Twenty Dutch snacks, two colourful drinks, zero bacon crisps—and one box that Evri almost delivered in pieces.
After another wait that felt just a bit longer than I’d hoped (is it just me, or do snacks take twice as long to arrive when you’re actually excited for them?), October’s SnackVerse box finally landed on our doorstep. This time, we’re off to the Netherlands!
Yes, it’s another European stop after Hungary, Spain, Portugal and Slovakia. I’ll admit, I was hoping for something a little farther-flung this month (maybe a snack passport stamp from somewhere wild and unexpected?), but honestly, I’m not even mad. There are stroopwafels, speculaas biscuits, Dutch bakery treats, two drinks that look like they belong in a rainbow, and—most importantly…
Not a single bacon-flavoured crisp in sight! Europe, I see you. Thank you for finally listening to my (very dramatic) snack prayers.
But before we dive into the snacks, we need to talk about the journey this poor box took to reach us. Buckle up.
SnackVerse emailed to say dispatch was delayed because one of the originally chosen products didn’t meet their usual standards. They needed a little more time to source a replacement, which I can appreciate. I’d much rather wait and receive something they’re happy with than get a disappointing product just to meet the original dispatch date.
Unfortunately, by the time it finally arrived, Evri had apparently decided the box didn’t need to look anything like it did when it left SnackVerse HQ.
Just look at the state of that bottom! (The box’s, not mine. Though after all these snacks…)
I already expect Evri to interpret “handle with care” rather creatively, but this went beyond the usual battered corner or small dent. The cardboard had torn open so badly that products could easily have slipped straight out during delivery.
Thankfully, I checked everything against the product booklet as soon as I opened it. By some miracle, all 20 products were still inside and accounted for.
So, no snacks were lost in transit—miracle!—but the box itself definitely didn’t survive with its dignity (or corners) intact.
🌍 This Month’s Snack Stop: The Netherlands
The October 2026 Premium SnackVerse box takes us on a tasting journey through the Netherlands, bringing together familiar crisp brands, traditional Dutch bakes, fruity sweets, and two very colourful drinks.
If you’re new to the series, SnackVerse is a monthly subscription box that sends a selection of snacks and drinks from a different country directly to your door. I receive the Premium Box, which includes the largest selection alongside a colourful travel booklet.
This month, 20 Dutch snacks and drinks are waiting to face the rocket-rating system.
The Box at a Glance
Destination: The Netherlands 🇳🇱
Subscription: SnackVerse Premium Box
Price: £24.99
Number of products: 20
Savoury snacks: 5
Sweet treats: 13
Drinks: 2
Delivery condition: Rather battered, but miraculously complete!
Another box that’s definitely got a sweet tooth, but there’s a lovely mix of familiar brands and properly Dutch-looking discoveries tucked inside. (I’m already eyeing up the bakery treats like a magpie.)
The Haribo Bananas have already been spotted—and if you know me at all, you’ll know those are heading straight to the boys. I’m not even pretending to volunteer for banana duty this time.
📖 Inside the Netherlands Travel Booklet
The SnackVerse booklet is part snack guide and part miniature travel magazine, with Dutch facts, food traditions, recipes and destinations alongside all the product information.
Rather than explain every page, here are my highlights from this month’s little tour of the Netherlands:
Most interesting fact: Amsterdam rests entirely on wooden stilts—even the Royal Palace stands on more than 13,600 of them!
Dish I’d most like to try: Poffertjes—tiny fluffy pancakes served hot with melting butter and icing sugar. Yes, please!
Featured recipes: Stamppot and Dutch Butter Cake with Almonds
Destination added to my travel list: Giethoorn—the “Venice of the North”, where roads give way to peaceful canals and little wooden bridges.
Favourite booklet page: The Dutch Butter Cake with Almonds recipe. After how much I loved the Gevulde Koek, a buttery almond cake sounds like one I need to try!
The snacks might be the main attraction, but these little glimpses of the country make the box feel like a proper visit somewhere new, not just a collection of imported treats.
🚀 A Quick Reminder of the Ratings
Every product will receive a score using SnackVerse’s rocket-rating system:
🚀 Grounded Grub — Not for me
🚀🚀 Mild Mission — It was okay
🚀🚀🚀 Orbiting Flavour — Pretty tasty
🚀🚀🚀🚀 Lunar Delight — A definite favourite
🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀 Cosmic Craving — I’d buy this again and again
Rockets at the ready.
Let the Dutch snack tasting begin! 🇳🇱
🍿 The Great Dutch Taste Test
20 Dutch snacks and drinks are waiting for their moment in the spotlight, from familiar crisp brands and classic stroopwafels to coffee sweets, filled pastries, and one extremely green drink.
Some products look comforting and familiar. Others have me side-eyeing the packet and wondering, what exactly have I just agreed to put in my mouth this time?
Only one way to find out—wish me luck!
🥨 Savoury Snacks
The Netherlands has arrived at the snack table with five savoury treats and, for the first time in far too long, not one of them claims to taste like bacon.
Instead, we’ve got paprika, bolognese, Thai curry, honey barbecue and some colourful potato sticks. It already feels like our most adventurous savoury line-up in a while.
Could one of them challenge Hungary’s cheese-and-onion crisps or Portugal’s Lay’s Camponesas for the SnackVerse savoury crown?
💭 My Honest Review
Well, nobody could accuse these of failing to deliver the flavour promised on the packet!
They tasted exactly like paprika—not just a gentle dusting. The seasoning was so strong it felt like licking paprika powder straight from the jar.
