Chocolate Sprinkles with Less Sugar: Maltitol or 30% Less?

Who is this choice relevant to?

If you mainly compare sugar content

You choose chocolate sprinkles for your cupboard based on the sugars per 100 g, and check the ingredients and warnings if a variety contains maltitol.

If you’re looking for familiar chocolate sprinkles with less sugar

You’re looking for a dark or milk variety that claims to contain less sugar, but want to know how much sugar is still in it. If you want to avoid polyols, check the ingredients of the specific variety.

If you choose based on pack size

You want a pack that suits your household’s needs. A larger pack doesn’t, in itself, tell you anything about the sugar content; the nutritional information per 100 g is still what matters.

What should you look for when choosing?

First decide whether the amount of sugar per 100 g or avoiding polyols matters more to you. Then check the packaging and the information relevant to the people who’ll be eating the chocolate sprinkles.

Céréal lower-sugar varieties

A good fit if: A low sugar content per 100 g is your main selection criterion: the dark variety lists 7.7 g and the milk variety 15 g.

The trade-off: Both varieties contain maltitol and carry a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.

AH less sugar

A good fit if: You’re looking for a dark or milk variety that, according to Albert Heijn, contains 30% less sugar than the corresponding standard AH chocolate sprinkles.

The trade-off: Both varieties we looked at still list 43 g of sugars per 100 g, so the claim describes a relative reduction.

What to consider	What to check	Who it matters to
Sugars	Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g and check what a claim such as ‘30% less’ is comparing the product with.	I mainly want to compare the grams of sugar in the products I’m stocking up on, rather than rely on a claim on the front of the pack. Sugar content is the top priority for around 36% of consumers with this purchasing question.
Maltitol and polyols	Read the ingredients and warnings for your chosen variety. Céréal lists 40 g of polyols per 100 g for the dark variety and 44 g for the milk variety.	If I want to avoid polyols, I need to look beyond the sugar content. Around 29% of consumers give these ingredients the most weight.
Pack size	Check the pack weight and assess the sugar content separately.	I want a pack size that suits how much I use, without assuming anything about its ingredients. For around 21% of consumers, this practical consideration takes priority.
Dark or milk, and allergens	Choose the variety you want and check the allergen information on the current packaging.	If several people are eating from the same stock, I want to know which flavour and allergens apply to the variety I’ve chosen. This is the first consideration for around 14% of consumers.

Common mistakes

Assuming ‘less sugar’ means ‘low in sugar’

Albert Heijn states that AH Hagelslag melk minder suiker contains 30% less sugar than AH melk hagelslag, but it still has 43 g of sugars per 100 g.

Check the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g alongside the product used as the basis for the claim.
Overlooking the polyols in Céréal

The dark and milk varieties we looked at contain maltitol and list 40 g and 44 g of polyols per 100 g respectively. The product information warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.

Read the ingredients and warning for the variety you choose, especially if you want to avoid polyols.
Assuming a large pack means it has the ingredients you want

ALDI lists Kiekeboe dark chocolate sprinkles in a 600 g pack. The pack weight doesn’t tell you how much sugar the sprinkles contain.

Check the nutritional information per 100 g on the packaging before choosing the product as a lower-sugar option.
Planning around a variety without checking in store

Jumbo marks its milk chocolate sprinkles with 30% less sugar as no longer part of its online range. Lidl lists the Mister CHOC chocolate sprinkles we looked at as available in store only.

Check with the retailer which specific variety you can buy before planning your stock around it.

Brands and own-label options compared

These examples can help you compare the varieties we looked at; not every brand mentioned here offers chocolate sprinkles with less sugar.

Céréal

Dark and milk chocolate sprinkles with less sugar, as described in Albert Heijn’s product information.

The dark variety lists 7.7 g of sugars and 40 g of polyols per 100 g; the milk variety lists 15 g of sugars and 44 g of polyols per 100 g.
Both varieties contain maltitol and warn that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.

Albert Heijn

Own-label brand with dark and milk chocolate sprinkles we looked at, compared by Albert Heijn with the corresponding standard varieties.

For both varieties, Albert Heijn states that they contain 30% less sugar than its own standard variety.
Both the dark and milk varieties still list 43 g of sugars per 100 g. Check the current packaging and the ingredients for each variety.

Jumbo

Own-label brand with a milk chocolate sprinkle variety described as containing 30% less sugar.

Jumbo lists 43 g of sugars per 100 g for this variety.
Jumbo marks the variety we looked at as no longer part of its online range; check availability with your retailer.

De Ruijter

The dark chocolate sprinkles we looked at are included here as a standard comparison, not as a lower-sugar option.

Albert Heijn lists 64 g of sugars per 100 g for De Ruijter Chocoladehagel puur.
The product information lists milk and soya as allergens.

Kiekeboe (ALDI)

Dark chocolate sprinkles that ALDI lists in a 600 g pack.

The stated pack weight may be useful if you’re choosing based on pack size.
Don’t use pack size as an indication of sugar content; check the current nutritional information for that.

Related Joybuy products

Frequently asked questions

Does 30% less sugar mean that chocolate sprinkles are low in sugar?

No. The claim compares the product with a reference variety and doesn’t, by itself, tell you how much sugar it contains. Albert Heijn states that AH Hagelslag melk minder suiker contains 30% less sugar than AH melk hagelslag, while also listing 43 g of sugars per 100 g.

Can I choose Céréal chocolate sprinkles if I want to avoid polyols?

Not if you want to avoid polyols: the dark and milk varieties we looked at contain maltitol and list polyols in the nutritional information. Also read the warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.

Which allergens should I check for each variety?

Check the current packaging for the specific dark or milk variety. According to Albert Heijn’s product information, Céréal dark contains soya and may contain milk; Céréal milk lists milk and soya, while AH Hagelslag melk minder suiker lists milk and lactose.

How should I store chocolate sprinkles for my stock cupboard?

Follow the storage instructions and best-before date on the packaging you choose. Albert Heijn says to store the AH chocolate sprinkles we looked at in a cool, dark and dry place; Céréal should be stored in a dry place at room temperature.