Dark chocolate fans
You’re looking for a less milky chocolate flavour to enjoy with your coffee. Dark chocolate or dark chocolate chunks are a good starting point; check the cocoa percentage separately if you’re looking for a specific level.
Who is this choice important for?
Hosts welcoming a small group for coffee
You want to work out in advance how many biscuits you can serve. According to Jumbo’s product information, the packs reviewed list around 18, 9 or 12 servings. Use this as a guide when planning, and decide for yourself how many to put out.
Label checkers
You want to check ingredients and allergens before serving, or compare the nutritional values of similar biscuits. Voedingscentrum recommends comparing values per 100 g.
What should you look for when choosing?
When choosing biscuits for coffee with friends, start with the chocolate flavour you want and the type of biscuit. Then check whether the pack size suits your group and look at the label for anything that matters to your guests.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Dark chocolate flavour | Check whether the biscuit contains dark chocolate, dark chocolate chunks or simply has a chocolate flavour. Check any stated cocoa percentage separately. | If I want to serve a pronounced dark chocolate flavour, I want to know what kind of chocolate is actually in the biscuit. For around 36% of consumers, flavour is the main consideration. |
| Serving and storage | Compare the number of biscuits or servings with the size of your group, and check how to store an opened pack. | When serving coffee, I want to put out enough biscuits easily without leaving an opened pack for too long. Around 29% of consumers mainly prioritise serving convenience. |
| Allergens and nutritional values | Read the current ingredients and allergen information. Compare sugars and saturated fat per 100 g for similar biscuits. | If a guest needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to know before serving; I also want to compare nutritional values on the same basis. For around 21% of consumers, checking the label is the top priority. |
| Shop and product choice | Open the page for the specific biscuit and check its name, ingredients and pack size; a category listing doesn’t show every product detail. | I want to choose between the available biscuits without relying on a category label alone. For around 14% of consumers, this practical product comparison is the top priority. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘dark’ means a confirmed high cocoa content
A product can contain dark chocolate without specifying its cocoa percentage. The proportion of chocolate in the whole biscuit is also different from the cocoa percentage.
If the cocoa percentage will determine your choice, look for it on the current packaging.
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Assuming dark chocolate is suitable for people with allergies
The biscuit varieties described contain or may contain ingredients such as wheat, milk, soya, egg or nuts; this information varies by product.
Ask guests about any relevant allergies in advance, and check both the ingredients and the ‘may contain’ information on the specific pack.
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Using a serving size on the label as a set amount to serve
Serving sizes can vary between manufacturers. This means nutritional values per serving aren’t always useful for comparing biscuits.
Decide how many biscuits you want to serve, and compare the nutritional values of similar products per 100 g, as Voedingscentrum recommends.
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Leaving an opened pack out after your guests have gone
Biscuits can lose quality once opened. Voedingscentrum lists signs to look out for, including biscuits becoming soft or stale.
Seal any leftover biscuits securely, store them somewhere cool, dry and dark, and follow the instructions on the packaging.
Brands to compare
Jumbo
Jumbo offers various biscuits with dark chocolate, including digestives, chocolate biscuits and cookies with chocolate chunks.
- Individual product pages provide information about ingredients, allergens, servings and nutritional values.
- A stated proportion of chocolate in a biscuit doesn’t confirm the cocoa percentage of that chocolate.
Albert Heijn
The range includes both own-brand biscuits and branded products with dark chocolate, including AH Zaans huisje and McVitie's Digestives.
- A category listing makes it easier to find different types of biscuit.
- For ingredients, allergens and nutritional information, check the current product page and packaging for the item you choose.
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Biscoff is an alternative if you’d rather serve a caramelised speculoos flavour with coffee than a biscuit with dark chocolate.
- Lotus describes Biscoff as crunchy and a good match for coffee.
- This positioning says nothing about a dark biscuit having a high cocoa content.
Lidl / Sondey
Sondey is Lidl’s biscuit and cookie range, with various options to compare.
- Lidl describes a varied range that includes vegan options.
- For a specific product, check the type of chocolate, ingredients and any cocoa percentage separately.
ALDI / Biscotto
According to ALDI, Biscotto comes in a pack of 20 butter biscuits in a mix of dark, white and milk chocolate.
- The mix could suit a group with different chocolate preferences; the biscuits are packed in pairs.
- A mixed pack isn’t the right choice if you want biscuits with dark chocolate only.
Biscuits at Joybuy
These biscuits with a dark chocolate flavour are options for coffee time. Don’t take the flavour description as proof of a high cocoa content, and check the packaging before serving them to guests.
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Franzzi Premium Dark Chocolate Flavour Cookies, 70 g
A biscuit with a dark chocolate flavour to serve with coffee. If you’re specifically looking for chocolate with a high cocoa content, check the cocoa percentage.
Read the current allergen information before serving; the product information lists wheat, milk and egg.
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Franzzi Mellow Dark Chocolate Flavoured Cookies, 115 g
A dark chocolate-flavoured option to enjoy with coffee. If the intensity of the chocolate flavour will determine your choice, check the packaging to see what kind of chocolate is used and whether a cocoa percentage is stated.
Check the current allergen information; the product information lists wheat, soya and milk.
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quduoduo Chunky Cookies Dark Chocolate Flavour, 72 g
A chunky cookie with a dark chocolate flavour if you’d prefer this type of biscuit for coffee. Check the number of biscuits on the packaging if you want to plan in advance for each guest.
The proportion of chocolate ingredients isn’t the same as the cocoa percentage. Also check the current allergen information; the product information lists wheat, soya and milk.
Frequently asked questions
Does ‘dark’ on a biscuit automatically mean it has a high cocoa content?
No. ‘Dark’ describes the type of chocolate, but any stated proportion of chocolate in the whole biscuit isn’t the same as the cocoa percentage of that chocolate. If it matters to your choice, check the percentage on the current packaging.
Can I serve a dark biscuit to someone with an allergy without checking first?
No. The varieties described list different allergens and possible traces, including wheat, milk, soya, egg or nuts. Ask which ingredients are relevant, and check the ingredients list and ‘may contain’ information on the specific pack before serving.
How can I compare the sugar and saturated fat content of biscuits?
For similar biscuits, compare the nutritional information per 100 g rather than looking only at values per serving. Voedingscentrum recommends this basis for comparison because serving sizes can vary. Also check the ingredients and pack size.
How should I store biscuits left over after coffee?
Seal them securely and store them somewhere cool, dry and dark, following the storage advice from Voedingscentrum. Also follow the instructions on the packaging, and check for signs of quality loss, such as the biscuits becoming soft or stale, before serving them again.