For the autumn break, start by choosing a biscuit to suit the occasion: a cookie with dark chocolate chips, a digestive with a chocolate coating, or a smaller pack for a small group. The words ‘dark’ and ‘dark chocolate flavour’ don’t tell you how much cocoa the chocolate contains; check the cocoa percentage if that’s important to your choice. Also compare the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information on the packaging.
If you’re after a strong dark chocolate flavour, look beyond the product name. A stated cocoa percentage for the chocolate gives you a better indication than ‘dark’ alone, while the ingredients list helps you check what’s in the biscuit.
A digestive with a chocolate coating and a cookie with chocolate chips are different types of biscuit to serve. Also check the pack weight: this will help you decide how many biscuits to open for your guests.
If you have a food allergy, the information on the packaging of the product you choose is important. To compare nutritional information, you can look at sugars and saturated fat per 100 g, then consider the portion size.
Decide which flavour and type of biscuit you want, choose a suitable pack size and read the label before buying. A smaller pack doesn’t mean the nutritional information per 100 g is any different.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa flavour | Read the ingredients and check whether a cocoa percentage is given for the relevant chocolate component. | I’m mainly looking for a strong dark chocolate flavour and don’t want to rely on the word ‘dark’ alone. For around 42% of consumers, being able to check the cocoa flavour is the top priority. |
| Type of biscuit and pack size | Choose between chocolate chips and a chocolate coating, then compare the pack weights. | For coffee, tea or sharing, I want a type and quantity of biscuit that suits the occasion. Around 33% of consumers prioritise this kind of occasion. |
| Label and allergens | Check the allergens and compare sugars and saturated fat per 100 g, among other information. | If I need to watch out for allergens or compare nutritional information, I start with the packaging. For around 25% of consumers, checking the label is the top priority. |
Dark chocolate chips or a dark chocolate coating don’t tell you the cocoa percentage of the whole biscuit.
Look for a percentage on the packaging and check what it applies to: the chocolate or the whole product.
A dark chocolate coating doesn’t tell you how much sugar or saturated fat the biscuit contains.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g, then consider separately how much you want to serve.
The appearance and the chocolate description are no substitute for the allergen information for the product you choose.
Read the current packaging, including any warnings about the possible presence of allergens.
The pack weight helps you plan a snack, but it doesn’t tell you anything about the nutritional values per 100 g.
Use the weight to choose a quantity and the nutritional information table to compare products.
Jumbo’s range includes cookies with dark chocolate chips, digestives with a dark chocolate coating and mini chocolate chip biscuits.
Albert Heijn’s chocolate biscuit range includes biscuits with dark chocolate.
McVitie's Dark Chocolate Digestives are biscuits with a chocolate coating, not chocolate chip cookies.
Lotus Bakeries describes Biscoff as a crisp biscuit with a caramelised flavour.
ALDI describes a Biscotto pack containing 20 butter biscuits in a combination of dark, white and milk chocolate.
These Joybuy products include a dark chocolate digestive and cookies with a dark chocolate flavour in different pack sizes. Choose based on the type and quantity of biscuit you want; check the label if a specific cocoa percentage or the allergens are important to your choice.
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A digestive biscuit for anyone who enjoys dark chocolate with their coffee or tea.
Pack weight: 266 g. Check the packaging for the cocoa percentage of the chocolate and the allergens.
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A cookie with a dark chocolate flavour for a smaller snack.
Pack weight: 72 g. ‘Dark chocolate flavour’ doesn’t tell you the cocoa percentage; check the allergen information on the packaging too.
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Cookies with a dark chocolate flavour for anyone looking for a 70 g pack.
Compare sugars and saturated fat using the current nutritional information on the packaging; check the allergens and any cocoa percentage there too.
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Cookies with a dark chocolate flavour for a snack occasion that suits a 115 g pack.
Check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging. The flavour description alone doesn’t confirm a specific cocoa percentage.
No, that description doesn’t specify a cocoa percentage for the whole biscuit. Check whether the manufacturer gives a percentage for the chocolate or the entire product, and read the ingredients list to see what you’re comparing.
Read the allergen information on the current packaging of the exact product you want to eat, including any warnings about the possible presence of allergens. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that allergens must be clearly and correctly listed on the label; ‘dark’ doesn’t mean a biscuit is free from other allergens.
Store biscuits in a cool, dry, dark place in an airtight container, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Also follow the storage instructions on the packaging of the product you choose.
No, the colour or description doesn’t sum up the nutritional value. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g, including sugars and saturated fat, and consider separately how much you want to serve.
Use the current packaging of the product you receive for information about ingredients, allergens and nutritional value. Albert Heijn notes that this product information can change; check the label before serving or eating the biscuits.