Underneath all that seasoning was the familiar light, crispy Lay’s texture, but the paprika dominated every bite. Anyone who absolutely loves the spice would probably be delighted; for me, it was simply a bit too intense.
Very accurate flavouring, admittedly—just perhaps more accurate than I needed!
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀 Mild Mission
Light, crispy Lay’s coated in an incredibly strong paprika seasoning that tasted as if it came straight from the spice jar.
They certainly delivered what the packet promised, but the flavour was far too intense to keep me reaching for more.
📖 Official Description
Crunch into one of the Netherlands’ most-loved snacks! Lay’s Paprika delivers thin, golden potato crisps generously seasoned with a bold blend of sweet, smoky paprika flavour. Each bite packs a mouth-watering savoury punch, paired with that signature light, satisfying Lay’s crunch that keeps you reaching for more. A firm favourite at Dutch parties and borrels (social gatherings over drinks and snacks), these crisps are just as perfect for film nights or everyday snacking.
💭 My Honest Review
For a packet labelled Bolognese, I expected a recognisable mixture of tomato, herbs and savoury flavour. Unfortunately, that isn’t really what I got.
The seasoning didn’t taste particularly like Bolognese, so the flavour felt much more generic than the bright green packet suggested. Apparently, there was also supposed to be a subtle hint of heat hiding in there.
Subtle? Apparently, it was so subtle that it forgot to turn up entirely!
I didn’t notice any spice at all. Between the missing bolognese flavour and the disappearing heat, these simply didn’t deliver what the description promised.
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀 Mild Mission
Ultra-crispy potato crisps with a savoury seasoning that didn’t really taste like bolognese—and absolutely no noticeable spice.
They weren’t a complete disaster, but the promised flavours were too faint to make them memorable.
📖 Official Description
Recognisable across the Netherlands by its bright green bag and iconic Croky parrot, Croky Bolognese delivers one of the region’s most beloved crisp flavours. First introduced in 1984, these golden, ultra-crispy potato crisps pack a savoury punch of sweet tomato, onion and aromatic spices, with a subtle hint of heat. Their distinctive, moreish flavour offers a deliciously different take on the classic potato crisp that’s hard to resist!
💭 My Honest Review
I’m not usually a fan of honey-flavoured things, so I wasn’t entirely convinced these were for me.
Thankfully, the smoky barbecue flavour balanced the sweetness really well. I could tell there was honey in the seasoning, but it didn’t take over or make the crisps taste overly sweet. Instead, it softened the barbecue flavour and made the combination much more enjoyable than I expected.
The tiny twisted shapes had a satisfying crunch and were incredibly easy to snack on—though their miniature size also made it easy to grab another handful!
Honey might not usually win me over, but paired with barbecue like this, it definitely worked.
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀🚀🚀 Lunar Delight
Tiny, crunchy corn spirals with sweet, smoky barbecue seasoning that balanced the honey surprisingly well.
Much more enjoyable than I expected from a honey-flavoured snack, and one I’d happily eat again!
📖 Official Description
Twisted into crunchy little spirals, Doritos Bits Honey BBQ bring a playful spin to the iconic Doritos crunch. Each bite bursts with a bold blend of sweet, smoky barbecue flavour, with hints of paprika and savoury spices adding an extra kick. Found on snack shelves across the Netherlands, these bite-sized corn crisps are perfect for sharing at parties, enjoying on the go, or keeping all to yourself when a savoury craving strikes!
💭 My Honest Review
I love a good curry, so turning that flavour into a bag of crisps already sounded like an excellent idea—and these absolutely delivered!
The curry seasoning was bold, fragrant, and packed with flavour, while the ridged crisps delivered a satisfying crunch. They tasted properly savoury and exciting, not like someone had simply waved a little curry powder near an ordinary crisp.
Every bite made me want another, and the packet disappeared far too easily. This wasn’t just a fun flavour to try once; I genuinely need to find more.
Curry in crisp form? Apparently, that’s exactly what’s been missing from my snack cupboard!
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀 Cosmic Craving
Bold, crunchy ridged crisps covered in a deliciously fragrant Thai curry seasoning.
I already love a good curry, and now I’ve discovered I love it in crisp form too. I need another packet!
📖 Official Description
Fusing intense crunch with exotic aromatics, these golden, ridged potato crisps transform everyday snacking into an adventurous taste experience. Generously seasoned with a fragrant blend of garlic, coriander, sweet Thai curry spices and a hint of savoury soy sauce, each wavy bite delivers an explosion of bold, sweet and savoury flavour with an irresistibly satisfying crunch.Perfect alongside an ice-cold drink, they’re an exciting treat for anyone craving something a little different!
💭 My Honest Review
At first glance, these looked like tiny, colourful Nik Naks, so I expected a similarly strong flavour and a heavier crunch.
Instead, they tasted much more like Pom-Bears. They had a lighter, airier texture and a gentle savoury flavour, making them incredibly easy to nibble. The red and yellow sticks also made them look much more playful than an ordinary packet of crisps.
They weren’t the boldest or most unusual snack in the box, but I liked them. Familiar, light, and pleasantly moreish—sometimes that’s all a snack needs!
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀🚀 Orbiting Flavour
Colourful puffed sticks that looked like miniature Nik Naks but tasted lighter, with the airy crunch of Pom-Bears.
Nothing especially adventurous, but enjoyable, familiar and very easy to keep nibbling.
