National Dish Netherlands: Fryske Dumkes (Recipe)
In this article
Fryske Dumkes are “Frisian thumbs” — small spiced biscuits pressed with the baker’s thumbprint, flavoured with aniseed, cinnamon and ginger, and studded with chopped hazelnuts. They are among the oldest recorded biscuit recipes in the Netherlands and they belong to Friesland specifically, where they still come with the afternoon tea.
About Fryske Dumkes
Fryske Dumkes are the traditional aniseed biscuits of the Dutch province of Friesland. These small “Frisian thumbs” impress with their spiced aroma of aniseed, cinnamon and ginger, enriched with chopped hazelnuts. Originally shaped with the baker’s thumbprint, they count among the oldest biscuit recipes in the Netherlands — and they are perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 100 g softened butter
- 75 g brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground aniseed
- 1 tablespoon whole aniseed
- 50 g hazelnuts, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 130 g plain flour
- 1 egg, beaten
Shopping for the ingredients
Whole aniseed as well as ground is what gives dumkes their character — the whole seeds provide bursts of flavour that ground spice cannot. Toast the hazelnuts before chopping for a noticeably better result. Brown sugar, not white, for the depth.
Preparing the dish
Cream the softened butter with the sugar and spices, then bring the dough together and chill it briefly. Toast and chop the hazelnuts while it rests. Heat the oven to 170°C and line a baking sheet.
Step-by-step instructions
- Toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan, cool and chop roughly.
- Cream the butter with the brown sugar and all the spices until smooth.
- Beat in the milk and half the beaten egg.
- Mix the flour, baking powder and salt and work into the butter mixture.
- Fold in the chopped hazelnuts and whole aniseed.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes; heat the oven to 170°C.
- Roll into small balls, place on the lined sheet and press each flat with your thumb.
- Brush with the remaining egg and bake for 15–18 minutes until golden; cool on a rack.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
Replace the flour with a gluten-free blend — the high butter and nut content means these hold together well. For lactose-free, use a good plant margarine and a plant milk.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
The biscuits are vegetarian as written. For a vegan version, use plant margarine, plant milk and glaze with a little maple syrup thinned with water in place of egg — the texture holds up perfectly.
More tips and tricks
Toast the hazelnuts; untoasted they taste flat against all that spice. Chill the dough before shaping, or the biscuits spread. And press the thumbprint firmly — it is the whole identity of the biscuit and a timid dent disappears in the oven.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
Cardamom or clove alongside the spices deepens them. Almonds substitute for hazelnuts. A little honey in place of some of the sugar makes them chewier.
Ingredient substitutions
Fennel seed can stand in for aniseed with a similar but gentler flavour. Walnuts work in place of hazelnuts. Golden syrup substitutes for some of the brown sugar.
Drink pairing ideas
Black tea is the Frisian standard — the province drinks a great deal of it. Coffee works equally well. A glass of Beerenburg, the Frisian herbal spirit, is the local evening pairing.
Serving and presentation ideas
Serve fryske dumkes on a plate with tea, as they appear in Frisian households when visitors come. They keep for two weeks in a tin and get slightly harder as they go, which is not considered a fault — they are meant for dunking.
A bit of history
Aniseed and ginger were expensive imports that reached the Netherlands through the spice trade, and Frisian bakers built them into biscuits that kept well through the winter. Dumkes have been made in the province for centuries and remain a regional marker rather than a national one. It offers a genuine window onto Dutch cuisine.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Fryske Dumkes
Fryske Dumkes are spiced Frisian biscuits with aniseed, ginger, cinnamon and hazelnuts, each pressed with a thumbprint. Toast the nuts, chill the dough, and press the dent firmly.
