Amsterdam has a serious sweet streak. The best desserts in Amsterdam range from a three-milk cake that went viral on TikTok to a warm chocolate cookie people queue for in the rain, to a slice of apple pie that has been pulling crowds for decades. This is our shortlist: the ones worth crossing town for, and exactly where to find each one.

We run Ruma (formerly De Beste Lekkernij), a Mediterranean bakery in the Nine Streets, so yes, we are biased. We have also eaten our way around this city for years. Everything below earns its place.

How we chose

No sponsored slots, no filler. We looked for three things: it has to taste as good as it looks, it has to be made with care, and it has to be something you cannot get just anywhere. A dessert that is all photo and no flavour did not make the cut.

The best desserts in Amsterdam right now

1. Trilece at Ruma (formerly De Beste Lekkernij)

Start with the one that broke the internet. Trilece is a Turkish three-milk sponge, soaked slow in a blend of milks until the texture sits somewhere between cake and custard, then finished with a thin caramel top. Ours has pulled over 600 million views, and the queue down Herenstraat tells you the hype is earned. We bake it by hand every morning, alongside baklava, simit, and a rotating set of flavours like pistachio, raspberry and Lotus. Light, cold, not too sweet. If you try one dessert in Amsterdam, make it this.

Where: Ruma, Herenstraat 24A, in the Nine Streets. The most-tagged treat in the city.

2. The warm chocolate cookie at Van Stapele

One product, done perfectly. Van Stapele Koekmakerij bakes a single dark chocolate cookie with a soft white chocolate centre, served warm. The shop is tiny and tucked down the Heisteeg, a two minute walk from us. Get there early. They sell out, and they do not pretend otherwise.

3. Dutch apple pie at Winkel 43

The classic. Winkel 43 on the Noordermarkt has been serving thick wedges of appeltaart with a mountain of whipped cream for years, and it still holds up. Warm, cinnamon-heavy, properly homemade. Saturday mornings during the market are peak, and worth it.

4. Fresh stroopwafels at the Albert Cuyp Market

Skip the supermarket version. A stroopwafel pressed fresh in front of you, the caramel still warm and stretching, is a different food entirely. The stall at the Albert Cuyp Market is the easy pick, and Lanskroon near the Spui does a beautiful one too.

5. Baklava at Ruma

Back to us, because Amsterdam does not have many places doing this properly. Our baklava is layered thin, baked golden, and soaked in honey so it stays glossy and moist rather than dry and brittle. Pistachio is the move. Pair it with a Turkish coffee and you have the best ten minutes of your afternoon.

6. French patisserie at Petit Gateau

For something neat and precise, Petit Gateau does proper French patisserie: tarts, eclairs, seasonal fruit work, all glossy and exact. A nice counterpoint to the warm, homely end of this list.

7. Gelato in the canal belt

When the sun is out, Amsterdam queues for ice cream. The artisan gelato spots around the centre do small batches with real fruit and proper texture. Grab a cone and walk the canals. Simple, and hard to beat in summer.

8. Poffertjes, hot off the pan

Tiny fluffy Dutch pancakes, a snowfall of icing sugar, a knob of butter melting on top. Touristy? A little. Delicious? Completely. A paper tray of poffertjes is one of the great cheap pleasures of the city.

9. Tres leches at Ruma

The Latin cousin of trilece, and another quiet favourite of ours. Sponge soaked in three milks, kept cold, topped by flavour. We rotate chocolate, caramel, pistachio and more. If trilece is sold out, this is your answer.

10. A proper slice of cheesecake

Amsterdam does a good baked cheesecake if you know where to look. Dense, tangy, not too sweet, the kind that holds its shape on the fork. Several of the city's better cafes keep one on the counter. Worth asking.

11. Dubai-style pistachio

The pistachio and kataifi trend landed hard, and it is still going. Our Dubai-style cannoli keeps it simple: green pistachio cream, no clutter. If you have only seen this one on your phone, it is better in person.

Best desserts in Amsterdam, by craving

Where to find the best desserts in Amsterdam

The densest run of good sweets sits in and around the Nine Streets (De 9 Straatjes) and the neighbouring Jordaan. You can walk trilece, a warm cookie, apple pie and a canal-side gelato in under thirty minutes, which is exactly the loop we would send a friend on. Ruma sits right in the middle of it at Herenstraat 24A, a short walk from Amsterdam Centraal, Dam Square and the Anne Frank House.

Come taste the viral one

You have probably seen our trilece on your feed. It is better in real life, cold and soft and gone in four bites. Find us in the Nine Streets daily, or order Ruma to your door across Amsterdam. See the full menu, or plan your visit.