DutchSnack

Traditional Dutch Zelfgemaakte Drop

The Dutch eat more licorice per person than any other nation on earth — about 2 kilograms per person per year — and Dutch drop comes in a bewildering and wonderful range of varieties: soft or hard, sweet or intensely salty (zoute drop), coin-shaped or diamond-shaped. Making your own drop at home is a satisfying and genuinely impressive project, and this recipe gives you a soft, chewy, traditional sweet drop as your starting point. The salmiak (ammonium chloride) is optional, but if you want that authentic Dutch zoute-drop experience, it is the ingredient you cannot skip.

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 15 min

Makes about 60–80 pieces

Hard

Ingredients

200g / 7 oz licorice root extract (dropextract — available at Dutch specialty stores or online)
200g / 1 cup granulated sugar
100g / ¼ cup + 2 tbsp dark treacle or blackstrap molasses
50ml / 3½ tbsp water
100g / ¼ cup + 2 tbsp glucose syrup
2 tsp anise extract
1 tsp ground star anise
1 tsp ammonium chloride (salmiak) — optional, for authentic Dutch salty licorice
Cornstarch, for dusting

Instructions

1
Lightly oil and line a 20x20cm / 8x8 inch square baking tin with parchment paper.
2
Combine sugar, treacle, water, and glucose syrup in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil without stirring further.
3
Cook to 115°C / 240°F on a candy thermometer — this is the soft ball stage. Keep a close eye on the temperature.
4
Remove from heat immediately. Stir in licorice extract, anise extract, ground star anise, and salmiak if using. Mix quickly and thoroughly.
5
Pour into the prepared tin. Smooth the surface with a lightly oiled spatula.
6
Leave to cool and set at room temperature for 2–3 hours until completely firm.
7
Turn out onto a board dusted with cornstarch. Cut into small squares or rectangles with an oiled knife.
8
Roll each piece lightly in cornstarch to prevent sticking. Store in a tin between layers of parchment paper.

Tips & Notes

Serving Suggestions: • Keeps for up to 3 weeks in a cool, dry tin. • Share with non-Dutch friends and enjoy the reactions — especially to the zoute version. Dutch Tip 🇳🇱: Dutch drop is polarising outside the Netherlands — most non-Dutch people are not prepared for the intensity, especially the salty variety. Give someone a zoute drop and watch their face: you will know immediately whether they have Dutch blood.

Added by Michael Duregon on 15 August 2026

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