Anyone buying biscuits for several Christmas guests
Before serving, you’ll want to check each pack for allergens or warnings about possible cross-contamination that may be relevant to your guests.
Who are these biscuits suitable for?
Lovers of a classic digestive
You’re looking for a chocolate biscuit to enjoy with coffee or tea, and want to compare dark and milk chocolate using the ingredients and nutritional information per 100 g.
Anyone looking to serve a different flavour
You’re considering a spiced chocolate speculoos or a biscuit with a chocolate-flavoured filling alongside digestives. In that case, the type of biscuit matters just as much as the type of chocolate.
What should you look for when choosing?
When choosing biscuits for the Christmas table, first consider which allergens are relevant to your guests. Then choose the type of biscuit and pack that suit what you want to serve.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens and gluten-free options | Read the allergen information and any warnings about possible cross-contamination on the pack. If you need a gluten-free option, look for an explicit gluten-free label. | When I’m sharing biscuits with guests, I want to know whether everyone can eat the variety I’ve chosen. Around 45% of consumers would make checking allergens their first priority when buying. |
| Type of biscuit and flavour | Compare a digestive with a chocolate coating, a filled biscuit and chocolate speculoos. For digestives, also check whether they’re covered in dark or milk chocolate. | For Christmas coffee, I might want to serve a classic biscuit or something with a more pronounced spiced flavour. The type of biscuit would come first for around 33% of consumers. |
| Quantity and storage | Check the net weight and storage instructions, especially if you’re opening several packs before Christmas. | I want enough biscuits for my guests without opening more packs than necessary. For around 22% of consumers, the amount in each pack would be the main consideration. |
Common mistakes
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Taking the name digestive as a claim about digestion
The product name doesn’t prove that it has an effect on digestion. For the McVitie's digestive it reviewed, Jumbo states that the biscuit’s ingredients do not contain substances that aid digestion.
Judge the biscuit by the ingredients and nutritional information on the pack you choose, not by its name.
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Confusing dark chocolate or gluten-free with allergen-free
The regular dark digestives reviewed contain wheat, milk and soya. The gluten-free Jumbo variety reviewed contains milk, oats and soya, and may contain nuts.
Check the allergens and warnings on the exact pack you’re serving for each guest.
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Looking only at the pack size
The digestives reviewed come in different pack sizes. A smaller pack may suit you if you want to offer several varieties, while a larger pack means you’ll need to think more carefully about storage once it’s opened.
Compare the net weight with the number of guests, and follow the pack’s storage instructions after opening.
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Assuming a product page guarantees stock
The range and availability may change before you do your Christmas shopping.
Check that your chosen variety is available shortly before buying, and decide in advance which other type of biscuit you’d be happy with.
Brands and biscuit varieties
These brands offer different types of biscuit, from a classic chocolate digestive to a filled or spiced alternative. The features mentioned apply to the specific varieties described, not to a brand’s entire range.
McVitie's
Classic chocolate digestives, with reviewed 266 g varieties in dark and milk chocolate.
- The dark variety reviewed lists 30% dark chocolate, 4.3 g of fibre and 26.6 g of sugars per 100 g; the milk variety lists 30% milk chocolate and 28.5 g of sugars per 100 g.
- Both varieties described contain wheat, milk and soya. The name digestive is not a claim about digestion.
Jumbo
Own-brand range with a regular dark chocolate digestive and a separate milk chocolate variety labelled gluten-free.
- The dark variety described lists 30% dark chocolate and 4.1 g of fibre per 100 g.
- The gluten-free milk chocolate variety reviewed contains milk, oats and soya, and may contain nuts, so check the other allergens separately.
Albert Heijn
Own-brand dark chocolate digestive in a reviewed 400 g pack.
- The variety described lists 30% dark chocolate, 4.1 g of fibre and 27 g of sugars per 100 g.
- This variety contains wheat, milk and soya, among other ingredients. Check whether it’s currently in the range before buying.
Verkade
Digestive Chocolade Cream is a wheat biscuit with a chocolate-flavoured filling, not a classic biscuit with a chocolate coating.
- The 205 g pack described contains around 16 biscuits.
- The variety reviewed contains milk, cereals containing gluten, oats and wheat, and may contain soya. Check current availability.
Lotus Biscoff
Chocolate speculoos for anyone looking for a spiced biscuit instead of a digestive.
- The speculoos variety described lists 22% chocolate.
- According to Lotus Biscoff product information, this variety contains wheat, milk and soya and lists 39.6 g of sugars per 100 g. Compare the nutritional information if it’s important to your choice.
Chocolate biscuits at Joybuy
The first two products are classic digestives, covered in dark and milk chocolate respectively. Lu Scholiertje is a different type of chocolate biscuit for anyone considering an alternative to enjoy with coffee or tea.
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McVitie's dark chocolate digestives, 266 g
For anyone looking for a classic chocolate digestive to enjoy with coffee or tea. The variety reviewed lists 30% dark chocolate, 4.3 g of fibre and 26.6 g of sugars per 100 g.
Check the allergens on the pack before serving: this variety lists wheat, milk and soya.
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McVitie's milk chocolate digestives, 266 g
For anyone who’d like to serve a classic digestive covered in milk chocolate. The variety reviewed lists 30% milk chocolate, 3 g of fibre and 28.5 g of sugars per 100 g.
This variety lists wheat, milk and soya. If your guests need to avoid allergens, check the current pack.
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Lu Scholiertje milk chocolate biscuits, 150 g
For anyone looking for a milk chocolate biscuit to enjoy with coffee or tea as an alternative to a digestive. It’s a different type of biscuit, so don’t compare it as though it were another variety of the same digestive.
Check whether milk, wheat and soya, as well as the stated warning about nuts, are relevant to your guests.
Frequently asked questions
Are all chocolate digestives gluten-free?
No. The regular digestives described contain wheat. If you need a gluten-free option, choose a pack that’s explicitly labelled gluten-free, then check the other allergens too. For example, the gluten-free Jumbo variety reviewed contains milk, oats and soya, and may contain nuts.
Does digestive mean that the biscuit aids digestion?
No, you can’t draw that conclusion from the name. For the McVitie's product information it reviewed, Jumbo states that the biscuit’s ingredients do not contain substances that aid digestion.
Should I also read a warning such as ‘may contain nuts’?
Yes. If a guest needs to avoid nuts, that warning on the specific pack is relevant too. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority describes the declaration of 14 allergens on food labels; also check warnings about possible cross-contamination separately.
How should I store an opened pack of chocolate biscuits?
Follow the storage instructions on the pack you choose. The digestives reviewed advise storing them in a cool, dry place; some varieties also say to reseal the pack securely after opening.
Can I compare the ingredients in Lidl biscuits online in advance?
Not always. Lidl Netherlands says it doesn’t have an online list of ingredients, allergens and nutritional values for its food products. If that information determines your choice, check the pack of the specific variety in store.