork, and root vegetables, it’s served with rye bread and smoked bacon. Traditionally eaten after ice skating or outdoor activities, erwtensoep is still the ultimate recovery food for cold-weather riders.
Herring
Raw herring is a Dutch specialty, usually eaten with chopped onions and pickles. Locals often tilt the fish by the tail and eat it whole in a single bite—a centuries-old tradition. It’s especially popular in coastal towns and at June’s Flag Day celebration, when the first catch of the season is celebrated.
Kibbeling
Bite-sized chunks of battered white fish, usually cod, deep-fried until golden and crispy. Served with garlic or tartar sauce, kibbeling is a staple of Dutch markets and seaside stalls. It’s both filling and portable, making it a popular cycling snack for those passing through coastal towns.
Where to Try on Tour:
On the Highlights of South Holland Tour, you’ll pass through Leiden and Delft, towns where traditional stamppot and winter stews are still popular. Rotterdam’s markets are also ideal for haring stalls.
Dutch Snacks
Dutch snack culture is simple, fun, and perfectly suited to a quick cycling break—whether you pause in a village square or refuel at a bustling city café.
Bitterballen
These deep-fried, golden spheres are filled with a creamy meat ragout, making them one of the Netherlands’ favorite bar snacks. Traditionally served with mustard, they’re crunchy on the outside and rich on the inside—ideal for a post-ride treat in a café or pub.
Kroket
Similar in taste to bitterballen but larger and cylindrical, the kroket is a staple of Dutch snack bars. You’ll even find them in vending machines at train stations. Packed with savory filling and served in a bread roll, it’s quick, satisfying fuel between rides.
Frikandel
A fast-food Flemish classic with cult status. The frikandel is a spiced minced-meat roll, deep-fried and usually served with mayonnaise, ketchup, or curry sauce. Found at roadside friteries across Flanders and some regions of Holland, it’s the quick, savory pick-me-up that fuels many casual rides between towns.
Patatje Oorlog (Dutch Fries)
Thick-cut Dutch fries are served with a generous dollop of mayonnaise, though locals often order them “oorlog” style—with peanut satay sauce and onions. Perfect after a day of pedaling, these fries are hearty enough to count as a meal on their own.
Cheese cubes
The Netherlands is world-famous for cheeses like Gouda and Edam, and cubes of these varieties are a common bar snack. Typically served with mustard for dipping, they offer cyclists a salty, protein-rich bite that pairs perfectly with a local beer.
Where to try on tour:
The Holland Family Bike Tour often routes along the North Sea coast and smaller towns in South Holland. Here, kibbeling stands and snack bars selling fries with mayo or toppings are everywhere — easy and family-friendly fuel.
Sweet Dishes
Desserts are central to Dutch culture too, offering cyclists the perfect excuse for an afternoon stop or an end-of-day treat. From market stalls to cozy cafés, these classics are everywhere along the routes.
Stroopwafels
Two thin waffle layers sandwiched with a gooey caramel syrup filling, stroopwafels are one of the Netherlands’ most beloved sweets. Best enjoyed warm over a cup of coffee or tea, they’re the ultimate quick pick-me-up during a cycling break.
Fun Fact about Stroopwafels!
Stroopwafels were first baked in Gouda in the early 19th century, made from leftover crumbs and sweet syrup. Originally a “poor man’s cookie,” they became so popular that by the late 1800s more than 100 stroopwafel bakers worked in Gouda alone. Today, they’re one of the Netherlands’ most iconic sweets, sold at markets, cafés, and even airports worldwide.
Poffertjes
These small, fluffy pancakes are served with powdered sugar and butter, sometimes with syrup or fruit on top. Traditionally made in cast-iron pans, they’re especially popular at markets and festivals. Light yet indulgent, they make a fun refueling stop.
Oliebollen
A winter specialty, oliebollen are deep-fried dough balls often filled with raisins or currants and dusted with powdered sugar. Traditionally eaten at New Year’s, they’re hearty and festive, giving cyclists a taste of Dutch holiday traditions.
