If you’re serving coffee to several guests
You want biscuits you can share out without much preparation. The number of biscuits and how they’re packaged can help you decide what to put on the table and what you can hand out to each guest.
Who are these choices relevant to?
If you’re looking for a clearly defined chocolate coating
You want a biscuit coated in chocolate, not just one with chocolate pieces in it. The product descriptions for LU Mikado and LU Time Out at Jumbo show why the distinction matters: one is described as coated, the other as partly coated.
If you need to check allergens for your guests
If a guest needs to avoid certain ingredients, check the label on the chosen variety before serving. Remember to look for any warnings about cross-contamination too.
What should you look for when choosing?
Before your coffee break, decide whether the coating, portioning or number of biscuits matters most. Then always check that the label is suitable for your guests.
Biscuit with a clear chocolate coating
When to choose it: choose this style if the chocolate around the biscuit matters most to you. Jumbo describes LU Mikado as a biscuit coated in 49% milk chocolate.
The trade-off: a description of the coating won’t tell you how the biscuit is packaged or which allergens are listed on the label.
Individually wrapped biscuit bar
When to choose it: this style works well when each guest needs to be able to pick up a sealed portion. Albert Heijn lists five individually wrapped LU Time Out biscuit bars.
The trade-off: Jumbo describes this biscuit bar as partly coated in 34.5% milk chocolate, rather than as a fully coated biscuit.
Larger pack to share
When to choose it: check the number of biscuits and how they’re packaged for sharing if you’re serving a group. According to ALDI Nederland, the Biscotto product contains twenty butter biscuits, packed in pairs.
The trade-off: this pack combines dark, white and milk chocolate, so it doesn’t offer just one type of chocolate.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sharing out portions | Check the number of biscuits and whether they’re individually wrapped or packed in pairs. | If I want to be able to give every guest something easily, how the pack is divided makes all the difference to me. Serving convenience would be the top consideration for around 33% of consumers. |
| Chocolate coating | Check whether the biscuit is coated or partly coated, and which type of chocolate is mentioned. | I want to taste the chocolate around the biscuit, not get home and discover it only has chocolate pieces in it. A clear coating would come first for around 25% of consumers. |
| Quantity for the group | Compare the number of biscuits and the pack size with the number of guests. | For a larger coffee gathering, I want to know whether one pack contains enough biscuits to share out. For around 25% of consumers, quantity would be the main consideration. |
| Allergens on the label | Check the ingredients, declared allergens and any warnings on the current packaging. | Before offering anything to my guests, I need to be able to check whether the label is suitable for their allergies. This check would be the top priority for around 17% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘chocolate biscuit’ means ‘fully coated’
The name doesn’t tell you how much of the biscuit is covered. Jumbo describes LU Mikado as coated in 49% milk chocolate, while LU Time Out is described by Jumbo as partly coated in 34.5% milk chocolate.
Read the full product description if the coating is your main reason for choosing the biscuit.
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Guessing allergens from the flavour or picture
Ingredients and any warnings vary by product and variety. A picture of milk chocolate, for example, tells you nothing about whether the biscuit contains wheat or soya.
Before serving, check the current packaging of the exact variety you’ve bought.
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Keeping biscuits somewhere warm or sunny
Jumbo says that heat or sunlight can cause a white bloom to appear on the chocolate in LU Scholiertje. This could affect how the biscuits look on your coffee table.
Keep the sealed pack somewhere cool and dry, following the storage instructions on the product.
Brands and retailers to consider
Lotus Biscoff
A familiar choice for a biscuit with coffee, even if you’re also considering chocolate-coated options.
- Lotus Biscoff describes its biscuits as crunchy and offers sandwich biscuits, including varieties with chocolate crème, to enjoy with coffee.
- A chocolate filling isn’t the same as a chocolate coating. Check the description of the specific variety.
Albert Heijn
A retailer where you can look at packs of individually wrapped biscuit bars, among other options.
- Albert Heijn lists five individually wrapped LU Time Out biscuit bars.