📖 Official Description
A colourful Dutch snacking classic dating back to 1949, these crispy, potato-based sticks have been a favourite in party bowls for generations. Bursting with savoury potato-and-salt flavour and delicate hints of cheese and butter, each slender, colourful stick delivers a delightfully airy, melt-in-the-mouth crunch. Fun to nibble and irresistibly light, they’re a playful crowd-pleaser for casual snacking, road trips and cosy film nights!
🏆 Savoury Snack Champion
Winner: Croky Explosions Thai Curry
The Netherlands gave us five savoury snacks, but one flavour exploded straight past the competition.
I already love a good curry, so discovering that the same bold, fragrant flavour works brilliantly on a ridged potato crisp felt like SnackVerse had created something specifically for me. The seasoning was flavourful, the crunch was incredibly satisfying, and every bite made me want another.
The Doritos Bits Honey BBQ provided a surprisingly strong challenge, especially considering honey isn’t normally one of my favourite flavours. Cheetos Nibb-It Sticks were light and enjoyable too, but the overpowering Lay’s Paprika and rather underwhelming Croky Bolognese couldn’t compete.
The Thai Curry crisps weren’t merely the best of this month’s savoury selection. They’re one of the best savoury discoveries from the entire SnackVerse journey so far.
Croky Explosions Thai Curry are officially the Netherlands’ Savoury Snack Champion! 🏆🍛
🍫 Sweet Treats
With 13 sweet treats, this is where most of the Netherlands box is hiding.
Some unmistakably Dutch classics—including stroopwafels, ontbijtkoek, speculaas, and filled bakery treats—sit alongside gummies, chocolate biscuits, nougat, and a bright pink cake.
Banana-foam sweets and coffee-flavoured Hopjes also make the boys and the coffee lovers in my life available for review duty!
💭 My Honest Review
The spices in this certainly didn’t hold back—they hit immediately and gave the cake a much stronger flavour than I expected!
The cake itself was soft and spongy. Taste-wise, it reminded me of a mixture between malt loaf and Jamaican ginger cake, which made it feel strangely familiar despite being a traditional Dutch breakfast treat.
I tried it on its own, but after reading that locals enjoy it spread with real butter, I can completely see why. A layer of butter would add some creaminess and balance those powerful spices beautifully.
An interesting and tasty discovery—although next time, I’m definitely adding the butter.
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀🚀 Orbiting Flavour
A soft, spongy rye cake that tasted like malt loaf crossed with Jamaican ginger cake, with spices that arrived at full strength.
Enjoyable on its own, but I suspect a generous spread of butter would make it even better.
📖 Official Description
A beloved staple of Dutch breakfast tables since 1883, Peijnenburg Ontbijtkoek is a soft, moist spiced rye cake infused with fragrant cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Naturally low in fat and packed with nutritious rye, it delivers a deeply comforting, aromatic sweetness. While delicious on its own as a snack, locals love it best slathered with real butter alongside a morning brew.
💭 My Honest Review
These miniature stroopwafels were so cute!
They had a lovely chewy texture, while the caramel centre brought plenty of sweet, buttery flavour. The small size made them feel like the perfect little treat rather than a full biscuit, and I could easily imagine one being served alongside a cup of coffee in a cosy café.
They looked adorable, tasted good and felt unmistakably Dutch—exactly the sort of discovery I hope to find inside these boxes.
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀🚀🚀 Lunar Delight
Adorable miniature stroopwafels with a satisfyingly chewy texture and a lovely caramel flavour.
They’d look completely at home beside a café coffee—and I’d be very happy to find one waiting on the saucer!
📖 Official Description
A true icon of Dutch confectionery, Daelmans is one of the world’s leading stroopwafel makers, delighting sweet-toothed snack lovers since 1904. These bite-sized classics feature two thin, golden waffle layers sandwiching a luscious, chewy butter-caramel centre, delicately flavoured with cinnamon and real Bourbon vanilla. For the ultimate Dutch experience, enjoy one gently warmed alongside a steaming cup of coffee or tea, softening the caramel into gooey perfection. A little taste of Dutch tradition in every bite
💭 My Honest Review
These were basically little caramelised Biscoff-style biscuits shaped like happy faces—I’m sold!
They had that familiar crisp crunch and warm, caramelised biscuit flavour that made them incredibly easy to keep eating. The different cheerful expressions stamped into each one made an already tasty biscuit even more fun.
I can imagine these being absolutely perfect for children’s lunchboxes or tipped into bowls at a party. They’re small, easy to eat and much more playful than an ordinary biscuit—but I’d be quite happy keeping the packet for myself too!
Cute, crunchy and completely moreish. What’s not to love?
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀 Cosmic Craving
Delicious caramelised, lightly spiced biscuits with a crisp crunch and the happiest little faces.
Perfect for lunchboxes, parties—or repeatedly reaching into the packet myself. I’d definitely buy these again!
📖 Official Description
A playful Dutch classic that brings smiles to lunchboxes, Smoeltjes Speculaasjes (‘little cheeky faces’) combine whimsy with time-honoured baking tradition. These crunchy little biscuits are stamped with cheerful faces and bursting with the warm, aromatic flavours of traditional Dutch speculaas spices, including cinnamon and other fragrant spices. With their irresistible crunch and charming designs, they’re a delightful treat for children and adults alike!
💭 My Honest Review
As we already know, I’m a tea girl through and through—so a traditional coffee-flavoured sweet was never going to have the easiest time winning me over.
