The Dutch New Year’s Eve tradition of eating deep-fried dough balls is called oliebollen.
Oliebollen are round pieces of yeast-based dough deep-fried in oil and commonly dusted with powdered sugar. The dough may contain raisins, currants, or pieces of apple. They are widely sold by temporary seasonal stands and bakeries in the Netherlands around New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
The Dutch name literally means “oil balls,” describing the cooking method rather than a special filling. Their round shape and rich, hot preparation suit the winter holiday period, when families often share them during the final evening of the year.
Oliebollen are sometimes compared with doughnuts, but they are not identical to ring-shaped doughnuts. Poffertjes are another Dutch sweet, consisting of small, fluffy pancakes, while stroopwafels are thin waffle cookies joined by syrup. Those foods may also be found in the Netherlands, but they are not the traditional New Year fritters called oliebollen.