Coffee drinkers looking for a distinct chocolate flavour
If you prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate with a black coffee or espresso, it matters whether a biscuit has a chocolate coating, chocolate pieces or chocolate only in the filling.
Who might be interested in these biscuits?
Households serving biscuits with coffee and cake
When you have guests, the size of the biscuits, their texture and the packaging all matter. Individually wrapped portions are handy for serving a few biscuits at a time; if you serve them regularly, a larger pack may be more practical.
Shoppers checking ingredients and allergens
If you need to avoid certain ingredients, you’ll need the current ingredients list and allergen information for the variant you choose. Under EU labelling rules, as explained by Your Europe, allergens must be highlighted in the ingredients list.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide which type of chocolate and biscuit you want. Then check whether the pack suits the number of coffee breaks you have, and check the ingredients for the variant you’ve chosen.
| What to consider | What to look for | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Dark chocolate flavour | Check whether the chocolate is a coating, comes in pieces or is part of a filling. Compare the stated chocolate content and, if given, the cocoa content of that chocolate. | With coffee, I mainly want to taste the chocolate, not just a sweet biscuit. Around 36% of shoppers say this flavour is their top priority. |
| Texture and serving style | Compare the type of biscuit, the size of the biscuits and how they’re portioned. | If there’s cake on the table too, I look for a biscuit whose shape and texture work well alongside it. For around 29% of shoppers, ease of serving comes first. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current packaging, including highlighted allergens and any warnings that the product may contain other allergens. | Before eating, I need to be able to check whether the variant contains ingredients I avoid. This is the main concern for around 21% of shoppers. |
| Pack size and selection | Compare the net weight and number of biscuits, and check that the pack actually contains the dark chocolate variant you want. | When I have guests regularly, I want enough biscuits at home without mistaking a mixed selection for one containing only dark chocolate. This matters most to around 14% of shoppers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘dark’ means a high cocoa content
Dark chocolate may be just one part of the filling. For example, Verkade says its Duo’tjes Chocolade have a 28% cream filling and contain 2% dark chocolate; this doesn’t mean the whole biscuit has a high cocoa content.
Check which part of the biscuit contains chocolate, and don’t compare the stated chocolate percentage with the cocoa content of the chocolate.
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Mistaking a chocolate selection for an all-dark chocolate pack
ALDI describes its Biscotto selection as biscuits with dark, white and milk chocolate. So not every biscuit in the pack will suit a preference for dark chocolate.
If you want to serve every biscuit with dark chocolate, choose a variant specifically labelled as dark chocolate.
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Guessing allergens from the product name
The name won’t tell you which grains, milk ingredients or other allergens a particular variant contains. Albert Heijn also points out that product information can change.
If you have an allergy or intolerance, read the ingredients and warnings on the current packaging before eating the biscuits.
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Opening a large pack for a single coffee break
Once opened, biscuits can lose their crispness if they’re not stored properly.
Consider individually wrapped portions for occasional coffee breaks. Seal an opened pack tightly and follow the storage instructions on the packaging.
Brands to consider
Verkade
Verkade offers, among other things, filled oat biscuits and chocolate chip biscuits with dark chocolate.
- According to Verkade, Duo’tjes Chocolade have a 28% cream filling and contain 2% dark chocolate.
- Mentioning dark chocolate in the filling alone tells you little about the chocolate coating or the cocoa content of the whole biscuit.
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Biscoff offers speculoos biscuits with dark chocolate in a pack of 7 x 3 biscuits.
- The individual portions suit anyone who wants to serve a small number of biscuits at a time.
- The speculoos base is a different choice from a digestive or a plain biscuit with a chocolate coating.
Jumbo
Jumbo lists both Chocolade Biscuits Puur and a Digestive Biscuit Pure Chocolade.
- For its Chocolade Biscuits Puur, Jumbo states that they contain 63% chocolate; the pack contains 9 biscuits and weighs 125 g.
- The chocolate content isn’t the same as the cocoa content of that chocolate. The digestive is a separate type of biscuit, in a 300 g pack.
Albert Heijn
Under its own brand, Albert Heijn lists, among other things, sugar-coated biscuits with dark chocolate and a digestive with dark chocolate.
- The two types of product give you a choice between a sugar-coated biscuit and a digestive.
- Albert Heijn points out that ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change, so check the current packaging.
Sondey (Lidl)
Sondey is a Lidl brand with a range of different biscuits and cookies.
- The range may be worth exploring if you want to look at different types of biscuit.
- For a particular variant, check the packaging to find out which chocolate it contains, along with the ingredients and allergens.
Biscotto (ALDI)
ALDI lists a Biscotto selection of 20 chocolate biscuits, individually wrapped in pairs.
- The pack combines individual portions with different types of chocolate.
- The selection includes dark, white and milk chocolate, so it isn’t suitable if every biscuit needs to contain dark chocolate only.
Dark chocolate-flavoured biscuits on Joybuy
These biscuits are options if you’re looking for a dark chocolate-flavoured biscuit to enjoy with coffee or cake. That flavour description isn’t the same as a claim that a product contains dark chocolate or has a particular cocoa content.
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Franzzi Premium dark chocolate-flavoured biscuits, 70 g
An option if you’re mainly looking for a dark chocolate-flavoured biscuit to enjoy with coffee. Check the label if the cocoa content is important to your choice.
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Franzzi Mellow dark chocolate-flavoured biscuits, 115 g
For anyone looking for a 115 g pack with a dark chocolate flavour. Compare the ingredients on the packaging if the type of chocolate or cocoa content is a deciding factor.
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quduoduo Chunky Cookies with dark chocolate flavour, 72 g
An option if you’d like a chunky cookie with a dark chocolate flavour to enjoy with coffee. Check the label to see which chocolate is used if you specifically prefer a dark chocolate taste.
Frequently asked questions
Does ‘dark’ on a biscuit mean it contains a lot of cocoa?
No. On its own, that description doesn’t tell you how much cocoa the chocolate contains or how much chocolate is in the whole biscuit. For example, Jumbo states that its Chocolade Biscuits Puur contain 63% chocolate, while Verkade says its Duo’tjes Chocolade have a 28% cream filling and contain 2% dark chocolate. Check the chocolate content and any separately stated cocoa content.
Which allergens should I check in chocolate biscuits?
Check the ingredients list and allergen warnings on the pack you’ve chosen. Wheat, milk, egg and soya appear in the product information for chocolate biscuits, but the relevant allergens vary by product. Under EU labelling rules, as explained by Your Europe, allergens must be highlighted in the ingredients list.
How should I store chocolate biscuits once opened?
Seal the pack tightly after opening and follow the storage instructions on the label. If you only have a biscuit with your coffee occasionally, individually wrapped portions can help you leave the rest unopened.