Oliebollen are traditionally eaten on which holiday?

Oliebollen are traditionally eaten on New Year’s Eve.

These Dutch doughnuts are deep-fried balls of yeast-raised dough, usually served hot and dusted with powdered sugar. The batter commonly includes raisins, currants or sultanas, and may also contain apple, candied citrus peel or other fruit. Street stalls and temporary winter stands sell them throughout the holiday season.

The Dutch word oliebol means “oil ball,” describing the dough’s deep-fried shape. In the Netherlands, the plural form is oliebollen. Similar fried dough balls appear in Belgium and nearby regions under names such as smoutebollen and croustillons, but local recipes and serving traditions differ.

Their New Year association is older than the modern name. Some theories connect the food with Germanic Yule customs, while another suggests influence from Portuguese Sephardi Jewish immigrants and Hanukkah pastries. The earliest discovered recipe for their predecessor, oliekoecken, appeared in a Dutch cookbook in 1667.