If you want the biscuits to add a distinct flavour to your tart base or topping, choose speculoos or speculaas. If you want the filling to take centre stage, consider a plain digestive. For a no-bake base, you can follow a recipe using finely crushed biscuits and butter, but a small pack or a set number of biscuits won’t replace the weighed amount specified in the recipe. Always check the label of the variety you choose for allergen information.
If the crumb layer or decoration contributes to the flavour of your tart, a biscuit with speculoos or speculaas spices is an obvious choice. Lotus Bakeries Netherlands describes Lotus Biscoff as a biscuit that can also be used as an ingredient; that alone doesn’t tell you how much to use or how it will turn out in your recipe.
If you want the flavour of the fruit, cream cheese or chocolate to shine through, you could compare a plain digestive with a spiced biscuit. Jumbo Krokante Digestive is a different product variety from speculoos, so also check that its crumb texture suits your recipe.
If ingredients or warnings about possible cross-contamination affect your choice, read the label on the exact pack you intend to use. According to Jumbo’s product information, Lotus Biscoff Speculoos 250 g contains wheat and soya; Jumbo Krokante Digestive 400 g contains gluten and wheat and may contain barley, oats and rye.
First decide whether the biscuit will add flavour, form a crumb base or be used as decoration. Then check the quantity your recipe calls for and the label of the exact variety.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour | Compare a spiced biscuit with a plain digestive. Also check whether you need an unfilled variety. | If I want the biscuits to have a recognisable flavour in my tart, I’ll deliberately choose a speculoos or speculaas profile. An estimated 45% of consumers prioritise flavour in this way. |
| Crumbs and quantity | Check whether the recipe calls for a base, topping or decoration, and weigh out the biscuits you need. | For my base or decoration, I mainly want to make sure I have enough biscuits without mistaking a pack size for the quantity needed in a recipe. This use and quantity are a priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients, highlighted allergens and any warnings on the pack you’ve chosen. | If I need to avoid an ingredient, the composition of the exact variety determines my choice. An estimated 22% of consumers put this check first. |
Lotus Biscoff Original is described as containing ingredients including cinnamon and candy syrup. A plain digestive has a different flavour profile, and speculaas has its own distinctive blend of spices. Swapping one biscuit for another can therefore make a noticeable difference to a topping or base.
Decide what flavour you want the biscuit to bring before choosing a recipe variation. Don’t judge a substitute by the shape or weight of the biscuits alone.
A number of biscuits or individual packs won’t tell you how many crumbs your tin or recipe needs. For example, Lidl’s no-bake pistachio cheesecake recipe uses 130 g of speculoos biscuits with 45 g of butter; that ratio is specific to that recipe.
Weigh the biscuits and follow the quantities and method for the recipe you’re actually making, especially if you’re switching from a chilled base to a baked recipe.
A description such as vegan says nothing about whether a product is free from wheat, gluten or soya. Different varieties may also have different ingredients and warnings.
Before using the biscuits, read the ingredients list and allergen information on the label of the exact variety, including any warnings about possible cross-contamination.
An option if you specifically want the flavour of original speculoos in a crumb layer or as decoration. Lotus Bakeries Netherlands lists both larger formats and a Pocket Pack of 8 × 2 biscuits.
Jumbo Krokante Digestive Biscuit 400 g is an option to compare if you’re looking for a plain biscuit for a crumb base.
A brand to consider when comparing speculoos biscuits in store.
ALDI Netherlands describes Koekkie Speculoosbiscuits as a 500 g pack containing around 71 biscuits. This size is worth considering if you need a lot of biscuits for a recipe.
A retailer whose range lets you compare information about products such as Lotus Biscoff Speculoos with the pack you’re buying.
This selection includes spiced biscuits for a flavourful topping or crumb base, smaller speculaas biscuits for decoration and a digestive for anyone looking for a different flavour profile. Choose the quantity according to your recipe; none of the pack weights is, by itself, a measure for the base.
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For a tart where you want the flavour of speculoos to come through. The pack contains 250 g; weigh out the amount your recipe calls for, whether you’re making a base or a topping.
Jumbo’s product information for Lotus Biscoff Speculoos 250 g lists wheat and soya. If you need to avoid an allergen, check the label on the pack you’re using.
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A speculaas option if you want individual biscuits for decoration or a small quantity of crumbs. The product name states 8 biscuits and 200 g; use your recipe to work out how much you need.
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For a recipe that calls for speculaas as one of its biscuit components. The pack contains 450 g; use the quantity specified in your recipe for a crumb base or topping, and check the ingredients for this variety.
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A larger pack of speculaas to consider if your recipe calls for lots of biscuits. The 600 g shown on the pack doesn’t tell you how many crumbs you’ll need for a particular tin, so weigh out that amount separately.
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A digestive to compare if you’re not looking for a strong speculoos or speculaas flavour. The pack contains 400 g; check the ingredients for this exact variety and weigh out the biscuits your recipe needs.
Finely crush the speculoos and mix the crumbs with melted butter, following a recipe for a no-bake base. Lidl Recepten’s pistachio cheesecake recipe uses 130 g of speculoos biscuits and 45 g of butter, then leaves the base to set. Don’t use the same ratio without adjusting it for a different recipe or tin.
Albert Heijn describes the Lotus Biscoff variety it reviewed as suitable for vegans, but vegan doesn’t mean allergen-free. Jumbo’s product information for Lotus Biscoff Speculoos 250 g lists wheat and soya. If you need to avoid an allergen, always read the label on the exact pack.
Not without checking the specific variety: according to Jumbo, Jumbo Krokante Digestive 400 g contains gluten and wheat and may contain barley, oats and rye. If you need to avoid gluten, don’t assume a digestive is suitable just because of its product category; read the ingredients and allergen information for the biscuits you’re buying.
Use online information to compare products, but read the label on the pack you’ve chosen before using it. Albert Heijn notes that ingredients and allergy information may change, so also check for any warnings about possible cross-contamination.
