The traditional Dutch New Year’s Eve dish often served with powdered sugar is oliebollen.
Oliebollen are deep-fried balls of sweet dough, commonly made with flour, yeast, milk, and sometimes raisins or currants. They are usually dusted with powdered sugar before serving and are strongly associated with the winter holiday period, especially New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in the Netherlands.
The name combines olie, meaning “oil,” with bol, meaning “ball.” Although they are commonly translated as Dutch doughnuts, their shape and preparation differ from ring-shaped doughnuts. Street stalls and temporary seasonal stands often sell them during the weeks surrounding the new year.
The dish has a long history, but its precise origin is debated. Food historians have proposed connections with older European fried pastries and Jewish communities in the Netherlands. Oliebollen are also enjoyed in Dutch-speaking parts of Belgium, where related regional forms may have different names or ingredients.