Choose ready-made currant buns as a sweet bread to serve alongside your oliebollen, not as a substitute for the ingredients in oliebollen batter. For a festive table, the size, the balance of raisins and currants, the ingredients and when you plan to serve the buns all make a difference. A larger bun isn’t automatically more generously filled.
Are you making oliebollen yourself, but also want a sweet bun for breakfast, brunch or with a cup of coffee? Currant buns can take their own place on the table. Oliebollen batter calls for different ingredients, as outlined in Albert Heijn Allerhande’s classic recipe.
If you buy the buns well before you plan to serve them, check the freezing instructions on the packaging you choose. Remember to allow time for them to defrost, too.
Ingredients and allergen warnings vary from product to product. If you have an allergy or are looking for specific ingredients, check the current label on the version you buy.
First decide whether you’re looking for ingredients to make oliebollen or buns to serve alongside them. Then compare the serving size, storage instructions and label for the currant buns.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Bun or batter | Choose loose currants and raisins to add to oliebollen batter; buy ready-made currant buns to serve separately. | If I’m making oliebollen myself, I don’t want to come home with buns when I need ingredients for the batter. This product choice is the top priority for around 31% of consumers. |
| Storage and planning | Check the best-before date and the freezing instructions for the version you’ve chosen. PLUS advises freezing its standard currant buns on the day of purchase and using them within one month. | If you do your shopping early, you’ll want to be able to serve the buns when planned. This is the most important consideration for around 23% of consumers. |
| Size and fruit filling | Compare the number of buns, their size and the percentages of raisins and currants separately; also look out for any listed butter ingredients. | For a festive table, I want to know whether the buns are the right size for each person and what they’re made with. Around 31% of consumers pay most attention to this when choosing. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients list and allergen warnings; check the exact type of salt listed if iodine is relevant to you. | If I need to check the ingredients, the label determines which version I can consider. This is the first purchase requirement for around 15% of consumers. |
A ready-made currant bun is no substitute for flour, yeast or the other ingredients in the batter. Albert Heijn Allerhande uses these as separate ingredients in its classic oliebollen recipe.
Distinguish between loose currants or raisins for the batter and buns to serve alongside your oliebollen.
The standard PLUS currant bun contains 31% raisins and 3.9% currants; the giant PLUS version contains 32% raisins and 1.9% currants. So a larger size doesn’t tell you which of these two types of fruit it contains more of.
Compare the size and fruit percentages of the specific versions rather than relying on the name on the packaging.
The type of salt varies by product. A general description of currant buns won’t tell you which salt is used in the version you’ve chosen.
If it matters to your choice, check the ingredients list for terms such as baker’s salt or iodised salt.
When frying oliebollen, an overfilled pan can overflow. The Voedingscentrum advises filling the deep-fat fryer with oil to no more than half its capacity.
Also follow your appliance’s safety instructions and don’t fry too many oliebollen at once.
You may come across different pack sizes and formats at these supermarket chains. Always compare the specific version you’re considering: a range description doesn’t tell you what’s in every bun.
The standard version described comes in a pack of six raisin and currant buns.
Jumbo describes a standard pack of six raisin and currant buns and also offers other sizes in its currant loaf range.
PLUS describes both standard and giant raisin and currant buns.
Lidl describes currant buns in a bag of six, available in store.
ALDI describes a standard pack of six raisin and currant buns, and also lists larger and butter-rich versions in its range.
No, ready-made currant buns aren’t a substitute for the batter. Albert Heijn Allerhande’s classic oliebollen recipe uses flour, yeast, milk, egg and oil, among other ingredients; choose loose currants or raisins if you want to add fruit to the batter.
You can if the packaging says the version you’ve chosen is suitable for freezing. PLUS advises freezing its standard currant buns on the day of purchase and using them within one month; check the storage instructions for any other version.
At the very least, check the packaging for wheat and milk in the version you’ve chosen. The products described from Jumbo, PLUS and Albert Heijn contain wheat and milk or milk ingredients; warnings about possible traces of other allergens vary by product.
Check how the salt is described in the ingredients list on the specific pack. Albert Heijn lists iodised salt in the standard version described, but you can’t assume the same applies to other currant buns.
