Vander Ploeg Bakery

Dutch letters yum, who doesn’t like almond paste with a flaky pastry wrapped around it? If your anywhere near Pella this is a must go out of your way to get some kind of thing.

The smell is as good as the taste! They don’t have the largest shop or the biggest selection but the few things we got were wonderful.
The turnover was flaky and delicious. The blueberry filling was sweet but not too sweet. It went wonderfully with a cup of coffee.
The cream filled cookie was great and the ingredients were very high quality.
Staff was really nice. And the shop was small but packed full of goodness. A definite sugar overload!

We arrived 10 minutes before closing and explained we were visiting from NC and that the bakery was my mother’s favorite growing up. We were not rushed or treated other than kindly. And the baked goods were perfect.

Dutch Letter — yep that’s the one to get! We stopped at a Casey gas station right outside of Des Moines and saw these letter S pastries on the counter. Two for 5 bucks. I took one bite and went right back in to buy several more. That’s when a nice gentleman behind me spoke up and told me about the bakery in Pella.
I love Almond!!!
This flakey pastry is filled with almond.
Heavenly!

Service is less than friendly, but very efficient. Dutch letters are great. We also tried the Dutch spice cookies and lemon blueberry bread. Everything was delicious and we will certainly stop again when in the area.

When in Pella, you must hit the square for local treats and one place to stop is Vander Ploeg Bakery. Get Dutch letters. To not do so is foolhardy and possibly a criminal act*.
Vander Ploeg isn’t a very big bakery but they have a nice little assortment. Jaarsma a few doors own has a larger selection. When it comes to the quality of Dutch Letters, I’d say it is a draw. Trust me, I tested both extensively. But they are both really exceptional. What Vander Ploeg lacks in options, they make up for in ONLINE ORDERING. Oh yeah. You can order these delicious treats and have them shipped right to you. Yes please!
Another win for Vander Ploeg, they sell smaller, sticks of the Dutch letters (i forget the actual name they went by) that are smaller than the regular letters. So you can eat more of them and feel less guilty!
To sum up: Go to Pella and eat Dutch letters wherever you can get them and thank me later. And then order them online through Vander Ploeg, get them at home and thank me again.
*probably not, but it should be.

This place is money! We came in whilst sauntering about during the tulip festival. Located across from the main park down the way from Jaarsma bakery, we decided on this place because the line was a bit longer.
Upon entering, we were greeted with carbs of every variety! The quintessential dutch letter, an assortment of donuts and plenty of flavored breads.
I’m always puzzled as to why the Dutch only sell the letter «S» in dough form. I would happily purchase other letters, but cest’ la vie!
The bismark that I munched on was as good as anyone I’ve ever had and made the wait totally worth it. We got a couple letters, a cherry turnover and something else with frosting. Everything runs around $ 1.00-$ 2.00 here so you can grab something for the road and tomorrow morning without throwing down too much cash.
Great local place with some Dutch flair!

I picked the busiest time to stop in: during Tulip Time.
However, the fifteen-​minute wait to order didn’t phase me. In fact, I’d wait in line for thirty minutes in the rain to get access to Vander Ploeg’s yummy pastries.
Once I entered this cute, clean place, I felt like a kid in a pastry store. I ordered a selection of goodies, each piece of flaky perfection giving way to sweet fruit filling like raspberry, blueberry, cherry or apple. At an average of around $ 1.25-$ 1.50 per pastry, each is an affordable treat.
If I’m in Pella again, I’m returning!

During our recent visit to Pella, we stopped at Vander Ploeg and also at Jaarsma’s. Frankly, I liked Vander Ploeg better. We bought their White Walnut bars which were really good (and cost less than at Jaarsma!)

Vander Ploeg’s is the place to go to in Pella for great cake. We have tried several places and always got our birthday cakes growing up from Vander Ploeg’s. This week we ordered buns and cake for a reception and they were excellent. The cake tasted great as usual and they did a nice job decorating it for a very reasonable price.

Best donuts I’ve ever had! The glazed donuts are amazing and made fresh each morning. If you get there early enough, try the glazed donut holes (they sell out early). But don’t save them for the next day or they’ll get soggy. They also have the best crispies for a major sugar rush, and wonderful buns for sandwiches. And of course, they have great dutch letters too (although nothing beats my mom’s letters bursting almond goo out the sides, but that’s not an option for you). Also, the dutch letters freeze well if you’re looking to save some for later. This is a necessary stop for anyone in the area craving some sweets!

I stopped at both Vander Ploeg and the other big bakery in Pella when I was in Iowa a few months ago. Vander Ploeg has lots of adorable frosted cookies and sweets in addition to the traditional Dutch tasties one expects. The Dutch letters were delicious, and the staff at the bakery was very patient and helpful while we were shopping.

I like their Dutch letters a little better than those at Jaarsma’s, but everyone is different.
They also make a great apple bread! Make sure to get some goodies to bring home if you aren’t a local.