Home bakers who want to choose the chocolate flavour themselves
If you want to use currant buns in a Christmas dessert, you can choose the chocolate separately. The bread pudding recipe from delicious. uses grated dark chocolate with 70% cocoa.
Who might find this choice useful?
Anyone planning ahead for Christmas breakfast or dessert
If you shop in advance, it’s useful to know how many buns come in a pack and how to store them. PLUS says its long-life currant buns can be frozen at home on the day of purchase and should be used within one month.
Shoppers comparing ingredients
If fibre, grains or allergens influence your choice, compare the nutritional information and ingredients on each pack. Albert Heijn states that its wholemeal variety contains more than 6 g of fibre per 100 g; the products reviewed from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS also list allergens.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, decide how you want to add chocolate to the dish. Then compare the size and ingredients of the currant buns that suit your recipe.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate flavour | Choose the chocolate separately and adjust the amount to suit your recipe. For its bread pudding, delicious. uses 50 g of chocolate with 70% cocoa with six slightly stale currant buns. | If I want to choose the chocolate flavour myself, I’d rather buy a separate bar than rely on a dark chocolate currant bun variety. Around 42% of shoppers prioritise this choice of flavour. |
| Portions and storage | Compare the number of buns, their size and the storage advice on the pack. Only follow freezing instructions for the product they apply to. | If I’m preparing Christmas breakfast in advance, I want to know how many buns I need and how to store them. Portions and planning are a priority for around 33% of shoppers. |
| Ingredients | Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information on the current packaging; compare fibre per 100 g if that matters to your choice. | When I’m baking for others, I want to check the ingredients before choosing a bun. For around 25% of shoppers, ingredients, fibre or allergens are the main consideration. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘dark’ describes the currant bun
A currant bun and a bar of chocolate are two separate ingredients in the bread pudding described here.
First, choose a bun that suits the recipe, then add dark chocolate separately. The recipe from delicious. uses chocolate with 70% cocoa.
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Assuming you know the allergens from the product name alone
The currant buns reviewed from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS list wheat or other cereals containing gluten, as well as milk ingredients; statements about other possible allergens vary by product.
Before use, check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging of the bun and chocolate you’ve actually bought.
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Applying the same freezing advice to every currant bun
PLUS’s instructions for its long-life currant buns don’t automatically apply to other varieties.
Check the storage and freezing advice on the pack you buy for Christmas.
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Assuming the type of salt from the product name
The name ‘currant bun’ doesn’t tell you which type of salt was used in that particular product.
Check the ingredients list if the type of salt used matters to your choice.
Brands to consider
The currant buns reviewed from these brands vary in their ingredients, size and packaging. Compare the specific variety, not just the brand name.
Albert Heijn
The wholemeal raisin and currant buns reviewed come in packs of four.
- For this variety, Albert Heijn lists 35% wholemeal wheat flour, 3.4% wholemeal rye flour and more than 6 g of fibre per 100 g.
- The product information lists wheat, rye and milk, among other ingredients; also check the current warnings for possible allergens.
Jumbo
The white wheat, raisin and currant buns reviewed come in a pack of six.
- For this variety, Jumbo lists 29.6% raisins, 6.1% currants and 2.8 g of fibre per 100 g.
- According to the product information, this variety contains wheat, gluten and milk; check the packaging for other possible allergens too.
PLUS Korenlanders
The range reviewed includes giant raisin and currant buns, as well as a separate long-life currant bun variety.
- PLUS sells the giant variety reviewed in packs of four. For the long-life variety, PLUS provides separate freezing instructions.
- The varieties reviewed list wheat, milk and cereals containing gluten. Check the allergens and storage advice on each pack.
ALDI
ALDI lists a pack of six raisin and currant buns, as well as a separate giant variety.
- According to ALDI, the regular pack contains six wheat buns with raisins and currants.
- Check the ingredients, nutritional information and allergens on the packaging before serving this variety to others.
Lidl
Lidl lists the giant raisin and currant buns reviewed in a pack of 4 × 100 g.
- Lidl mentions butter in the product description for this variety.
- Check the nutritional information and allergens on the packaging for these specific buns.
Dark chocolate for currant buns
These Joybuy products are chocolate bars to use separately with currant buns; they are not currant buns. The recipe from delicious. uses 70% cocoa. Choose the amount of chocolate that suits your dish and buy the buns separately.
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Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate, 100 g
A separate chocolate bar for anyone who wants to use the 70% cocoa chocolate from delicious.’s bread pudding recipe with their currant buns.
Check the current packaging for allergen information before using the chocolate.
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Lindt Excellence 78% Cacao, 100 g
A separate chocolate bar for anyone who wants to choose a different cocoa percentage for baking from the 70% in the delicious. recipe.
The bar contains 78% cocoa and weighs 100 g. Adjust the amount to suit your recipe and check the packaging for allergen information.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to buy special currant buns for a dark chocolate flavour?
No. You can add the chocolate separately when making currant bun bread pudding. The recipe from delicious. combines slightly stale currant buns with dark chocolate containing 70% cocoa. If you’re buying a ready-made product, check the ingredients rather than relying on the word ‘dark’.
How much chocolate does the bread pudding recipe use?
delicious. uses 50 g of grated dark chocolate with 70% cocoa with six slightly stale currant buns. That ratio is for this specific recipe, not every dish made with currant buns.
Can I freeze currant buns before Christmas?
Follow the advice on the packaging you choose. PLUS says its long-life currant buns can be frozen at home on the day of purchase and should be used within one month; don’t assume the same instructions apply to other buns without checking.
What should I look out for if someone has a food allergy?
Check the current allergen information for both the currant buns and the chocolate you’re using. The buns reviewed from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS list wheat or other cereals containing gluten, as well as milk ingredients; warnings about other possible allergens vary by product.