16 Amazing Dutch Souvenirs From Amsterdam

Travel to any place is not really complete without taking back a little memento of your journey. Most of us have different takes on this. Some people like small tokens that they place around their house, some hang them on their Christmas trees like we do and some just want something that reminds them of the country.

Souvenirs from Amsterdam was a topic that we discussed a lot before we visited. Shawn had a strong opinion against getting things that to quote him would occupy space and need to be cleant! We eventually went with something smallish. Well we went with cheese and a dutch painting that we later used for our kitchen!

I digress though. While we were in Amsterdam, we probably came up with hundreds of ideas of souvenirs from Amsterdam to take home for us, our friends and our family. Here were our top picks.

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Edible Souvenirs From Amsterdam

Have I mentioned that the city is a foodies paradise? If you are visiting you should definitely take a look at our guide to eating in Amsterdam like a local. With such good on the plate, it should not come as a surprise that edible souvenirs from Amsterdam are highly popular. Why, we even buy some from the airport if we are transiting through the city!

1. Cheese

You can never go wrong with Dutch cheese as souvenirs from Amsterdam.

The Dutch cheese is famous. I’m not talking just about Edam or Gouda. There are a number of different varieties of cheese that are sold in the country. Amsterdam gives you access to them all. You will even find cheese being sold in the markets outdoors where they will cut a slab of just how much you need and weigh it for you.

If you are taking Dutch cheese home as a souvenir, I would suggest getting the sealed packets especially if you are on a long journey. This is particularly true during the hotter months of the year when the cheese could get spoiled.

2. De Ruijter Chocolate Sprinkles

Hagelslag or chocolate sprinkles is one of the most popular breakfast options in the Netherlands. Shawn received a box of De Ruijter chocolate sprinkles when we arrived and we fell in love with them. I’ve tried many of different options of Hagelslag after that but none have been quite as good!

If you are wondering where to get them, just head into one of the Albert Hijn stores and take your pick.

Oh and if you want to eat it like the Dutch, just sprinkle it on the top of a slice of bread with a little butter on top. We’ve been sprinkling it on everything though. Pancakes, cakes, waffles… You name it. Everything tastes better with hagelslag!

3. Stroopwafel

Stroopwafels are my favorite souvenirs from Amsterdam.

I still remember my first taste of stroopwafel. The thing about Dutch stroopwafel is no matter where you buy them, you will find that they are the perfect blend of crunch and gooey! Well, the stroopwafel are Dutch so they are definitely the experts here.

What are stroopwafels? They literally translate into syrup waffles. Caramel syrup is sandwiched between thin wafers or waffles. They are pressed together such that when you bite into a stroopwafel it is like biting into a newly baked wafer cookie (the description still does not do it justice!) and the caramel syrup adds the gooey sweetness.

Suffice to say that I was addicted to it by the second bite. You can buy stroopwafel in any of the local grocery stores in Amsterdam. Aside from taking them home as souvenirs from Amsterdam, I also used to pack them in my backpack and munch them while exploring the city.

4. Herring

Pickled herring are the perfect souvenirs from Amsterdam for foodies.

You are definitely missing out if you haven’t tried the herring in the Netherlands. I highly recommend taking some home as souvenirs from Amsterdam but that is probably the foodie in me talking. During the herring season (May to June) you can get a taste of fresh herring in the city. This obviously is not the best souvenir to take home.

The pickled herring however remains preserved for a long time and is a great taste of Amsterdam to take back to your friends and family. Wondering where to buy the pickled herring? We found them in all the grocery stores in Amsterdam. You can also buy it at the airport.

5. Licorice

Licorice is another interesting souvenir from Amsterdam.

Another great souvenir that you can get at the local grocery stores is licorice. This is one of my favorite treats from the Netherlands and my Dutch friends would always bring me some when they visited.

Licorice does take some getting used to and there are different varieties of the sweet. If you aren’t sure what you like, try a mixed bag of licorice first. I personally prefer the chewy sweeter ones to the salty licorice.

6. Speculaas Biscuits

The Speculaas biscuits are very similar to the Speculoos biscuits from France or the Karamellgebäck from Germany. These biscuits are very popular in the country. You will find them served alongside your coffee in many of the different cafes in the country.

The cookies are super tasty. Think of gingerbread but in the cookie form. The spices really warm you up. The Speculaas biscuits are most commonly sold during the winter season. Trust me, these cookies are really something to look forward to when you are out in the cold the whole day!

7. Mustard

I know that Dijon is really famous for its mustard but did you know that Amsterdam is famous for its mustard too? I’m serious! You will find that it is served alongside bitterballen across the country. It is one of those unique edible souvenirs from Amsterdam that you can take back home.

Most of the grocery stores sell mustard. You may even be able to get it in some of the cheese stores in the city. If you head into the high end grocery shops, you will definitely find some really premium bottles of mustard or as the Dutch call it ‘mosterd’!

Souvenirs From Amsterdam: Decorative Items For Your Home

Another popular kind of souvenirs from Amsterdam are decorative items. You can find small ceramic replicas of different iconic spots all across the city. Here are a couple of trinkets that you can look for.

8. Cheese Slicer

I always regretted not buying one of the cool cheese slicers from Amsterdam when I visited. So when my friend asked me what she could bring back after her visit, this was the first thing on my list. Yes! Before the cheese itself!

