Christmas bakers who want to cut out and decorate biscuits
If you want to cut out your own Christmas shapes, you’ll need dough that can be rolled out and baked. Albert Heijn and Jumbo’s recipes use dough, not ready-made biscuits.
Which option is right for you?
Dessert makers looking for a speculoos base
For a base or topping, you’ll need biscuits that can be crumbled. Lidl uses speculoos crumbs with melted butter to make a no-bake dessert base.
Snackers who want to keep track of their portions
A small packet can be handy while you’re baking, but one packet doesn’t always mean one biscuit. For example, Jumbo lists two biscuits per packet for Lotus Biscoff XL. If allergens are a concern, check the latest label too.
What should you look for when choosing?
Biscuit dough
Choose this if: you want to cut out Christmas shapes and decorate them after baking.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to prepare, chill and bake the dough; the exact method depends on the recipe.
Ready-made speculoos
Choose this if: you want to crumble biscuits for a dessert base or topping.
Bear in mind: the biscuits already have their own flavour and ingredients, and can’t be used as dough for cutting out shapes.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Cutting out and decorating | Choose dough that the recipe says can be rolled out, and check what preparation and baking equipment you’ll need. | If I want to make and decorate Christmas shapes, I need dough that I can cut out myself. For around 40% of consumers, having the freedom to choose shapes comes first. |
| Crumb base or topping | Check whether the recipe calls for crumbled biscuits and how much you’ll need. | For a dessert base, I want biscuits I can crumble without having to bake dough first. Around 30% of consumers give this use top priority. |
| Small snack portion | Check how many biscuits are in a packet or portion; a portion-sized pack isn’t necessarily a biscuit bar. | Alongside baking, I want a defined biscuit snack, not necessarily an ingredient for the recipe. For around 20% of consumers, snack convenience matters most. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the latest label, including the ingredients and any warnings about traces. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, the label determines whether a biscuit is suitable for me. For around 10% of consumers, checking this is the first priority. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming a portion pack contains one biscuit bar
A packet may contain several biscuits. Jumbo lists Lotus Biscoff XL as ten packets, each containing two biscuits; that’s not the same as one individually wrapped bar.
Decide whether you’re looking for a snack, biscuit crumbs or dough, then check the product format and the number of biscuits in each pack.
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Buying packaged speculoos to cut out Christmas shapes
Albert Heijn and Jumbo’s recipes use rolled-out dough to cut out shapes. A biscuit that’s already been baked can’t replace this step.
For a cut-out project, choose dough and the equipment required by your recipe. Use ready-made speculoos when the recipe calls for biscuits or crumbs.
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Relying on an online description for allergen information
Speculoos and speculaas products can list different ingredients and allergens. A product labelled gluten-free may still contain other allergens.
Before using a product, check the ingredients and allergen information on its latest packaging.
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Planning around a seasonal product without checking availability
A Christmas product may not be available outside the period when you need it, so it’s not a reliable staple for your plans.
Check availability shortly before you buy. If your recipe calls for biscuit crumbs, you could also see whether an all-year-round biscuit meets the rest of the recipe requirements.
Brands and shops to consider
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Bakeries presents Biscoff both as a biscuit to enjoy and as an ingredient to use in the kitchen.
- Jumbo lists an XL option with ten packets of two biscuits, which may suit you if you’re looking for pre-portioned snacks.
- This option isn’t an individually wrapped biscuit bar. Check the pack and allergen information for the variant you choose.
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn offers several speculaas products, including an own-brand option labelled gluten-free.
- The AH Gluten-Free Speculaas product page states that it is made in a completely gluten-free environment.
- The same variant lists egg and possible traces of sesame and nuts; check the latest label when you buy it.
Jumbo
Jumbo lists its own speculoos biscuits and Lotus Biscoff in various pack sizes. It also publishes a recipe for speculaas biscuits that you can cut out.
- Jumbo’s own-brand speculoos comes in a 250 g pack; its recipe for homemade shapes uses dough instead.
- Jumbo states that its own-brand speculoos contains gluten and wheat, and may contain almonds and nuts.
Sondey (Lidl)
Lidl lists Sondey speculoos biscuits as a product available in store and uses speculoos in a dessert-base recipe.
- Lidl’s recipe shows how to combine speculoos crumbs with melted butter to make a base mixture.
- Check the label on the Sondey pack you choose for its ingredients and allergens.
Koekkie (ALDI)
ALDI describes Koekkie Speculoos biscuits as a larger pack of biscuits.
- According to ALDI, the 500 g pack contains around 71 biscuits, which is useful if you need lots of biscuits or crumbs.
- These aren’t individually wrapped snack portions; check current availability in store.
Biscuits for crumbling or snacking
These Joybuy products are ready-made biscuits: the speculoos is suitable for crumbling, while the other biscuits are mainly a snack to enjoy while you bake. For Christmas biscuits you can cut out, you’ll need dough.
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Lotus Biscoff Speculoos Cookie 250 g
An option if you want to crumble speculoos biscuits for a dessert, or enjoy a biscuit while you bake.
250 g pack. If you’re looking for individually wrapped portions, check the pack format. For Christmas shapes, you’ll need dough that can be rolled out.
If you have an allergy, check the latest packaging for information on ingredients including wheat and soya.
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Hellema Smoeltjes Speculaas Cookies 8 pieces, 200 g
A ready-made speculaas biscuit for a snack while you get on with your Christmas baking.
The product name states 8 pieces and 200 g. Check the pack if the number of biscuits per packet matters to you; these biscuits can’t replace dough for cut-out shapes.
If you have an allergy, check the latest label for gluten and wheat, milk, egg and any warnings about traces.
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LU Scholiertje Milk Chocolate Biscuits 150 g
A milk chocolate biscuit for anyone who mainly wants a snack while baking, rather than speculoos crumbs or dough for cut-out shapes.
150 g pack. If you have an allergy, check the latest label for milk, wheat and soya, as well as any warnings about nuts.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use ready-made speculoos for a Christmas dessert base?
Yes, if the recipe calls for biscuit crumbs. Lidl uses 130 g of speculoos biscuits with 45 g of butter for the base of a no-bake cheesecake; for another dessert, follow the quantities in that recipe.
When should I choose dough rather than packaged biscuits?
Choose dough if you want to cut out Christmas shapes and then bake or decorate them. Albert Heijn and Jumbo’s recipes roll out dough for this purpose; you can’t cut shapes out of a ready-made biscuit.
What should I check if gluten or other allergens are a concern?
Check the latest packaging for the specific biscuit before use. Speculaas labelled gluten-free may still list other allergens: for example, the product information for AH Gluten-Free Speculaas mentions egg and possible traces of sesame and nuts.
How should I store shop-bought speculoos and homemade Christmas biscuits?
For shop-bought biscuits, follow the storage instructions on the pack; Jumbo says to store its speculoos in a cool, dry place. Albert Heijn recommends keeping homemade Christmas biscuits in an airtight tin once they’ve cooled.
Can I rely on finding Christmas biscuits in shops all year round?
Don’t assume a specific seasonal product will always be available. Check current availability shortly before you start baking. If you only need crumbs, see whether another biscuit meets the requirements of your recipe.