If you mainly want the taste of dark or milk chocolate with your coffee, start by choosing the coating you like, then compare the nutritional information per serving. If ingredients or allergens are a priority, don’t rely on the words ‘dark’ or ‘vegan’ alone: check the ingredients list and any ‘may contain’ warnings on the packaging too.
You’re looking for something crunchy to have with your coffee and choosing between dark and milk chocolate. If you want to compare nutritional information, also check the weight of one rice cake as a serving.
You want a chocolate-coated rice cake, but you’re looking beyond the front of the pack. Sugars, fibre, saturated fat, ingredients and serving size help you compare products on a like-for-like basis.
You’re checking whether milk, lactose, gluten or other allergens could be a concern for you. A label such as ‘dark’ or ‘vegan’ doesn’t replace the current ingredients list or any ‘may contain’ statement.
First decide whether flavour, nutritional information, ingredients or packaging matters most to you. Then compare the same values per 100 g and, where shown, per serving.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate flavour | Check whether the coating contains dark or milk chocolate, and what proportion of chocolate is stated. | With my coffee, I mainly want a chocolate flavour I enjoy. For around 27% of consumers, flavour is the deciding factor. |
| Nutritional information | Compare sugars, fibre and saturated fat per 100 g, then check the weight per serving. | If I have one rice cake, I want to know how its nutritional values compare with those per 100 g. This information is a priority for around 27% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients list, relevant product labels and any ‘may contain’ warnings on the packaging. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, the information on the label matters more than the flavour. For around 20% of consumers, this is the most important buying requirement. |
| Packaging and availability | Check the number of rice cakes or servings and make sure your chosen variety is available. | I want a pack that suits how often I have a rice cake with my coffee, and that I can find where I do my shopping. For around 26% of consumers, this matters most. |
Dark chocolate doesn’t rule out a warning that the product may contain traces of milk. Albert Heijn says its dark chocolate rice cakes may contain milk and lactose; Jumbo also lists possible milk in its dark variety.
Check the ingredients and ‘may contain’ statement on the packaging, even if you’ve already settled on a type of chocolate.
A chocolate coating changes the nutritional information. For example, Albert Heijn’s milk chocolate rice cakes list 32 g of sugars per 100 g; that tells you more about this variety than the appearance of the rice cake.
Compare the nutritional values per 100 g, then check the serving size of the product you want to buy.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. This is especially important if you choose a variety because of a specific product claim or allergen requirement.
Use online information to find varieties, then check the current packaging before eating the product.
These examples show which differences between specific chocolate-coated rice cakes may be relevant. A feature of one variety doesn’t necessarily apply to the rest of the brand’s range.
Albert Heijn lists separate dark and milk chocolate rice cakes, both in 150 g packs with 60% chocolate.
Jumbo lists 150 g packs of dark and milk chocolate rice cakes. The nutritional values below apply to these two varieties.
PLUS lists its own 150 g milk chocolate rice cakes and also sells separate varieties from Consenza and BioToday.
ALDI lists Goud-Gebakken rice cakes in yoghurt, milk and dark chocolate varieties, in a 150 g pack.
Sondey is a Lidl snack brand. Lidl lists rice cakes in milk, dark chocolate and yoghurt varieties, in 150 g or 200 g packs.
No: ‘dark’ doesn’t rule out traces of milk. Albert Heijn says its dark variety may contain milk and lactose; Jumbo lists possible milk. If you have a relevant dietary or allergen requirement, check both the product claims and the ingredients and warnings on the packaging.
No. Don’t assume a product is gluten-free just because it’s made with rice. Check the label of the specific variety: for example, Consenza’s product information says ‘gluten-free’ and specifies a limit of less than 20 ppm.
Compare the stated sugars per 100 g, then check the serving size. BioToday Vegan ricecakes chocolate bio lists 9,8 g of sugars per 100 g, compared with 32 g per 100 g for AH Rijstwafels melkchocolade; flavour, ingredients and allergens may still affect your choice.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging of your variety. Albert Heijn recommends storing its rice cakes in a cool, dark and dry place, and keeping them in a sealed tin after opening. Jumbo recommends storing them in a cool, dry place, away from moisture and heat.
Check the ingredients list and any ‘may contain’ statement on the current packaging. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens are listed on food labels; online product information is useful for an initial comparison, but it can change.