There are a lot of standard cheese slicers that are available in the market but there are also some really cool ones with intriguing and delicate handles. If you are looking for something really different, search for the guillotine cheese slicer.

9. Delft Tiles

You may not make your way all the way to Delft but you can definitely find a shop that deals with the iconic tiles in the city. In fact, you probably have passed these stores that hold gorgeous blue and white tiles in their display.

Amsterdam has a couple of shops that specialize in Delft tiles. Heinen Delftware is one such example. I brought home two tiles which we aim to incorporate in our kitchen at some point of time in the future.

10. Miniature Windmills

Tiny ceramic windmills are popular among tourists. You will find them in the trinket stores along the way. If you by any chance miss them on the streets of Amsterdam, you will also get an opportunity to buy them in the Amsterdam airport when you leave.

11. Mini Wooden Shoes

The Dutch wooden shoes or clogs are outdated but they are associated with all things dutch and are highly popular among the tourists.

While I would never buy the wooden clogs to carry back since they are heavy, a friend gave me a pair which I converted into a gorgeous wooden planter in my garden.

Mini wooden shoes (you even get ceramic ones) are tiny souvenirs from Amsterdam that are easy to carry and fun to place around the house. They also make great Christmas tree ornaments!

12. Fridge Magnets

One of the best souvenirs from Amsterdam to take home for friends and family (And you!) are magnets. There are loads of different options to pick from. From Van Gogh’s Starry night to mini clogs and windmills, they all represent a small part of Amsterdam.

I usually try to pick something that has some link to the activities partook on during the trip. I give it to my friends and family with an added travel story.

Souvenirs From Amsterdam For Your Garden

Amsterdam is beautiful when winter bids adieu to the city. With one of the most iconic flower markets in the world, Amsterdam is a great place to shop for your gardening needs.

13. Tulip bulbs

Tulip bulbs make great souvenirs from Amsterdam. You have to be cautious though. Taking seeds, bulbs, plant cutting etc aren’t allowed through customs in many countries. So make sure that you check the rules before you pack any tulip bulbs home.

Another important thing to consider is the season that you buy the bulbs in. Tulip bulbs are best bought in fall and stored in a dry place. Tulips flower in spring so you would want them to be planted and ready by then.

Keukenhof is a great place to buy tulip bulbs from. You can even place an order and have them delivered to you. If you want to go the extra mile, you can plan a weekend to Keukenhoff and visit the flower fields. A highly recommended activity during tulip season! The journey from Amsterdam to Keukenhof is super easy so it should not deter you at all!

Pro Tip: Make sure you book your skip the line tickets online before you go. It will help avoid the crowds and you don’t want to spend a gorgeous day just waiting in lines!

14. Kabouter Or Garden Gnome

The Dutch love their kabouters. This is Dutch for gnome. The children love them and have plenty of songs and stories that revolve above them. I learnt about them when my kids started going to Dutch school. That’s when I started noticing them around. This makes them one of the most underrated souvenirs from Amsterdam.

The gnomes generally place them in their gardens and you will find these for sale in the flower shops in Amsterdam or in the other cities in the Netherlands. Now while they do have large ones, carrying these Dutch souvenirs back may be hard so browse a bit to find one that is just the right size to take back.

If you are worried that they will break, then ask the shop to wrap them up for you. I generally wrap breakables in my clothes so that they are cushioned.

Souvenirs From Amsterdam About Iconic People Linked To The CIty

You probably already know that the museums in Amsterdam are famous worldwide. From the Rijksmuseum to the Van Gogh museum, there is a world of culture, history and science to explore. Many of the souvenirs from Amsterdam are bought from these museums or are around this theme.

15. Vincent Van Gogh Memorabilia

The Van Gogh museum is in Amsterdam and it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city. In fact, there are loads of Vincent Van Gogh memorabilia that are produced each year all across the city. You can even catch one at the airport.

Popular souvenirs from Amsterdam related to Vincent Van Gogh are magnets, ceramic decorative items and even replicas of his famous paintings.

Pro tip: Book your ticket online to avoid the queues

16. Anne Frank Memorabilia

The Anne Frank house was one of the first places that I visited when we headed to the city. The queues are long and we braved them because it meant a lot to me. I read and reread her book a number of times as a little girl and walking into the house was like walking back in time.

Some people also choose to the walking tour of the life of Anne Frank.

I was surprised to find that I wasn’t the only person who felt that way. If you do head here, the museum has its own store where you can pick up some memorabilia alongside a book of hers which is exactly what I did.

Souvenirs From Amsterdam: What To Buy In Amsterdam Airport

Schiphol is Amsterdam’s international airport and it has a great duty free section with an amazing selection of souvenirs from Amsterdam that you can take home. If I’m in a rush and haven’t got all my souvenirs and gifts from the city, I tend to do my last minute shopping here.

So what do you buy at the Amsterdam airport? Well, you can get Dutch cheese (in different variants), magnets, ceramic decorative items and even wooden Dutch shoes!

Souvenirs From Amsterdam: What To Buy From The Supermarket?

I have covered most of the Dutch souvenirs from this list above but since I get asked about what you can buy from a supermarket in Amsterdam as souvenirs so often, I’m just going to update this post with a section.

First off there are a couple of supermarket chains that are a popular in Amsterdam. These are Albert Heijn, Lidl, Jumbo and Action. Aside from these I also love heading to SoLow which is another great place to get Dutch souvenirs.

What can you buy from a supermarket in Amsterdam?