Van Stapele Koekmakerij

Van Stapele Koekmakerij is a bakery with a single product. Vera van Stapele created her cookie on 6 February 2013 in her home kitchen in Amsterdam, and on 1 December that year she opened her first shop on the Heisteeg, a narrow alley near the Spui. After ten years the tiny shop had become too small for the queues, so on 30 April 2024 the bakery reopened at Rokin 17, in the heart of the old centre.

The cookie itself is made from a dark chocolate dough with a white chocolate centre, and many people eat it on the spot, straight from the bag, rather than carrying it back to their hotel. There is no menu to study and no choice to make, which is part of its appeal: you simply queue, pay and enjoy.

The cookie is vegetarian but not vegan, and it contains egg, lactose, gluten and soy lecithin, and may contain traces of nuts, so it is not suitable for everyone with allergies. It suits anyone with a sweet tooth, families with children and visitors looking for a quick treat between sights.

The shop opens every day from 10am and stays open until the cookies run out; the bakery guarantees cookies until 4pm, so do not leave it too late in the day. On weekdays the wait is usually five to ten minutes, but it can be longer at weekends, when the shop recommends coming between 10am and noon. It is closed on King's Day, 25 and 26 December and New Year's Day. This is a takeaway counter rather than a sit-down café, so plan to eat on the go.

The Rokin runs from Dam Square towards Muntplein, and the shop is a few minutes' walk from the Royal Palace, the Begijnhof and the Spui. Rokin metro station on the Noord-Zuid line and trams on the Rokin stop close by. Combine a visit with a walk to the Spui or along the nearby Singel and Herengracht canals. Because there is no seating, the cookie is best enjoyed on a bench on the Spui or by the water. If you are buying for others, remember that the cookies are best eaten the same day.