Anyone looking for a sweet bite to serve with drinks
You want something sweet for your drinks spread and are wondering whether you can buy chocolate-coated toast or need to pair toast and chocolate yourself.
Who is this for?
Hosts keeping an eye on allergens
You want to be able to check the latest ingredients and allergen information for each item separately.
Practical supermarket shoppers
You’re looking for an easy-to-serve bite and comparing ordinary toast with chocolate sold separately.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, decide whether you want the chocolate to come on the toast. If you’re pairing the two yourself, the label and size of the toast become more important.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Ready-made option | Check that the full product name, ingredients and image really describe toast with a chocolate coating. | If I don’t want to put anything together myself, the product needs to come with chocolate already on it. Around 40% of consumers prioritise this ready-made option. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the latest packaging for both the toast and the chocolate, including any warnings about possible traces. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, I can only choose once I’ve checked both labels. For around 30% of consumers, checking ingredients is the most important factor. |
| Portions and serving | Compare the size of the toast with the chocolate’s serving information, and decide whether assembling it yourself suits your drinks spread. | I want to serve small sweet bites without lots of preparation just before serving. Ease of serving is the main consideration for around 30% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
-
Assuming a search result is for chocolate-coated toast
A shop may show toast and chocolate separately without actually offering toast with a chocolate coating.
Check the full product name, ingredients and image before assuming it’s a ready-made option. Otherwise, you can choose toast and chocolate separately.
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Relying only on online allergen information
Albert Heijn warns that product information, including ingredients and allergens, can change.
Before serving, check the physical packaging for both the toast and the chocolate, especially if someone needs to avoid certain ingredients.
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Assuming all toast contains iodised salt
The word ‘toast’ doesn’t tell you what type of salt was used in a particular product.
If iodised salt matters to you, read the ingredients list on the specific packaging rather than relying on the product category.
Brands and shops to explore
Albert Heijn
Shows toast and chocolate as separate products, so you can choose the ingredients for a sweet bite to serve with drinks.
- Albert Heijn describes Jacques Dark Chocolate 60% Matinettes as thin chocolate squares for bread or toast.
- This combination isn’t the same as ready-made chocolate-coated toast; check the latest packaging for both items too.
Jumbo
Shows a range of plain toasts that can be used as a base for bites to serve with drinks.
- The range includes plain Melba toast and crisp toast.
- A range of plain toasts doesn’t in itself confirm that chocolate-coated toast is available.
Van der Meulen (Melba)
The Melba options shown at Jumbo give you a choice of shapes and grain types, among other things, if you’re putting a bite together yourself.
- Jumbo shows Van der Meulen products including Melba Toast Naturel and round Melba toasts.
- Don’t confuse these plain toast options with a chocolate-coated product.
Bolletje
In the brand information reviewed, Bolletje mainly associates itself with beschuit, a crisp Dutch rusk.
- Beschuit may be worth considering if you’re also looking at other crisp bread products.
- Beschuit isn’t Melba toast, so don’t assume from the brand name that it offers chocolate-coated toast to serve with drinks.
Toast as a base for a sweet canapé
These Joybuy products are Melba toast that you can use as a separate base if you want to add chocolate to a sweet bite yourself. They aren’t ready-made chocolate-coated toasts, so check your chosen chocolate separately.
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Conimex Delverde Melba Toast Round, 100 g
This Melba toast is a separate base for putting together a sweet bite with chocolate yourself.
Round version; 100 g pack. Check the packaging for both the toast and the chocolate you choose separately for ingredients and allergens.
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Delverde Classic Melba Toast, 100 g
This Melba toast can be used as a separate base if you want to add the chocolate yourself.
100 g pack. Check the ingredients and allergens on both packs for the combination you choose.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if toast is already coated in chocolate?
Check whether the product name, ingredients and image describe toast with a chocolate coating. A shop page showing plain toast and chocolate separately doesn’t confirm that a ready-made combination is available.
Can I pair plain toast with chocolate?
Yes, you can choose plain toast and chocolate separately to make a sweet bite to serve with drinks. Albert Heijn describes Jacques Dark Chocolate 60% Matinettes as chocolate squares for bread or toast. Put the two together yourself and check that the labels are suitable for your guests.
Which allergens should I check when serving chocolate on toast?
Read the allergen information on both packs, including any warnings about traces. Albert Heijn lists soya and possible traces of milk, barley gluten, hazelnuts and nuts for Jacques Dark Chocolate 60% Matinettes. Always check the packaging of the product you’re actually using.
How can I tell whether my toast contains iodised salt?
Look for iodised salt or baker’s salt in the ingredients list for the specific toast. If the type of salt matters to you, don’t rely on the product category alone.