Choose chocolate-coated biscuits according to how you’ll use them in your Christmas baking. If they’re for a dessert table or decoration, their appearance whole matters; for arretjescake or a fridge dessert, focus on choosing the right type and quantity of biscuit for your recipe. Then compare the type of chocolate, the packaging and the current label. A biscuit coated in dark chocolate isn’t automatically dairy-free.
For arretjescake or a fridge dessert, you’ll want biscuits that are easy to break or crumble. The quantity, type of biscuit and chocolate flavour matter more than a decorative finish. For example, a Lidl Recipes recipe uses small pieces of biscuit mixed into the chocolate mixture.
If you’re serving them with coffee or on a dessert table, the biscuits will be on show. You could choose, for example, an Albert Heijn biscuit with a sugared finish or a biscuit with a thicker chocolate coating, such as the chocolate biscuit described by Jumbo.
If you’re baking for someone with a relevant food allergy, check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging of every product you choose before using it. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) explains how allergens are listed among the ingredients.
First decide whether the biscuits will stay whole or be mixed into a recipe. Then weigh up the flavour, label and pack size against what you’re making.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Use in your recipe | Check whether you need whole or broken biscuits and how much the recipe calls for. | If the biscuits are going into a dessert mixture, focus on choosing the right type and quantity for the recipe. This would be the main consideration for around 40% of consumers. |
| Chocolate and presentation | Compare the type of chocolate and any decoration; check the cocoa percentage if it’s listed. | For whole biscuits on a Christmas table, choose a chocolate flavour and finish to suit what you’re serving. This would be the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients list, highlighted allergens and any relevant ‘may contain’ statements. | If you’re baking for someone with a food allergy, check the label on the specific pack you’re buying; ‘dark chocolate’ alone isn’t enough. This would be the first priority for around 20% of consumers. |
| Pack size and storage | Compare the net weight with your plans and follow the storage instructions on the packaging once opened. | If you’re making several portions or have biscuits left over, you’ll want to know how much you’re buying and how to store the rest. This would be the main consideration for around 10% of consumers. |
Jumbo’s product information lists milk, soya and wheat for McVitie's Digestives Dark Chocolate. Albert Heijn also lists milk in its sugared biscuits with dark chocolate.
Check the current ingredients, highlighted allergens and relevant ‘may contain’ statements on each pack. Don’t rely on the type of chocolate alone.
The arretjescake recipe from Lidl Recipes uses 250 g of biscuits. The products mentioned come in a range of pack sizes, so one pack won’t necessarily give you the amount you need.
Note down the weight required by the recipe and compare it with the net weight. Don’t count biscuits you want to serve separately as part of the recipe quantity.
Albert Heijn warns that information such as ingredients and allergens may change. This is especially important if you’re baking for guests with an allergy.
Read the label on the pack you’re actually using, and check the latest information from your chosen retailer before buying.
The products described differ in their type and proportion of chocolate, as well as their decoration. An Albert Heijn sugared biscuit is therefore a different choice from the biscuit with a thick chocolate coating described by Jumbo.
Decide whether the biscuit itself should provide the chocolate flavour, or whether your recipe already includes chocolate or a sweet topping. Then choose the finish that works best.
Albert Heijn describes its sugared biscuits with dark chocolate as a 400 g pack, with a 27% dark chocolate coating and 6% decorative sugar.
Jumbo describes its Dark Chocolate Biscuits as containing 63% chocolate, with 9 biscuits in a 125 g pack.
McVitie's Digestives Dark Chocolate, as described by Jumbo, combine a wheat biscuit with 30% dark chocolate; the pack contains 266 g.
ALDI describes its Biscotto Chocolate Biscuits as a 250 g pack of 20 butter biscuits with dark, white and milk chocolate.
Lidl lists its sugared chocolate biscuits in a 400 g pack and sells this product in store.
These products offer a choice between digestive biscuits for recipes using biscuit pieces, and biscuits or biscuit sticks that you can serve whole or consider for decoration. Choose a pack size and flavour to suit your recipe, and always check the current label if allergies are a concern.
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A digestive biscuit to consider if you want to break biscuits into pieces for a recipe or serve them on their own. The pack contains 266 g; compare this with the amount your recipe needs and check the label if allergies are a concern.
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The milk chocolate version is an option if you’d prefer a different type of chocolate in your recipe. This pack contains 266 g; check that it matches the quantity your recipe needs.
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Consider these biscuits if you want to serve milk chocolate biscuits whole with coffee or tea. The pack contains 150 g; if you’re using them in a recipe, first compare this with the weight required.
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The stick shape is worth considering if you want to use biscuits as a visible dessert decoration. The pack contains 75 g; check how many you’ll need for your decoration plans.
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The combination of vanilla and lemon is worth bearing in mind if you’re adding these biscuits to a Christmas recipe. The pack contains 115 g; before buying, check the product information if the type of chocolate coating matters for your recipe.
Choose biscuits you can break into pieces if you’re following the Lidl Recipes version: it uses 250 g of biscuits mixed into a chocolate mixture, then the arretjescake is left to set in the fridge for at least four hours. If you’re serving biscuits alongside the dessert, you can instead focus on the finish of the whole biscuits.
Not necessarily. Jumbo lists milk, soya and wheat for McVitie's Digestives Dark Chocolate, while Albert Heijn lists milk, among other ingredients, in its sugared biscuits with dark chocolate. If someone has a relevant allergy, always read the current label on the pack you’ve chosen.
Look in the ingredients list for clearly highlighted allergens. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), 14 allergens must be declared on labels. If you’re baking for someone with an allergy, also check any relevant ‘may contain’ information.
Follow the instructions on the packaging you buy. Albert Heijn recommends storing its sugared biscuits in a cool, dark and dry place and, once opened, in a sealed tin. Jumbo advises storing McVitie's Digestives Dark Chocolate in a cool, dry place.
