Chocolate biscuits for New Year’s Eve: check cocoa content

Who are these biscuits for?

Fans of a rich cocoa flavour

For New Year’s Eve, you’re looking for more than a ‘dark’ label: you want to be able to check how much cocoa the chocolate used contains.

Hosts putting together a biscuit platter

For coffee or a New Year’s Eve gathering, you’re choosing between a thinner biscuit, a cookie and a spiced speculoos option. The number of portions and how to store them after opening also matter.

Shoppers mindful of allergens

Before serving, you want to know whether a biscuit contains ingredients such as milk, wheat or soya, and whether the packaging warns of possible traces.

What should you look for when choosing?

If a particular cocoa content is your priority, start by checking the percentage of cocoa in the chocolate used, as shown on the label. Then choose a biscuit style to suit the occasion and check the allergens.

What to consider	What to check when buying	Who it matters to
Cocoa content	Check whether the cocoa percentage of the chocolate used is stated; the proportion of chocolate in the biscuit is a different figure.	I want to be able to choose a specific cocoa content, rather than relying on the word ‘dark’ alone. Verifiable cocoa information is the top priority for around 36% of consumers.
Flavour and biscuit style	Compare a biscuit with a chocolate coating, a cookie with chocolate chips and chocolate-covered speculoos; look out for decorative sugar or candied syrup too.	For my New Year’s Eve platter, the combination of biscuit texture, chocolate and any spices determines my choice. Around 29% of consumers give this flavour decision top priority.
Allergens	Check the ingredients and any warnings about possible traces on the latest packaging.	If I’m serving biscuits to guests, I first need to know which allergens are relevant to them. This check is the most important factor for around 21% of consumers.
Portions and storage	Check the pack size and number of portions; follow the storage advice once opened.	I want to put out enough biscuits without opening more than I need. For around 14% of consumers, portioning and storage are the first things they consider.

Common mistakes

Assuming ‘dark’ means a specified high cocoa content

The percentage of chocolate coating or chocolate chips doesn’t tell you how much cocoa the chocolate contains. For example, Albert Heijn lists a 27% dark chocolate coating for AH Gesuikerde biscuits, while Jumbo lists 40% dark chocolate chips for Jumbo Chocolate Cookies. These figures don’t measure the cocoa content of the chocolate.

If a specific cocoa content is essential, check whether that percentage for the chocolate used appears on the latest packaging.
Assuming dark chocolate in a biscuit is dairy-free

According to Lotus, Lotus Biscoff speculoos with dark chocolate contains milk derivatives. Milk, wheat or soya, and warnings about possible traces, may also be relevant for other biscuits made with dark chocolate.

Before serving, check the ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack you bought.
Opening more biscuits than you can store

A large pack can be handy for filling a platter, but once opened, you’ll need to take care of the remaining biscuits if you want to serve them later.

Choose an amount to suit your guests and follow the storage advice on the packaging. Seal opened biscuits well or put them in an airtight tin.

Brands to consider

Verkade

The Chocolate chip melk & puur variety is for anyone looking for a biscuit with chocolate chips.

Albert Heijn lists 12% dark and 12% milk chocolate chips for this Verkade variety.
This combines two types of chocolate; it isn’t a biscuit made exclusively with dark chocolate. If you have allergies, also check the listed milk, soya and wheat, as well as possible traces of sesame.

Lotus Biscoff

Speculoos with dark chocolate combines the spiced biscuit flavour with chocolate.

Lotus lists a pack of 7 × 3 biscuits and a chocolate content of 22%.
That chocolate content isn’t a cocoa percentage. The listed ingredients also include milk derivatives, soya and wheat.

Albert Heijn

AH Gesuikerde biscuits pure chocolade are an own-brand option with a chocolate coating and decorative sugar.

Albert Heijn lists a 400 g pack and a coating made with 27% dark chocolate.
The coating percentage isn’t a cocoa percentage. Check the allergen information for milk, cereals containing gluten, soya and wheat, as well as possible traces of nuts.

Jumbo

The Jumbo varieties mentioned here let you choose between a cookie with chocolate chips and a biscuit with a chocolate coating.

Jumbo lists 40% dark chocolate chips for Chocolate Cookies and 27% dark chocolate for Chocolettes Puur.
Neither percentage describes the cocoa content of the chocolate used. Check the latest allergen information for each variety.

ALDI / Biscotto

This Biscotto pack is a mix of butter biscuits with different types of chocolate.

ALDI describes 20 biscuits with dark, white and milk chocolate, individually wrapped in pairs.
The mix isn’t focused exclusively on dark chocolate; check a specific variety if you’re looking for a particular cocoa content.

Biscuits on Joybuy

These Franzzi biscuits are options if you’re looking for a biscuit with a dark chocolate flavour for New Year’s Eve. That flavour description alone doesn’t tell you whether they have a high cocoa content.

Franzzi Premium dark chocolate flavour biscuits, 70 g

If you’re looking for a biscuit with a dark chocolate flavour for your New Year’s Eve platter, compare this variety with your preferred cocoa content on the packaging; the flavour name doesn’t prove its cocoa content.

If you have allergies, the latest label is important: the product information lists wheat, milk and egg, and says it may contain soya.

View on Joybuy

Franzzi Mellow dark chocolate flavour biscuits, 115 g

If you’d like to serve biscuits with a dark chocolate flavour on New Year’s Eve, check whether the label lists a cocoa percentage that matches your preference before choosing.

The product information lists wheat, soya and milk; if you have allergies, check the information on the latest packaging.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Does ‘dark’ mean a chocolate biscuit contains a lot of cocoa?

No. The word ‘dark’ doesn’t, by itself, tell you the specific cocoa percentage of the chocolate used. Check the latest packaging for that percentage if it’s important to your choice, and don’t confuse it with the proportion of chocolate in the whole biscuit.

Are biscuits with dark chocolate dairy-free?

Not necessarily. According to Lotus, Biscoff speculoos biscuits with dark chocolate contain milk derivatives; Albert Heijn also lists milk derivatives for AH Gesuikerde biscuits pure chocolade. Check the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you choose.

Where can I check allergens before serving biscuits to guests?

Check the allergen information on the latest packaging, including any warnings about possible traces. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that allergen information must appear on the label of prepacked foods.

How should I store chocolate biscuits until New Year’s Eve?

Follow the storage advice on the pack you choose and seal the biscuits well after opening. The product information for the AH and Jumbo varieties mentioned recommends storing them in a cool, dry and dark place; for opened biscuits, it recommends a well-sealed pack or tin.