For a quick breakfast on the go, an individually wrapped bar is handy if you want to take a single portion with you. But check what you’re buying first: chocolate with speculaas crumbs is not the same as a speculaas biscuit coated in chocolate. Then check the portion size, nutritional information and allergens. Don’t assume that a sweet snack on its own makes a complete breakfast.
You want to be able to take something sweet with you, without any preparation. Check whether the pack suits one eating occasion and whether the product is a bar, an individual biscuit or a larger multipack.
You’re looking for a particular combination of flavour and texture. If you specifically want a chocolate-coated speculaas biscuit, read the product description: a chocolate bar with biscuit crumbs is a different product.
You want to know what you’re having per eating occasion or need to take allergens into account. Compare the nutritional values per 100 g, then check your portion size and the allergen information on the packaging.
First decide whether you’re looking for a bar to take with you or a biscuit with a chocolate coating. Then compare like-for-like products by portion size and label information.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Easy to take with you | Check the product type, pack weight and number of portions. | If I want to take something sweet with me without any preparation, the pack needs to suit one eating occasion. For around 40% of consumers, portability comes first. |
| Flavour and product type | Check whether it’s chocolate with speculaas or a speculaas biscuit with a chocolate coating; also look at the ingredient percentages listed. | If you’re expecting a biscuit coated in chocolate, you won’t want to choose a chocolate bar with biscuit crumbs by mistake. For around 30% of consumers, the product type they want is the deciding factor. |
| Nutritional information and allergens | Compare sugars, saturated fat and fibre per 100 g and per portion; read the current allergen information. | If I want to balance this snack with what else I eat, or need to take allergens into account, I start with the label. Nutritional information and allergens are the main concern for around 30% of consumers. |
Albert Heijn describes its white chocolate version as chocolate with 8% speculaas. So the product name alone doesn’t confirm that a speculaas biscuit is fully coated in chocolate.
If the shape of the biscuit is important to you, read the product description and ingredients list.
A flavour name doesn’t tell you how much speculaas, sugar or saturated fat a product contains.
Compare like-for-like products per 100 g, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, then check how much you actually want to take with you.
Albert Heijn lists its speculaas with dark chocolate as discontinued. Jumbo says its own-brand speculaas biscuits with milk chocolate are no longer available.
Before buying, check that the item you’ve chosen can currently be ordered.
The ingredients in the Verkade version mentioned include milk, wheat and soya, among other things. Another version may have a different composition.
So always check the allergen information on the packaging of the specific product, even if you’ve bought it before.
Albert Heijn describes AH Speculaas witte chocolade crunchy as white chocolate with 8% speculaas and 0.4% speculaas spices.
The Verkade version listed by Albert Heijn and Jumbo is milk chocolate with 10% biscuit crumbs and 0.25% speculaas spices.
Jumbo lists chocolate with speculaas alongside its own-brand speculaas biscuits with milk chocolate.
Don’t assume so: a product with chocolate and speculaas is primarily a sweet snack. Consider the portion size and nutritional information alongside what else you eat for breakfast.
First compare like-for-like products per 100 g, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, then consider the portion you want to take with you. Read the description so you don’t mistake a chocolate bar with biscuit crumbs for a chocolate-coated speculaas biscuit.
Read the current allergen information for the specific product. The Verkade version mentioned contains milk, wheat and soya, among other things; don’t assume other versions have the same ingredients.
Follow the storage advice on the packaging of the product you buy. For the Milka chocolate bar with speculaas listed by Jumbo, the advice is to store it in a cool, dry place.