I tried one and could definitely taste the coffee, even if it wasn’t an enormous hit of it. Unfortunately, even a little coffee flavour is more than enough for me!
Rather than leave the rest sitting unwanted, I passed them over to the parents, who are much better suited to coffee-flavoured treats than I am.
They delivered exactly what they promised, but what they promised simply wasn’t for me.
🚀 My Verdict
🚀 Grounded Grub
A traditional hard-boiled sweet with a noticeable coffee flavour that immediately confirmed it belonged with the coffee drinkers in the family.
There was nothing wrong with it—it was simply coffee, and I’ll be sticking firmly with my tea!
📖 Official Description
A beloved Dutch classic with roots dating back to the 18th century, Holland Hopjes capture the rich, comforting flavours of a traditional Dutch coffee house. These hard-boiled sweets combine deep, aromatic coffee notes with buttery caramel and a delicate creaminess, slowly dissolving into a smooth, indulgent sweetness. Inspired by a confection first created in The Hague for coffee-loving Baron Hendrik Hop, they’re a little piece of Dutch history in every bite!
💭 My Honest Review
This was basically a round version of an almond finger—and as someone who already loves almond fingers, it was always going to go down well!
The combination of pastry and sweet almond filling tasted wonderfully familiar, just presented in a different shape. It didn’t need an unusual flavour or clever twist to impress me; it simply took something I already love and gave me more of it.
Rich, almondy and exactly the kind of bakery treat I’d happily enjoy alongside a proper cup of tea.
I absolutely loved this one and would have another without hesitation.
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀 Cosmic Craving
Like a delicious round almond finger, with pastry wrapped around a sweet almond centre.
Familiar in the very best way—and easily something I’d buy again and again.
📖 Official Description
A quintessential pillar of Dutch bakery tradition, Gevulde Koek pairs crisp, buttery shortcrust pastry with a luscious almond paste filling. Each biscuit is baked to a deep golden finish, striking the perfect contrast between a flaky exterior and a tender, marzipan-like heart. A beloved staple of Dutch convenience shops and cafés, it’s perfect for dunking into a hot cup of coffee or enjoying as a sweet pick-me-up.
💭 My Honest Review
I shared these with the kids, and the flavour was actually rather nice.
They were sweet and fruity with a creamy yoghurt taste, but the texture felt a little strange to me. I couldn’t quite get past how unusually soft and squishy they were, even though there was nothing wrong with the flavour itself.
The kids didn’t seem bothered by the texture at all and appeared to enjoy them—so perhaps this was very much a me problem!
Nice-tasting sweets, but that weird texture would stop me from rushing to buy another packet for myself.
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀🚀 Orbiting Flavour
Sweet, fruity yoghurt gums with a pleasant creamy flavour but a texture that felt rather strange to me.
The kids seemed to like them, but I wasn’t completely convinced by the unusually soft and squishy chew.
📖 Official Description
From beloved Dutch confectionery brand Katja, with roots dating back to 1910, come these incredibly soft, fruity and creamy yoghurt gummies. Made with real skimmed yoghurt, these pillowy, dome-shaped treats offer a delightfully soft, melt-in-the-mouth chew. Bursting with bright flavours of strawberry, raspberry, cherry, blueberry, lemon and pear, they deliver a refreshing balance of sweet fruitiness and creamy yoghurt tang.
💭 My Honest Review
These really were like classic wine gums, with that familiar fruity flavour and chewy texture—but shaped like tiny cars!
The flavour itself wasn’t especially unusual, but I liked them, and the little Cadillac designs made the packet feel much more fun than an ordinary bag of wine gums. The close-up photograph shows the car details particularly well, although some shapes were definitely easier to recognise than others!
Familiar, fruity and enjoyable, with a playful Dutch twist.
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀🚀 Orbiting Flavour
Fruity, chewy sweets that tasted just like familiar wine gums, only moulded into tiny vintage cars.
The flavour wasn’t anything completely new, but I liked them—and the Cadillac shapes made them much more memorable.
📖 Official Description
An iconic Dutch confectionery classic inspired by vintage Cadillacs, these playful, car-shaped wine gums burst with fruity flavours of strawberry, cherry and blackcurrant. With their soft, satisfyingly chewy texture and instantly recognisable retro design, they’ve become a firm favourite among Dutch sweet lovers. Made with natural colours and flavourings and completely vegan, they’re a fun little treat to share with friends or enjoy on the go!
💭 My Honest Review
This little pink cake was incredibly soft, which immediately made it enjoyable.
The sponge had a lovely light texture, while the bright pink icing added plenty of sweetness. Despite its very colourful appearance, the raspberry flavour was much gentler than I expected. There was only a slight fruity hint rather than a strong burst of raspberry, so it tasted more sweet than noticeably fruity.
I did like it, though. It was soft, simple and easy to eat—just perhaps not quite distinctive enough to become one of the box’s biggest favourites.
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀🚀 Orbiting Flavour
A wonderfully soft little sponge cake topped with sweet pink icing and only the gentlest hint of raspberry.
Enjoyable and very easy to eat, even if the fruity flavour was more subtle than its bright appearance suggested.
📖 Official Description
A Dutch bakery classic with an eye-catching look, Roze Cake is an individually wrapped, round sponge cake crowned with a glossy layer of pastel pink fondant. Baked to soft, golden perfection with delicate notes of vanilla and buttery sweetness, its tender crumb pairs beautifully with the smooth, sweet bite of raspberry-flavoured icing. A colourful little indulgence that brings a playful touch of Dutch bakery tradition to every bite!
