Kruidnoten (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈkrœytnoːtə(n)] ⓘ) are hard cookie-like confectioneries made of speculaas, roughly the size of a coin and shaped as a flattened hemisphere, traditionally associated with Sinterklaas and commonly eaten in Belgium and the Netherlands.

When children come to witness Sinterklaas' arrival to the country, it is normal to receive a handful of kruidnoten from one of his helpers called Piet.

At school, visiting Zwarte Pieten now tend to lay down a pile or small bag on the student's desk or directly in the child's hand.

[citation needed] Kruidnoten were not consumed by the Flemish for a long time and no traditions exist, but around the late 2010s, interest in them grew.

[4][5] Instead of kruidnoten, Zwarte Piet throws letter-shaped biscuits that come with different names depending on the region, like "karolientjes", "mokskes", "pieknieken", or "nicnacjes".