To sprinkle aniseed sprinkles neatly over Halloween treats, choose the original packaging or a wide-opening shaker suitable for food contact rather than an ordinary sauce squeeze bottle. Whole, coloured sprinkles add a visible finishing touch, while crushed sprinkles give a finer coating. Test the opening with your chosen variety and keep the sprinkles dry.
You want to sprinkle aniseed sprinkles over cupcakes or biscuits without having to tip a small box each time. Being able to test the opening with your chosen sprinkles matters more than the dispenser’s capacity alone.
Choose the product format to suit the look you want: visible whole sprinkles or a finer coating made with crushed sprinkles.
You want to be able to show guests which ingredients and allergens are in the sprinkles you’ve chosen, especially if they’ll be helping themselves.
First, choose between whole and crushed sprinkles to get the look you want. Then check that the shaker opening works with your chosen variety, and that the packaging and allergen information will remain visible when you serve them.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Controlled sprinkling | Choose a shaker suitable for food contact and test its dispensing opening with the dry sprinkles you’ve chosen. | If I’m decorating lots of cupcakes, I want to sprinkle them without relying on a narrow nozzle that might get blocked. Around 40% of consumers prioritise control over dispensing. |
| The look of the topping | Compare whole, coloured sprinkles with crushed sprinkles, and try your chosen format on one treat. | For small biscuits, I want to decide whether visible sprinkles or a finer coating will suit my decoration better. For around 30% of consumers, the decorative effect matters most. |
| Allergens and self-service | Read the current label and keep the packaging with the sprinkles. Also check the material of any reusable shaker. | When guests are helping themselves, I want to be able to show them the ingredients and serve the sprinkles in a suitable shaker. Allergen information and food contact are the main priorities for around 30% of consumers. |
The squeeze bottles described are intended for sauces, dressings and other liquids. That doesn’t tell you whether dry aniseed sprinkles will flow through their nozzles.
Check the opening rather than just the capacity. Use a wide-opening shaker suitable for food contact, or try the exact combination with a small amount first.
The De Ruijter Feestmuisjes and Gestampte Muisjes products reviewed list wheat and cereals containing gluten. Albert Heijn points out that online product information may change.
Read the label on the pack you buy and keep it available for guests.
In an Albert Heijn recipe, biscuits are iced before being decorated with sprinkles.
If you want the topping to stick to a biscuit, try adding a suitable layer of icing first, then sprinkle them on top.
An adhesive layer requires extra ingredients and preparation.
A container comes into direct contact with the sprinkles. According to the RIVM, substances from food-contact materials can end up in food.
Choose an item intended for food contact and keep it clean and dry.
The product ranges reviewed include whole Feestmuisjes, blue and white sprinkles, and Gestampte Muisjes.
Albert Heijn’s product information includes De Ruijter Feestmuisjes and Gestampte Muisjes, among others.
Jumbo lists several De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles, including whole and crushed varieties.
PLUS lists De Ruijter Feestmuisjes and Gestampte Muisjes as separate products.
These two whole, coloured varieties are ideal for adding visible accents to Halloween treats. For controlled sprinkling, use a suitable wide opening; a product being described as a topping doesn’t confirm that it will fit through a squeeze nozzle.
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For blue and white accents on treats. Jumbo lists this variety in a 330 g pack and identifies wheat and cereals containing gluten as allergens; check the label on the pack you buy. Test a shaker opening with these sprinkles before using it for several treats.
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For pink accents on treats. This pack contains 330 g of sprinkles; check the ingredients and allergens on the label before serving. Try your chosen shaker with a small amount of this variety first.
Don’t assume that an ordinary squeeze bottle will dispense whole sprinkles properly: the bottles described are intended for liquids. It’s better to use the original packaging or a wide-opening shaker suitable for food contact. If you’re trying another dispenser, test it with your chosen sprinkles first.
Choose crushed sprinkles for a finer coating, or whole, coloured sprinkles if you want the individual pieces to stand out. If you want them to stick to a biscuit, try adding a suitable layer of icing first, as in an Albert Heijn recipe.
Don’t choose a dispenser based on capacity alone. For dry sprinkles, the key thing is whether the filling and dispensing openings work with your chosen variety. Also check that the material is suitable for food contact.
For a party at home, place the packaging for your chosen sprinkles next to the treats so guests can read the current label. The De Ruijter Feestmuisjes and Gestampte Muisjes products reviewed list wheat and cereals containing gluten. According to Ondernemersplein, customers must be given allergen information before buying unpackaged products.
Keep the sprinkles dry and follow the instructions on the packaging. Empty any remaining sprinkles from a reusable shaker and clean it before using it again.