Speculaas
These spiced biscuits, crisp and aromatic, are flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Traditionally baked for Saint Nicholas Day, Speculoos have become a year-round companion to coffee across Belgium and The Netherlands. For cyclists, they’re the perfect lightweight snack to pack in a jersey pocket — small, energizing, and deliciously local.
Appeltaart
The Dutch take on apple pie is a deep-dish pastry filled with apples, raisins, and spices, often served with whipped cream. Found in almost every café, it’s a classic mid-ride stop and the perfect balance of sweet comfort and cycling fuel.
Where to Try on Tour:
On the Amsterdam to Bruges Cycling Tour, the opening days in Amsterdam are full of opportunities to try poffertjes in markets or appeltaart in canal cafés. Passing through Gouda also makes it easy to taste authentic stroopwafels at the weekly cheese and syrup waffle market.
Vegan Lifestyle in the Netherlands
Dutch cuisine is hearty and satisfying, but many traditional dishes lean heavily on dairy, meat, or fish — think cheese, herring, and fried snacks. That means cyclists following a vegan diet will need to plan a little more carefully.
That said, the Netherlands is one of Europe’s leaders in plant-based innovation. Open-air markets brim with fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, and grains, and supermarkets in even small towns stock soy, oat, and almond products.
In larger cities like Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Rotterdam, vegan-friendly cafés and restaurants are easy to find, offering everything from dairy-free pancakes to modern twists on Dutch classics.
Cycling regions such as South Holland and North Holland also have plenty of international eateries, making it simpler to eat well without animal products.
With some preparation, it’s entirely possible to enjoy flavorful, plant-based meals throughout your ride. Mention it when booking, and we’ll happily help tailor your route with vegan-friendly stops so you can fully enjoy Dutch cuisine during your self-guided cycling holiday.
Coffee Culture in the Netherlands
Cycling and coffee go hand in hand in the Netherlands. From bustling city cafés to small village stops, grabbing a coffee mid-ride is part of the culture — often paired with a slice of appeltaart or a stroopwafel.
What sets Dutch coffee culture apart today is its embrace of alternative milks. Oat milk is especially popular, with soy, almond, and coconut widely available too. Even small-town cafés often list plant-based options, making it easy for cyclists with dietary preferences to enjoy a cappuccino or latte without compromise.
In Amsterdam and Utrecht, the “wielercafés” (cycling cafés) blend local cycling culture with specialty coffee. These spots are often decorated with vintage bikes, jerseys, and memorabilia — the perfect place to refuel, recharge, and connect with other riders.
Whether you take your coffee black, foamed with oat milk, or alongside a stroopwafel, it’s one of the small pleasures that make cycling in the Netherlands feel so easy and rewarding.
Food on Tour
Meals during a cycling holiday in Holland strike the balance between fuel and local flavor. You’ll find that food is never far away — from hotel buffets to village cafés and bustling markets.
Breakfasts
Hotel breakfasts are included and typically Dutch in style: fresh bread, cheese, cold cuts, yogurt, fruit, and coffee. Many places also offer eggs or pancakes, and cyclists who prefer plant-based options will often find oat milk or soy available.
Lunches
Lunch is not included, giving you the flexibility to stop wherever you like. Some riders pick up a picnic from a bakery or supermarket, while others pause at cafés along the route. Expect hearty soups, sandwiches with local cheese or herring, and seasonal specialties like pea soup in cooler months.
Dinners
Dinner is also not included, so evenings are free for you to explore local flavors. In South Holland, cheese and stroopwafels are classics; in Friesland, sugar bread and cakes appear on menus; and along the coast, seafood like kibbeling or mussels is common. Each stage of your ride offers the chance to sample something unique.
With your digital guidebook, you’ll receive curated suggestions for lunch stops, snack bars, and restaurants along your route — so you’ll always know where to pause without breaking the rhythm of the ride.
Taste Holland
Dutch cuisine is part of the cycling experience, offering simple, hearty, and sometimes surprising flavors that match the landscapes you ride through. From cheese markets to seaside fries, these tastes will become part of the memories you carry home.
Curious where to try each of these dishes? See our regional highlights on Holland tours or reach out, and we’ll help you plan a bike holiday enriched with the food you’ll love most.
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