The 3-Ingredient Dutch Breakfast My Kids Are Crazy About

Right after my Freshman year of college, I took a European tour with my field hockey team throughout Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. The flight overseas was only the second flight I’d ever taken—the first being from Connecticut to Florida a few months earlier. To say I was a bit sheltered would be putting it mildly.  

I loved everything about the European food scene. Picture-perfect candy shops with endless varieties of licorice, crisp Belgian fries, fluffy bite-sized pancakes—I could not believe all of the delicacies I had the opportunity to try. Since this was a sports trip, our accommodations were somewhat spartan. We were there to train and sightsee during our downtime and didn’t spend too much time at the hotel, except for breakfast. 

For the first few days, I was a little confused at breakfast time. The spread was nothing like the continental buffet of my youth. There were deli meats, pickles, and mustard as far as the eye could see. And while I love a savory bite, I’m more of a bagel-for-breakfast kind of girl, especially when I’m walking and training for multiple hours a day. 

After skipping a few mornings of breakfast, I finally discovered sprinkle toast, or, as the locals call it, hagelslag, which is Dutch for “hailstorm.” I had noticed the pastel packets of hagelslag sprinkles on the buffet but I had no idea what they were meant for until I saw a breakfast brainiac add a packet to toasted and buttered bread. 

After confirming with our local guide that this creation was not, in fact, too good to be true, but a common Dutch treat, I pretty much subsisted on it for the remainder of our trip. 

Sprinkle on Some Fun

An important thing to note about this breakfast confection is that hagelslag sprinkles are very different from the waxy, flavorless sprinkles you can get stateside. While I admit to having a soft spot for the American version, the delicate texture of hagelslag and more intense flavor really makes this toast special. 

In the Netherlands, popular flavors of hagelslag include anise, fruit, and chocolate. For the chocolate version, called chocoladehagelslag, the sprinkles have to contain at least 32% cocoa, making them taste more similar to a chocolate chip than a sprinkle.

I mostly forgot about hagelslag until I had kids. I never found myself with an abundance of sprinkles until I entered my grade school birthday party era, and then I seemed to be swimming in them. So, one morning when the fridge was particularly empty, I decided to whip up a batch of sprinkle toast for my boys, ages 6 and 2 at the time. 

My oldest looked at his technicolor toast and asked incredulously if he was really allowed to eat sprinkles for breakfast. Yes, my boy—do as the Dutch do!

How To Make My 3-Ingredient Sprinkle Toast

To make one to two servings, you’ll need:

• 2 slices brioche-style bread, lightly toasted
• 1 tablespoon salted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons sprinkles of your choice (I especially recommend Dutch hagelslag by brands like De Ruijter)

Spread the butter all over the surface of the toasted bread slices, making sure it is evenly distributed. You’ll use about 1/2 tablespoon of butter on each slice of bread. Carefully add the sprinkles in an even layer, then use your fingers to gently press them into the toast to adhere. Cut each slice in half diagonally and serve. 

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