💭 My Honest Review
This was a simple cereal bar, but it did exactly what it promised—the cinnamon flavour really came through!
Sometimes cinnamon-flavoured snacks offer little more than a vague hint, but there was no mistaking it here. The warm cinnamon made the bar much more enjoyable than an ordinary cereal bar and gave it that comforting cinnamon-roll feel.
It wasn’t a dramatic or unusual discovery, but it was tasty, easy to eat and definitely a cereal bar I’d happily have again.
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀🚀 Orbiting Flavour
A tasty cereal bar that delivered a proper cinnamon flavour rather than hiding it somewhere in the background.
Simple and familiar, but enjoyable enough that I’d happily eat another.
📖 Official Description
From the popular Dutch supermarket cereal bar range comes this limited-edition treat, bringing the warm, comforting flavour of a freshly baked cinnamon roll to everyday snacking. Packed with wholegrain oats, crispy cereals and fragrant cinnamon biscuit pieces, it’s finished with a sweet, creamy coating for an extra touch of indulgence. With its satisfying blend of chewy and crunchy textures, it’s the perfect on-the-go treat to enjoy alongside a morning coffee or as an afternoon pick-me-up.
💭 My Honest Review
Once again, a banana-flavoured snack went directly to the boys because there was absolutely no chance of me volunteering for this one.
Seriously, is there a country that doesn’t put banana into at least one snack? It has now followed me through far too many SnackVerse boxes!
The boys shared these between themselves and, as always, I received no useful tasting notes. What I did receive was a completely empty packet—which is probably a much clearer review anyway.
Apparently, the Haribo Bananas were far too enjoyable for anyone to pause and explain what they actually tasted like!
🚀 The Boys’ Verdict
🚀🚀🚀🚀 Lunar Delight
No comments, no complaints and absolutely no sweets returned inside the packet.
I still won’t be joining the banana fan club, but the boys clearly approved—and their empty-packet reviewing system earns these four rockets.
📖 Official Description
These soft, banana-shaped foam sweets are finished with a delicate dusting of sugar for an extra touch of sweetness. With their airy, pillowy texture and deliciously creamy banana flavour, they’re a familiar favourite on Dutch supermarket shelves. Packed in a convenient grab-and-go bag, these playful little treats offer a cheerful burst of fruity sweetness that’s hard to resist!
💭 My Honest Review
I could eat these over and over again!
The combination of crunchy biscuit, smooth vanilla cream and creamy milk chocolate worked beautifully. It didn’t need an unusual flavour or anything complicated — the three simple layers came together to make a really satisfying chocolate biscuit.
This was the sort of treat where one could very quickly become two…then three…then however many happened to be left in the packet.
Dangerously moreish and definitely one I’d buy again!
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀 Cosmic Craving
Crunchy biscuit, smooth vanilla cream and creamy milk chocolate in a wonderfully moreish combination.
Simple, delicious and dangerously easy to keep eating. I’d happily buy these again and again!
📖 Official Description
A beloved biscuit treat enjoyed across the Netherlands, this indulgent classic brings together crisp biscuit crunch and silky chocolate richness. Featuring a golden, crunchy round biscuit filled with smooth, aromatic vanilla cream and enrobed in a generous layer of creamy milk chocolate, its signature ridged coating adds to its irresistible appeal. A timeless sweet treat that pairs effortlessly with a glass of milk or an afternoon cup of coffee.
💭 My Honest Review
I’m not really a fan of apple pies, so this portable little version was never likely to become one of my favourite treats in the box.
It was pleasantly sweet, and there was nothing particularly wrong with it. Unfortunately, the apple-pie-style filling simply isn’t a flavour I naturally reach for, no matter how neatly it’s wrapped inside pastry.
Perfectly okay and easy enough to eat—but definitely one for the proper apple-pie fans rather than me.
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀 Mild Mission
A sweet little pastry that brought the familiar flavour of apple pie into a portable snack.
It was okay, but as someone who isn’t really an apple-pie fan, it was never going to win me over completely.
📖 Official Description
A familiar favourite in Dutch supermarkets and snack shops, this comforting treat brings the homely essence of traditional Dutch apple pie into a portable pastry. Featuring a soft, golden-baked crust with a distinctive lattice-patterned top, it encases a sweet, fruity apple filling. With its delicate texture and comforting apple sweetness, it’s a delightful little indulgence, perfect alongside a warm cup of coffee or tea.
💭 My Honest Review
This was perfectly okay, but it tasted much like every other piece of nougat I’ve tried before.
It had the familiar soft, chewy texture and plenty of sweetness, with the caramel running through it. There was nothing unpleasant about it, but there also wasn’t anything that made this particular nougat feel especially different or memorable.
I’d happily eat it if one was offered to me, but I wouldn’t go looking for it again when there are far more exciting treats in the box.
Fine, familiar and exactly what I expected—just not anything special.
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀 Mild Mission
A soft and chewy caramel nougat that tasted much like any other nougat I’ve had before.
It was perfectly okay, but too familiar to make any lasting impression.
📖 Official Description
With roots in Breda dating back to 1920, this Dutch confectionery classic blends time-honoured craftsmanship with indulgent flavour. Each bite-sized cube features soft, pillowy nougat swirled with velvety, golden caramel. Delicately chewy with a melt-in-the-mouth finish, it’s an elegant little treat to savour alongside a cup of coffee or tea.
