Use chocolate sprinkles to decorate cooled Christmas bakes; if you want a treat that’s ready to give or share, a box of chocolates is a better choice. When choosing sprinkles, consider a dark variety, a mix or a larger pack, depending on your recipe and how you plan to use them. Check the current ingredients and allergen information for every product.
If you’re finishing biscuits, cupcakes or desserts, the type of sprinkles, flavour and ingredients all matter. A Lidl recipe for Christmas wreath biscuits adds sprinkles as decoration after baking and cooling.
If the chocolate is to be given or shared straight away, you’ll want something different from sprinkles for a recipe. A chocolate gift or selection box is a better fit for that purpose.
If allergens, sugars or sweeteners matter to you, check the label for the exact variety. Product information from retailers including Albert Heijn and Jumbo shows that ingredients vary between sprinkle products.
First decide whether you need sprinkles for decorating bakes or chocolates to give straight away. Then compare the pack format and size, and check the ingredients of the product you’re considering.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Decorating Christmas bakes | Decide whether you want sprinkles, flakes or chunks. For dark varieties, compare the stated cocoa content of each product. | If you want to decorate cooled biscuits or cupcakes, look for sprinkles that suit your recipe. Around 45% of consumers are said to buy them primarily for decorating. |
| Gifting and sharing | Check whether the pack is intended to be given or shared straight away, and what types of chocolate it contains. | If your Christmas treat needs to be ready to serve without any further preparation, a sharing pack is more important than its suitability as a baking decoration. Around 33% of consumers are said to prioritise a ready-to-give gift. |
| Ingredients and storage | Check the current label for allergens, sugars and any sweeteners; also check the best-before date. | When baking for others, you’ll want to know which ingredients you’re using and whether an opened pack is still suitable. Around 22% of consumers are said to prioritise checking ingredients. |
Sprinkles can be used to finish bakes, while a mixed box of chocolates may be intended for sharing or gifting straight away. One product won’t necessarily do the job of the other.
Before you shop, decide whether you need decorations, a ready-to-eat treat or both.
Dark chocolate sprinkle products can have different ingredients. ‘Dark’ doesn’t mean they’re free from milk or soya, and a cocoa percentage doesn’t tell you which allergens a product contains.
Compare the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for the exact variety, as well as its cocoa content if stated.
Sweeteners mean you should pay attention to the warnings on the packaging. For Céréal Dark Chocolate Sprinkles with maltitol, Jumbo says that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
For this type of product, check both the nutritional information and the usage warnings rather than looking only at the sugar information.
A larger pack makes sense if you need sprinkles for several baking sessions and can store them properly once opened. The Voedingscentrum recommends storing opened chocolate sprinkles in a dry kitchen cupboard.
Choose a quantity that suits what you plan to use, seal the pack well and check the quality before use.
A pack that isn’t used in time or goes stale may end up partly unused.
If you want to compare a specific dark variety, Albert Heijn states that De Ruijter Royaal Extra Dark Chocolate Sprinkles, 390 g, contains at least 43% cocoa solids.
The Venz Mini's pack reviewed contains small packets of different sprinkle and flake varieties, making it a good option if you want to try several types of decoration.
Jumbo’s product information states that its 200 g dark chocolate sprinkles contain at least 50% cocoa solids, while its 380 g dark XXL variety contains at least 32%.
ALDI lists Kiekeboe XXL sprinkles with milk and dark chocolate pieces, making them worth considering if you’re buying for more than one baking session.
Lidl lists Mister CHOC Dark Chocolate Sprinkles in a 600 g pack, for anyone looking to use sprinkles across several baking projects.
This curated selection runs from dark sprinkles for decorating, through a mix and a variety to compare for sugar content, to chocolates for sharing straight away. It isn’t an independent product test or a ranking based on sales figures.
| Rank | Product | Features | Why consider it? | Retailer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | De Ruijter Royaal Extra Dark Chocolate Sprinkles 390 g | 390 g; at least 43% cocoa solids, according to Albert Heijn. | One to consider if you’re looking for dark sprinkles to decorate bakes. Cocoa content alone doesn’t tell you about allergens or whether the product is suitable for your recipe. | Albert Heijn |
| 2 | Venz Mini's 170 g | Selection of small packets of different sprinkle and flake varieties. | An option for decorating in different ways with small quantities. Check that this particular selection pack is available and read the allergen information. | Albert Heijn |
| 3 | Jumbo Dark Chocolate Sprinkles 200 g | 200 g; at least 50% cocoa solids, according to Jumbo. | A dark variety whose nutritional information and ingredients you can compare with other sprinkles. The cocoa percentage alone shouldn’t determine your choice. | Jumbo |
| 4 | Mars Mini Chocolate Assortment 400 g | Mixed box of chocolates, 400 g. | A separate option for sharing straight away, rather than for sprinkling on a recipe. Joybuy lists milk, soya, peanuts and nuts among the allergens. | Joybuy |
These sprinkles and chocolate pieces are worth considering for decorating bakes, including mixes and a larger pack for several baking sessions. Choose a shape that suits your recipe; a ready-to-give chocolate gift serves a different purpose.
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Consider this combination if you want to use both chocolate and vanilla sprinkles to decorate bakes.
Check the ingredients and allergens on the exact pack, including milk, soya and wheat.
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Consider these flakes if you want to finish a bake with a different shape from standard sprinkles.
Check the current packaging for information about wheat, soya and possible traces of milk.
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This mix is an option if you want to decorate cupcakes or other bakes with different shapes and milk and vanilla flavours.
Check the packaging for milk, soya and wheat, among other ingredients. A cocoa percentage stated for one part of a mix doesn’t automatically apply to the whole pack.
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Consider chocolate chunks if you’d rather finish cupcakes or bakes with pieces than fine sprinkles.
Check that the shape suits your decoration, and read the packaging if milk, soya or lactose is a concern.
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A pack to consider if you want milk chocolate sprinkles with smiley faces for several baking sessions.
Choose this pack size only if you can use it and store it somewhere dry. Also check the packaging for information about milk and wheat.
Add sprinkles after baking and cooling if you’re using them to decorate your bakes. In a Lidl recipe for Christmas wreath biscuits, the cooled biscuits are decorated with chocolate spread and sprinkles.
Not if you need sprinkles for decorating bakes. A box or selection of chocolates is mainly intended for giving or sharing straight away. If you need both, choose separate products and check the allergens on the chocolate packaging.
Check the allergens on the current packaging for the exact variety, as ingredients differ between products. The sprinkle examples mentioned here include milk and soya, and sometimes wheat; Joybuy also lists peanuts and nuts for the mixed Mars pack.
Store opened chocolate sprinkles in a dry kitchen cupboard. The Voedingscentrum recommends keeping them for no longer than one year and says a stale smell is a sign to check their quality.
No, don’t assume that all baker’s salt contains iodine. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says iodine compounds may be added to bread, bread substitutes and other bakery products through baker’s salt, at a maximum of 65 mg of iodine per kg of salt. This condition doesn’t mean that iodine is added to every type of baker’s salt.
