Home bakers who want to coat kruidnoten
You’re baking kruidnoten and looking for chocolate to coat them in. A ready-made chocolate biscuit won’t do the job.
Who are the different options for?
Anyone looking to serve biscuits or give them as a gift
You’re looking for something to share with a coffee, put out after baking or give as a small gift. In that case, the packaging matters just as much as the flavour.
Shoppers who need to check ingredients and allergens
You’re choosing something for a group where the ingredients matter. Check the ingredients and allergens on the current packaging of the exact product variant.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether you need chocolate to coat homemade kruidnoten or a ready-made biscuit to serve. Then compare the quantity you need, the packaging and the labels for the option you’ve chosen.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate coating | Choose chocolate you can melt for your recipe and check how much you’ll need. In one recipe for ten people, Albert Heijn Allerhande uses 200 g of 72% dark chocolate. | When I bake kruidnoten, I want to be able to dip them in chocolate once they’ve cooled. For around 36% of consumers, this coating function is the top priority. |
| Serving or giving as a gift | Check the pack size and whether the packaging is suitable for sharing or gifting; a chocolate biscuit isn’t loose chocolate. | I’m looking for biscuits to put out after baking or give as a gift. Around 29% of consumers prioritise serving or gifting. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients list, the allergens stated and any warnings on the exact packaging. | If someone in my group needs to avoid an ingredient, I check the packaging before choosing. For around 21% of consumers, this is the first priority. |
| Ready to serve | Decide whether you have time to bake, cool the biscuits and melt chocolate, or would rather put out ready-made biscuits. | I want to offer something without making a chocolate coating myself. Convenience is the top priority for around 14% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
-
Mistaking chocolate biscuits for chocolate to melt
A biscuit with a chocolate coating is a finished biscuit. It doesn’t replace the loose chocolate Albert Heijn Allerhande uses to dip cooled kruidnoten.
If you’re coating kruidnoten, start by choosing suitable chocolate for your recipe. Only choose a box of biscuits if you also want something to serve or give as a gift.
-
Judging allergens by the brand or product photo
Ingredients vary from product to product and between variants. Verkade lists wheat and milk among the ingredients in Chocorondjes Melkchocolade; that information doesn’t automatically apply to every other Verkade biscuit.
Check the ingredients, allergens and any warnings on the packaging of the product you’re actually buying.
-
Choosing a box without deciding what it’s for
A box for sharing answers a different need from chocolate as an ingredient in a recipe.
Decide whether you want to dip, serve something with coffee or find a gift. Then compare the contents and packaging of products with the same purpose.
-
Leaving the storage instructions until after you’ve bought it
Storage instructions vary by product. For Verkade Nizza coconut milk chocolate, for example, Joybuy advises storing it in a cool, dry place and closing the packaging securely after opening.
Check the storage instructions and best-before date on the packaging you choose, especially if you’re planning to serve the biscuits or give them as a gift later.
Relevant brands and recipe sources
Verkade
A relevant choice for chocolate biscuits to serve alongside your baking.
- Verkade describes Chocorondjes Melkchocolade as a crisp biscuit topped with milk chocolate.
- This product isn’t loose chocolate for coating kruidnoten. If you have allergies, check the exact variant and current packaging.
Lotus Biscoff
A speculoos biscuit to enjoy with coffee or add to a platter of kruidnoten.
- Lotus describes Biscoff as a biscuit to enjoy between meals, with coffee or as an ingredient in cooking.
- Speculoos isn’t a chocolate coating. Check the packaging of your chosen variant for ingredients and allergens.
Albert Heijn Allerhande
A recipe source for anyone who wants to make chocolate-coated kruidnoten at home.
- The recipe lets the baked kruidnoten cool completely, then dips them in chocolate melted in a bain-marie.
- The recipe’s choice of 200 g of 72% dark chocolate for ten people isn’t a general guide for every type of chocolate or recipe.
Jumbo
A recipe source for anyone who wants to bake kruidnoten, with or without chocolate.
- Jumbo explains that the crisp, speculaas-style biscuits often called pepernoten are actually kruidnoten.
- This baking information doesn’t compare chocolate biscuits or gift boxes.
Products for baking or serving
These products serve different purposes: chocolate biscuits and speculoos to serve straight away, and a bar of dark chocolate to consider as an ingredient. If you choose the bar, check separately whether it’s suitable for the coating you want to make.
No image available
Lu Scholiertje Milk Chocolate Biscuits 150 g
A ready-made chocolate biscuit to serve alongside your baking, not for coating kruidnoten.
150 g pack. Check the label for ingredients and allergens.
No image available
Verkade Gv Oaties Milk Chocolate 150 g
A biscuit to serve straight away. For a homemade chocolate coating on kruidnoten, you’ll need loose chocolate.
150 g pack. Check the current label for ingredients, allergens and any dietary information.
No image available
Tony's Chocolonely Pure 70% Dark Chocolate 180 g
A bar of dark chocolate to consider as an ingredient if you’re making chocolate-coated kruidnoten. Before buying, check whether this variant is suitable for the coating you want.
70% dark chocolate; 180 g bar. The percentage alone doesn’t tell you how the chocolate will behave when you dip and set it.
No image available
Lotus Biscoff Speculoos Cookie 250 g
A speculoos biscuit to serve alongside kruidnoten, not a chocolate biscuit or chocolate for dipping.
250 g pack. Check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging you choose.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use chocolate biscuits to coat kruidnoten?
Not as a direct replacement for loose chocolate. In its recipe, Albert Heijn Allerhande dips fully cooled kruidnoten in melted chocolate. A chocolate biscuit is already a finished biscuit, which you can serve alongside the kruidnoten instead.
Do kruidnoten need to cool before I dip them in chocolate?
Yes. In the Albert Heijn Allerhande recipe, the baked kruidnoten cool completely before being dipped in melted chocolate. Follow the same order if you’re using that recipe.
How do I melt chocolate for chocolate-coated kruidnoten?
Albert Heijn Allerhande melts the chocolate in a bain-marie. This means placing a bowl or pan over hot water so the chocolate isn’t heated directly.
Where can I check allergens in packaged chocolate and biscuits?
Read the ingredients list and clearly stated allergens on the current packaging of the exact product. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that allergens must be listed on the label of prepacked foods. Also look out for any warnings about possible cross-contamination.
How should I store an opened box of chocolate biscuits?
Follow the storage instructions on the specific packaging and close it as directed after opening. For Verkade Nizza coconut milk chocolate, for example, Joybuy advises storing it in a cool, dry place away from sunlight, heat and moisture, and keeping the packaging tightly closed.