🏆 Sweet Treat Champion
Winner: De Molen’s Banket Gevulde Koek
Choosing the sweet champion was considerably harder because three treats reached the full five rockets.
The Smoeltjes Speculaasjes were cheerful little Biscoff-style biscuits, and the LU Choco Prince Vanilla was dangerously easy to keep eating. However, the De Molen’s Banket Gevulde Koek just managed to edge ahead.
It reminded me of a round almond finger—and I already love almond fingers—while the crisp, buttery pastry and soft almond filling made it feel both comforting and distinctly Dutch. It was familiar enough to suit my tastes but different enough to feel like a proper discovery from the box.
This was an extremely close victory, but sometimes a snack arrives that seems almost designed around things you already love.
De Molen’s Banket Gevulde Koek is officially the Netherlands’ Sweet Treat Champion! 🏆🥮
🥤 Drinks
This month’s two drinks might be the most colourful pairing SnackVerse has sent so far.
Royal Club Cassis is a deep purple sparkling blackcurrant drink, while Fernandes Green Punch is so vividly green it looks like it should glow in the dark.
One is a Dutch café classic, and the other travelled from Suriname before becoming a firm favourite in the Netherlands. Let’s find out which deserves the drinks crown.
💭 My Honest Review
This was a much easier flavour to recognise than the mysterious Green Punch—proper blackcurrant, and really nice!
The drink was fruity and refreshing, with plenty of that familiar blackcurrant flavour coming through. It tasted exactly as I’d hoped it would, without leaving me trying to work out what was supposed to be hiding inside the can.
I could’ve happily kept drinking this and would definitely have enjoyed another. Sometimes a straightforward flavour done well is exactly what you need!
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀🚀🚀 Lunar Delight
A really enjoyable sparkling blackcurrant drink with plenty of recognisable fruity flavour.
Refreshing, easy to drink and something I could happily have poured myself more of.
📖 Official Description
A timeless classic on Dutch terraces and café menus, Royal Club Cassis celebrates one of the Netherlands’ most beloved soft drink flavours. From a Dutch brand with roots dating back to 1939, this deep purple, sparkling refreshment is made with real blackcurrant juice and delivers a sophisticated balance of sweet, dark berry notes and a crisp, slightly tart finish. Delicious served ice-cold on its own or as a fruity mixer to brighten up your favourite mocktails, it’s a refreshing taste of Dutch drinking culture.
💭 My Honest Review
This was certainly one of the most colourful drinks in the box—but the flavour wasn’t quite what I expected.
Fernandes Green Punch is apparently meant to taste tropical, but I found it much more floral than fruity. It was also quite sweet, so between the sugary flavour and that slightly flower-like taste, I spent most of the drink trying to work out exactly what I was tasting.
Perhaps my taste buds simply missed the tropical memo and wandered into a flower garden instead!
It was okay and certainly interesting to try, but the promised tropical fruit didn’t really come through for me.
🚀 My Verdict
🚀🚀 Mild Mission
A quite sweet, vividly green fizzy drink that tasted far more floral than tropical to me.
It wasn’t unpleasant, but the confusing flavour kept it firmly in the interesting to try once category rather than making it a new favourite.
📖 Official Description
Originally from Suriname and now a beloved favourite across the Netherlands, Fernandes Green Punch is an iconic fizzy soft drink known for its vibrant green colour. Bursting with sweet, refreshing tropical fruit flavours and a lively citrus tang, it delivers a deliciously exotic taste with every sip. Best served ice-cold, it’s the perfect refreshing companion to savoury snacks, takeaway favourites or simply a sunny afternoon!
🏆 Drink Champion
Winner: Royal Club Cassis
This was one of the easiest crowns to award.
Royal Club Cassis delivered a proper blackcurrant flavour, fruity, refreshing, and instantly recognisable. I really enjoyed it and could’ve happily poured myself another.
Fernandes Green Punch certainly won the award for brightest colour, but its very sweet, strangely floral flavour left me searching for the tropical fruit it was supposed to contain.
One drink kept me guessing. The other kept me drinking.
Royal Club Cassis is officially the Netherlands’ Drink Champion! 🏆🫐
🏆 The Netherlands Snack Awards
Twenty products, four Cosmic Cravings, and one box demolished in just two days—time to reveal the Netherlands Snack Awards!
❤️ Kimberley’s Favourite
Croky Explosions Thai Curry
I love a good curry, and apparently I love it even more when somebody turns it into a crisp. These were bold, crunchy, and full of flavour, and they were the first product that made me think immediately about where I could find another packet. The Netherlands delivered plenty of brilliant sweet treats, but the curry crisps still managed to steal my overall favourite spot.
👦 The Boys’ Favourite
Haribo Bananas
As usual, the boys offered no helpful tasting notes. They shared the banana sweets between themselves and returned a completely empty packet. Since neither child paused long enough to explain the flavour—or save one for later—their verdict was fairly clear.
🤯 Biggest Surprise
Doritos Bits Honey BBQ
Honey-flavoured snacks aren’t normally something I’d choose, so I approached these tiny spirals with some suspicion. The smoky barbecue balanced the sweetness beautifully, and the little crunchy pieces were far more enjoyable than I expected. They didn’t quite reach five rockets, but they came impressively close for a flavour combination I wasn’t convinced I would like.
🛒 Most Desperate to Buy Again
Joint Winners: Croky Explosions Thai Curry and LU Choco Prince Vanilla
The Croky crisps made me declare that I needed more before the packet was even a distant memory.
