Choose a finished chocolate product with speculaas if you want something ready to give. If you’d rather bake for Christmas or put together an edible gift, plain speculaas, speculoos biscuits or dough give you more scope to add your own finishing touches, but you’ll need extra ingredients and time to prepare them. If you’re buying a gift for someone with an allergy, always check the label on the exact product.
If you want to give something without baking it yourself, check whether it’s a finished chocolate product and whether the packaging is suitable as a gift. Check the product details just before buying: Jumbo, for example, says its Chocolade Truffels Speculaas are no longer available.
For crumbs, a dessert or homemade chocolate letters, a baking ingredient may be more useful than a finished chocolate gift. Jumbo shares a recipe for speculaas letters topped with chocolate, while ALDI lists baker’s speculaas in a 600 g pack.
If you’re buying for someone with an allergy or a specific dietary requirement, read the information on the exact packaging. A vegan label, for example, doesn’t in itself tell you whether a product contains wheat or soya.
First, decide whether the product needs to be ready to give or is mainly for baking at home. Then check the product format, any extra ingredients you’ll need and the label.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Ready to give | Check whether it’s a finished chocolate product, how it’s packaged and whether your chosen version is available. | If I want to give a small Christmas gift, I don’t want to have to prepare or wrap it myself. For around 42% of consumers, being ready to give is the top priority. |
| Baking or decorating it yourself | Choose carefully between biscuits, dough and a spread; check what extra chocolate or decorations you’ll need. | For a homemade dessert or gift, I want to choose the shape and finishing touches myself. That’s the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients, allergen information and any warnings about possible cross-contamination on the exact packaging. | If I’m buying for someone with an allergy, I need to know what’s in this particular version. Checking ingredients matters most to around 25% of consumers. |
A product that was available before isn’t necessarily still on sale: Jumbo says its Chocolade Truffels Speculaas are no longer available.
Check the current product page just before buying, or ask about stock in store before relying on a particular gift option.
Albert Heijn describes Lotus Biscoff Speculoos as suitable for vegans, but also lists wheat and soya for that product.
If the recipient has an allergy, always check the ingredients and allergen information on the exact packaging.
Baker’s speculaas and a recipe for chocolate letters serve a different purpose from a chocolate product that’s ready to give.
Before you buy, decide whether you want to bake, decorate or give something straight away; then choose the product format and packaging to suit.
Speculoos biscuits to serve as they are or use in your own baking.
A retailer where you can check the product details for your chosen speculoos variety.
A retailer with information about chocolate with speculaas and a recipe for homemade speculaas letters.
A retailer to consider if you’re looking for a spreadable speculoos product for your own dessert.
A retailer to consider for baker’s speculaas if you want to use whole biscuits or crumbs in your own recipes.
These Joybuy products include biscuits, baker’s speculaas and a speculoos spread to consider for your own baking project. If you’re looking for a chocolate gift that’s ready to give, assess the finished product and its packaging separately.
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A pack of baker’s speculaas to consider for your own Christmas baking; it’s not the same as a finished chocolate gift. Check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging before use.
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A pack of baker’s speculaas for making your own bake or gift. Check separately what chocolate or finishing touches you’ll need, and read the label if allergies are a concern.
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Speculoos biscuits for anyone who wants to put together their own dessert or edible gift. Albert Heijn lists around 32 biscuits per 250 g for this variety and names wheat and soya as allergens; check the exact packaging.
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A spreadable speculoos paste for anyone who wants to use this format in their own recipe, rather than a box of biscuits or a finished chocolate gift. Check that the spread suits your recipe and read the label if allergies are a concern.
Choose a finished chocolate product if you want something ready to give; choose plain speculaas or dough if you want to bake or decorate it yourself. Jumbo lists both Verkade Speculaas Melkchocolade and a recipe for speculaas letters finished with chocolate.
Read the allergen information for the exact product and check for any warnings about possible cross-contamination. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens are labelled on prepacked foods; ingredients vary between speculaas and chocolate products.
Not necessarily. Albert Heijn describes Lotus Biscoff Speculoos as suitable for vegans, but lists wheat and soya for the same product. So check the packaging for any allergens that are relevant to the recipient.
Follow the storage instructions and use-by information on the packaging of the product you’ve chosen. This will help you work out how to store that particular gift until you’re ready to give it.
