Krakelingen – Sweet Dutch Pretzel Cookies

If you live in the United States or anywhere other than The Netherlands, you may have never heard of a yeasted cookie by the name of Krakelingen or sweet Dutch pretzel cookies.

It’s a cookie that requires a little more work and be found in two different varieties. One is made with puff pastry, and the other is made with yeasted dough.

I like the first one, but my all-time favorite is the yeasted version. So today I am sharing this famous Dutch recipe with you.

Cultural Note: Are krakelingen typically Dutch?

Yes, krakelingen are considered a traditional Dutch cookie. They’re recognizable by their pretzel shapes and crunchy sugar coating. Historically, krakelingen were often baked for fairs, markets, and festive occasions in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Unlike American-style cookies, which are usually based on baking soda/powder, these use yeast dough, giving them a slightly bread-like texture while still being crisp. Their combination of simple ingredients (flour, sugar, butter) and distinctive shape makes them a classic in Dutch baking heritage.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

If you love crunchy cookies, you’re going to really like this recipe for Dutch sweet pretzel cookies or krakelingen, as we call them here. They take a little more work, but are so worth baking! And not complicated at all.

If you love typical Dutch cookies have a look at the speculaas or bokkenpootjes too!

Recipe Ingredients

• all-purpose flour
• yeast – I use instant yeast for this recipe
• milk
• butter
• light brown sugar

As you can tell, you do not need a lot of complicated ingredients to make these delicious butter cookies.

How To Make Krakelingen

Step 1: Make the dough

Take a large bowl and add flour, yeast, sugar and salt to the bowl. Mix it through. Add the milk, butter and the egg and knead into a soft dough. It shouldn’t be very sticky.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it somewhere in a warm place without any draft. Let it rise until it has double in size (roughly 1.5 to 2 times more). That took about 2 hours in my case.

Step 2: Roll the dough

Sprinkle one-third of the brown sugar on a tray or large plate. Put the rest of the sugar on a separate large plate. Punch the air out of the dough and knead briefly. Divide into 16 equal pieces and roll each piece through the smaller sugar portion.

Roll a piece of dough into a rope about 30 cm/12 inches long on a clean (un-floured) work surface. Roll it through the sugar on the other plate, fold it in half, press down, and roll out again to 30 cm.

Roll again in the sugar. Repeat with all pieces. The sugar will start to “sweat” on the ropes of dough, which actually helps with the end result.

Step 3: Make pretzel shapes

Take each rope, roll again to 30 cm/12 inches if needed, and twist into a pretzel shape. Tuck the ends underneath. Place the krakelingen on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15-30 minutes.

Step 4: Bake the krakelingen

Bake at 200°C/400˚F until they are golden brown. Let them cool for a few minutes on the tray before adding to a wire rack to cool down completely.

Storing Krakelingen

You can store these delicious cookies for about a week in a cookie jar. Perfect for any unexpected visitors or for yourself if you feel like a little nibble.

Once baked and cooled, you can freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.