The LU Choco Prince Vanilla biscuits created a different problem: crunchy biscuit, smooth vanilla cream and milk chocolate combined into something I could eat over and over again.
Honestly, one new packet for each hand feels like the only sensible solution at this point.
🚫 Not for Me
Holland Hopjes
Only one Grounded Grub was in the entire box—and naturally, it was the coffee-flavoured sweet. The Hopjes did exactly what they promised, but I’m a tea girl through and through. One taste confirmed that the rest belonged with the coffee drinkers in the family.
🇳🇱 Most Dutch-Feeling Treat
Daelmans Mini Stroopwafel
Few treats feel as instantly connected to the Netherlands as a stroopwafel. The miniature Daelmans version was chewy, filled with lovely caramel and exactly the sort of tiny treat I could imagine being served beside a hot drink in a Dutch café. It gave us a delicious little taste of one of the country’s best-known sweet traditions.
😊 Cutest Discovery
Smoeltjes Speculaasjes
They tasted like little Biscoff-style biscuits and arrived stamped with cheerful faces. Delicious enough for adults but playful enough for lunchboxes and parties, they proved that an already-good caramelised biscuit becomes even better when it smiles back at you.
📦 Overall Netherlands Box Champion
Croky Explosions Thai Curry
The Netherlands produced four five-rocket products, so this was not an easy decision.
The Gevulde Koek, Smoeltjes Speculaasjes and LU Choco Prince Vanilla all made very convincing arguments from the sweet side. In the end, though, nothing created quite the same immediate “I need more of these” reaction as Croky Explosions Thai Curry.
Bold curry seasoning, a proper ridged crunch and a flavour I genuinely want back in my snack cupboard earned them both the savoury title and the overall crown.
Croky Explosions Thai Curry are officially the Overall Netherlands Box Champion! 👑🍛
⚔️ The SnackVerse Showdown
Five boxes have now taken us through Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Slovakia and the Netherlands. Portugal entered this round wearing the overall crown—but the Netherlands arrived with four five-rocket discoveries and a box that barely survived two days in our house.
Best Savoury Selection: Hungary 🇭🇺
The Netherlands produced my new favourite savoury snack with the Croky Explosions Thai Curry, and the Doritos Bits Honey BBQ were another strong discovery. However, the Lay’s Paprika and Croky Bolognese both stopped at two rockets.
Hungary’s savoury selection was more consistent overall, led by its five-rocket Chio Cheese and Onion Crisps. The Netherlands came extremely close—and deserves a separate celebration for finally giving us a bacon-free crisp selection—but Hungary just keeps the category crown.
Best Sweet Selection: The Netherlands 🇳🇱
Portugal previously held this title thanks to its Regina chocolates and traditional pastries, but the Netherlands has taken it with three five-rocket sweet treats.
The Gevulde Koek, Smoeltjes Speculaasjes and LU Choco Prince Vanilla all reached Cosmic Craving, while the stroopwafel and Haribo Bananas added another pair of four-rocket successes. Holland Hopjes was the only complete miss.
Best Drinks: Hungary 🇭🇺
Royal Club Cassis was one of the nicest drinks from the journey so far, but Fernandes Green Punch left me more confused than refreshed.
Hungary still offered the strongest overall drinks experience, particularly through the unusual Márka Bodza elderflower drink and Traubisoda.
Best Traditional Discovery: The Netherlands 🇳🇱
The Netherlands packed in recognisable national classics without making the box feel repetitive.
Stroopwafels, speculaas, ontbijtkoek and Dutch bakery treats all appeared, while the five-rocket Gevulde Koek proved that a traditional discovery could also become one of my personal favourites.
Best-Packed Box: Portugal 🇵🇹
Portugal’s nearly two-kilogram box remains the most generous-feeling delivery of the journey. Its 21 products were packed right to the top and made an immediate impression before the tasting had even begun.
The Netherlands contained a very respectable 20 products—but thanks to Evri, its most memorable packaging feature was the alarming hole in the bottom!
Fastest Box to Disappear: The Netherlands 🇳🇱
Slovakia took us almost the entire month to finish.
The Netherlands took two days.
Being together during half term probably helped, but snacks still don’t disappear that quickly unless everybody is happily eating them. No previous box has been demolished at anything close to this speed.
Most Consistent Box: The Netherlands 🇳🇱
Four products reached five rockets, another four earned four rockets, and only Holland Hopjes landed at one.
Portugal was wonderfully consistent, but the Netherlands produced twice as many Cosmic Cravings and more products at four rockets or above, despite containing one fewer item.
Overall Winning Box: The Netherlands 🇳🇱
Portugal did not surrender its crown easily. It was fuller, heavier and introduced the Regina Chocolate Umbrella and Lay’s Camponesas—two discoveries I would still happily buy again.
The Netherlands simply produced more favourites. It gave us four five-rocket products, several genuinely Dutch classics, the best sweet selection so far and a curry crisp I now need back in my life. Even the non-favourites were mostly easy enough to finish. But the real giveaway? This entire box vanished in two days flat. Portugal impressed me, but with the Netherlands, the whole family kept circling back to the snack pile until there was literally nothing left.
By the final curry-seasoned crumb, the Netherlands steals the SnackVerse crown from Portugal! 👑🇳🇱
The current SnackVerse standings are:
- The Netherlands 🇳🇱
- Portugal 🇵🇹
- Spain 🇪🇸
- Hungary 🇭🇺
- Slovakia 🇸🇰
💭 Was the Netherlands Premium Box Worth It?
