How do you reinvent a beloved Dutch tradition without losing its soul?
Bolletje invited Food By Design to explore just that: how to innovate with kruidnoten beyond flavour alone. These small, spiced biscuits are inseparable from the Dutch Sinterklaas celebration – full of nostalgia, joy, and festive flavour.
The initial spark for the kruidnoten bar came from Bolletje’s product developer Ronald, who had been passionate about the idea for years. Through our Food Design Thinking journey, we helped turn that spark into tangible and validated concepts. We mapped opportunities, assessed technical feasibility, and tested consumer appeal.
A row of ten kruidnoten, joined together in a single bar. The taste remains unmistakably Bolletje – authentic, spiced, familiar- but the new shape transforms it into a fun, shareable, and portable snack. Perfect to put into a child’s shoe as a festive gift (Dutch tradition), or to enjoy as a portion-controlled treat on the go.
The idea has already caught the eye of food lovers online. Influencers are getting creative with pairings like @Veggilaine, who combined the bar with aged cheese and fig jam and @twisted chef and @fitfood.Cheryl
It’s a small step in a classic category, but one that shows how collaboration between a passionate product developer and a structured innovation approach can turn long-standing ideas into market-ready concepts that spark fresh excitement.
Goal
Innovate ‘kruidnoten’ beyond flavour variants
Client
Bolletje