- Albert Heijn notes that product information may change. Check the pack you buy for ingredients and allergens.
Jumbo
A retailer with product descriptions that help you distinguish between different types of chocolate biscuits.
- Jumbo describes LU Mikado as a biscuit coated in 49% milk chocolate and LU Time Out as a partly coated biscuit bar.
- Use the description for the variety you’ve chosen; a chocolate biscuit category doesn’t mean every product has the same type of coating.
Biscotto bij ALDI
An example of a sharing pack for a coffee table with several guests.
- ALDI Nederland describes a Biscotto pack of twenty butter biscuits with dark, white and milk chocolate, packed in pairs.
- The pack contains a mix of chocolate types. Check the current packaging if you want to serve one specific type.
Lidl
Another option if you’d like to serve something softer alongside biscuits with your coffee.
- Lidl describes a pack of ten chocolate cakes coated in chocolate.
- These are little cakes, not chocolate-coated biscuits, so choose them only if this different type of treat suits your coffee break.
Biscuits and wafers on Joybuy
These biscuits, biscuit sticks and wafers are options if you’d like to serve something with chocolate alongside your coffee. If you’re sharing them out, compare the packaging of the variety you choose. For guests with allergies, always check the latest label.
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Milka Choco Wafer Milk, 180 g
A milk chocolate wafer for anyone who’d rather serve a wafer than a biscuit with coffee.
Pack size: 180 g. Before sharing, check how the portions are packaged. If guests need to avoid milk, soya, wheat, egg or nuts, read the latest label.
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LU Scholiertje milk chocolate biscuits, 150 g
A biscuit with milk chocolate for anyone looking for something to enjoy with coffee.
Pack size: 150 g. Check how the biscuits are divided within the pack. If your guests have allergies, read the latest label, including the information on milk, wheat, soya and possible traces of nuts.
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LU Mikado biscuit sticks with milk chocolate, 75 g
The biscuit stick shape is a good choice if you’d like to serve smaller biscuits with coffee. Jumbo describes this LU Mikado variety as coated in 49% milk chocolate.
Pack size: 75 g. Check the latest label for allergens, including wheat, milk and soya.
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Kahve Dunyasi Gofrik Pistachio Paste Milk Chocolate, 10x12.5g
A pistachio option for anyone who’d like to serve small portions with milk chocolate alongside coffee.
The product name lists 10 portions of 12.5 g. Before serving, check the packaging and label, especially if pistachio, milk or wheat are relevant to your guests.
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Sarelle Turkish hazelnut wafer with milk chocolate, 33 g
A hazelnut wafer with milk chocolate for anyone who’d like to serve a wafer with coffee.
Pack size shown: 33 g. Before sharing, check how many you’re buying. If your guests need to avoid hazelnuts, other nuts, wheat, milk or soya, check the latest label.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell whether a biscuit is coated in chocolate rather than containing chocolate pieces?
Check whether the product description says ‘coated’ or ‘partly coated’; the word ‘choco’ in the name alone doesn’t tell you. Jumbo describes LU Mikado as coated in 49% milk chocolate and LU Time Out as partly coated in 34.5% milk chocolate.
How do I work out how many biscuits I’ll need for a coffee gathering?
Start with the number of guests and compare it with the number of biscuits and how they’re packaged for sharing. ALDI Nederland lists twenty biscuits in its Biscotto product, packed in pairs; Albert Heijn lists five individually wrapped LU Time Out biscuit bars. Choose the pack size that suits how you plan to hand them out.
Where should I check allergens when buying biscuits for guests?
Check the label on the pack you actually buy, even if you’ve looked online beforehand. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergens must be clearly listed on the label; Albert Heijn warns that online product information about ingredients and allergens may change.
How should I store chocolate-coated biscuits until coffee time?
Follow the storage instructions on the pack and keep the biscuits dry and away from heat. Jumbo says that heat or sunlight can cause a white bloom to appear on the chocolate in LU Scholiertje, which may affect how it looks on the table.