The Netherlands Premium Box contained 20 products: five savoury snacks, 13 sweet treats and two drinks. At my subscription price of £24.99, that’s about £1.25 per product.
The journey here was frustrating. SnackVerse delayed dispatch while replacing a product that didn’t meet its standards, and then Evri delivered the box with the bottom torn open badly enough that its contents could easily have fallen out. Thankfully, everything listed in the booklet was still present.
As with the Portugal delay, I can respect SnackVerse taking extra time to replace something that wasn’t up to standard. I’d rather wait for a better product than receive a box on time simply for the sake of it. The delivery damage was a different matter. We were incredibly lucky that nothing escaped, and a subscription costing nearly £25 should reach the customer securely enough to keep every product inside.
Looking only at the contents, though, the value was strong. It included a good mix of full-sized crisps, biscuits, bakery treats, sweets, and two drinks, with several proper Dutch classics rather than twenty generic products. The ratings back that up: four Cosmic Cravings, four Lunar Delights, and 14 products earning at least three rockets. We usually take a week or two to work through the box, while Slovakia took almost an entire month. We finished the Netherlands selection in two days.
Admittedly, being home together during half term probably gave us more opportunities to snack—but even half term can’t make an unexciting box vanish that quickly. We genuinely enjoyed this one. So, was the Netherlands Premium Box worth it?
Yes—the Netherlands box itself was absolutely worth £24.99. The bigger question is whether the subscription still feels worth continuing.
SnackVerse promises a tasting journey around the world, but all five of my boxes have taken us to European countries: Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Slovakia and now the Netherlands. Each country has its own food culture, and I’ve enjoyed discovering the differences, but the journey is beginning to feel much smaller than the name SnackVerse suggests.
I understand that sourcing products from farther away may be more difficult or expensive. However, snacks from countries such as the USA, Australia and Japan are already imported into the UK, so a carefully curated box from one of those destinations doesn’t feel impossible—even if a few products are already familiar.
The booklet, the themed selection, and the whole experience of trying everything together are a big part of what I’m paying for. I just need the destinations to start feeling genuinely global too. For now, I’m glad I got this box—but whether I keep the subscription much longer might depend on where SnackVerse decides to send us next.
💭 Final Thoughts
The Netherlands box took a slightly dramatic route to reach us, but once it landed, we made shockingly quick work of it.
SnackVerse delayed dispatch after deciding that one of the original products wasn’t up to standard. That was understandable. Evri then delivered the replacement-filled box with the bottom torn so badly that several snacks could easily have disappeared somewhere along the journey. That was considerably less understandable.
Thankfully, all 20 products survived—and then lasted about two days once they hit our kitchen. Half term definitely helped. We were all home, the snacks were within arm’s reach, and there were far more opportunities for shared taste testing than usual. Even so, our boxes normally take at least a week or two to finish. Slovakia, bless it, lingered for almost a month because nothing really tempted us back for seconds.
The Netherlands was the complete opposite.
The Croky Explosions Thai Curry became my savoury and overall champion, combining my love of curry with an incredibly moreish ridged crisp. The De Molen’s Banket Gevulde Koek won a fiercely competitive sweet category by reminding me of a round almond finger, while Royal Club Cassis gave us a really lovely blackcurrant drink I could happily have poured again.
The Dutch classics lived up to expectations. The miniature stroopwafel was chewy and caramel-filled, the Smoeltjes turned Biscoff-style biscuits into cheerful little faces, and the ontbijtkoek tasted like malt loaf crossed with Jamaican ginger cake. Even the LU Choco Prince—less traditionally Dutch-looking than some of the others—became dangerously easy to eat.
The Doritos Bits Honey BBQ surprised me by making honey work, while the boys kept their usual reviewing standards and silently emptied the Haribo Bananas. At the opposite end, Holland Hopjes proved once again that coffee belongs with the coffee drinkers, not with me. The Lay’s Paprika tasted as though someone had tipped the spice jar directly into the packet, and Croky Bolognese seemed to have misplaced both its promised flavour and spice.
Most importantly, the Netherlands achieved something I’d almost given up hope on: not a single bacon-flavoured crisp. Five boxes into this journey, Europe has finally released me from the bacon seasoning. I could cry.
With four five-rocket discoveries, one complete miss, and the fastest-disappearing snack pile so far, the Netherlands has officially taken the SnackVerse crown from Portugal. Yet this brilliant box has also left me at a crossroads about whether to keep my subscription.
I signed up to travel around the world through snacks, but so far we have visited five European countries in a row. I’ve enjoyed those stops—some considerably more than others—but I’m ready to leave Europe behind for a while. I understand long-distance sourcing may affect costs, but countries such as the USA, Australia, or Japan should still offer plenty of products we can source for a UK box.
The next destination doesn’t have to be impossibly obscure. It just needs to make the world feel bigger again. SnackVerse, the Netherlands, was brilliant—but now, please, put us on a much longer flight.
Japan, Australia, the USA—or somewhere completely unexpected—I’m ready. 🌍🚀
💬 Come Chat
Have you tried any of these Dutch snacks before?
Would you reach for the Croky Thai Curry crisps or the almond-filled Gevulde Koek first?
Do you agree that a box demolished in two days deserves the overall SnackVerse crown?
After five European countries in a row, would you keep the subscription going—or would you also need the next destination to take us farther afield?
Where should we head next: Japan, Australia, the USA, or somewhere else entirely?
Let me know in the comments!
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