Dark chocolate fans
You want the chocolate to stand out alongside your coffee or tea. Compare the proportion of chocolate in the biscuit, and check separately whether the cocoa percentage of that chocolate is stated.
Who is this for?
Digestive buyers shopping for a shared breakfast
You’re looking for a larger pack and a biscuit base alongside the dark chocolate. Check the ingredients and compare the nutritional values per 100 g, without assuming that the word ‘digestive’ means it offers a nutritional benefit.
Shoppers checking ingredients and allergens
You need to know which ingredients and allergens are in your chosen biscuit before serving it. Check the current packaging, even if you’ve already looked at the product information online.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, decide whether the chocolate coating or the digestive base matters most to you. Then check the label if the cocoa percentage or ingredients could affect your choice.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Dark chocolate and cocoa | Compare the proportion of dark chocolate in the biscuit. Separately, look for a stated cocoa percentage for the chocolate. | If I’m choosing mainly for a pronounced dark chocolate flavour, I want to know how much chocolate the biscuit contains without confusing that with the cocoa percentage. This flavour preference comes first for around 42% of consumers. |
| Digestive base and pack size | Check the net weight and compare fibre, sugars and saturated fat per 100 g. | For a breakfast I’m sharing, I’m more likely to look for a larger pack with a digestive base than a biscuit focused mainly on its chocolate coating. Around 33% of consumers say this combination is their top priority. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging, including any warnings about possible traces. | If I need to take ingredients or allergens into account, the label determines whether I can serve a biscuit. This check comes first for around 25% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Confusing the proportion of chocolate with the cocoa percentage
The 63% listed by Jumbo for Chocolade Biscuits Puur is the proportion of chocolate in the biscuit. It isn’t the percentage of cocoa in that chocolate.
Keep these two percentages separate. If you have a minimum cocoa percentage in mind, look for it on the packaging.
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Assuming a digestive is automatically a healthier choice
A digestive is a type of biscuit, not a nutritional claim. For its Digestive Biscuit Pure Chocolade, Jumbo lists 4.1 g of fibre, 27.4 g of sugars and 12.9 g of saturated fat per 100 g.
Choose the type of biscuit base you want, then compare the nutritional values of specific products on the same per-100 g basis.
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Relying only on online allergen information
Listed ingredients and allergens can vary between products or change over time. The two Jumbo biscuits in this comparison list wheat, milk and soya, among other ingredients; Chocolade Biscuits Puur also carries a warning about possible traces of nuts.
Check the packaging of the product you buy before serving it, especially if someone needs to avoid an allergen.
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Mistaking caramelised speculoos for a dark chocolate biscuit
Lotus Bakeries describes the regular Lotus Biscoff as a crunchy biscuit with a caramelised flavour. That’s a different flavour profile from a biscuit with dark chocolate.
Choose Biscoff if you’re looking for speculoos to enjoy with coffee. If you prefer a cocoa-led flavour, look for biscuits with dark chocolate and then check the ingredients.
Brands to consider
Jumbo
Jumbo lists both Chocolade Biscuits Puur, with 63% chocolate, and a digestive with 30% dark chocolate.
- The product information gives you specific details to compare the chocolate coating, biscuit base and pack size.
- The proportion of chocolate in a biscuit doesn’t tell you the cocoa percentage of that chocolate.
Albert Heijn / Verkade
Albert Heijn’s product page describes Verkade Verk digestive puur as a wheat biscuit with 30% dark chocolate and lists 4.2 g of fibre per 100 g.
- The stated chocolate and fibre values make it useful for comparison with other digestives.
- Albert Heijn marks this product page as ‘Discontinued’; don’t count on being able to buy it from that retailer.
Sondey / Lidl
Lidl describes Sondey Digestives pure chocolade as a 300 g pack and says it’s available in store only.
- An option to look for if you’re specifically after a dark chocolate digestive in store.
- Check the label in store before comparing ingredients, allergens or nutritional values with another product.
Biscotto / ALDI
ALDI describes Biscotto Chocoladekoekjes as a pack of 20 butter biscuits with dark, white and milk chocolate.
- The different chocolate flavours could work well on a shared biscuit platter.
- The pack doesn’t contain only biscuits with dark chocolate.
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Bakeries describes its regular Biscoff as a crunchy biscuit with a caramelised flavour.
- A different flavour profile for anyone who wants to serve speculoos with coffee.
- Based on this description, regular Biscoff isn’t the choice for anyone specifically looking for a biscuit with dark chocolate.
Biscuits on Joybuy
These biscuits suit anyone looking for a dark chocolate flavour at Sunday breakfast. The flavour name alone doesn’t confirm a specific cocoa percentage, so check the packaging if that matters to your choice.
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quduoduo Chunky Cookies Dark Chocolate Flavour, 72 g
For anyone who wants a biscuit with a dark chocolate flavour on the breakfast table; the pack contains 72 g. Check the label for the cocoa percentage if it will influence your choice.
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Franzzi Mellow Dark Chocolate Flavoured Cookies, 115 g
A 115 g pack for anyone looking for biscuits with a dark chocolate flavour. Check the ingredients and cocoa percentage on the packaging if either is important to your choice.
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Franzzi Premium Dark Chocolate Flavour Cookies, 70 g
A 70 g pack for anyone who wants to serve a biscuit with a dark chocolate flavour. Check the current packaging if ingredients, allergens or a specific cocoa percentage will affect your choice.
Frequently asked questions
Does ‘dark chocolate’ on a biscuit mean it has a high cocoa content?
No, the description alone doesn’t give an exact cocoa percentage. For Chocolade Biscuits Puur, Jumbo lists 63% chocolate in the biscuit; for Digestive Biscuit Pure Chocolade, it lists 30% dark chocolate. Neither figure is the percentage of cocoa in the chocolate. Check the packaging or product specifications if you’re looking for a specific cocoa percentage.
How do I compare the nutritional values of two different biscuits?
Use the nutritional values per 100 g for both biscuits, so differences in pack size or serving size don’t skew the comparison. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends checking the nutrition table on the label. Focus on the values that matter to you, such as sugars, fat and fibre.
Do I need to check allergens in biscuits with dark chocolate?
Yes, check the allergen information on the current packaging of the product you’ve chosen. The Jumbo biscuits mentioned here list wheat, milk and soya, among other ingredients; Chocolade Biscuits Puur also warns that it may contain nuts. Don’t rely on the allergen information for another biscuit with a similar name.
How should I store an opened pack of biscuits?
Seal the pack tightly after opening. Jumbo’s product information recommends this for the biscuits discussed here; also follow the storage instructions on the packaging of the product you’ve bought.