Fans of strong coffee
Looking for a pronounced chocolate flavour to enjoy with espresso, filter coffee or black coffee? Consider the difference between chocolate chips in a cookie and a separate chocolate bar on a biscuit.
Who might enjoy these biscuits?
Those serving coffee and cake
A smaller biscuit can feel quite different from a larger cookie alongside a slice of cake. The number of individually wrapped portions can also affect how easy the biscuits are to hand out.
Shoppers comparing labels
Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information if you need to consider wheat, milk, soya or nuts, for example, or want to know what a serving contains.
What should you look for when choosing?
Decide whether you’re mainly after a chocolate flavour or a biscuit that’s easy to serve alongside cake. Then check the label on the specific product.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate flavour | Check whether it contains dark chocolate, chocolate chips or simply chocolate flavouring. If a specific cocoa percentage is important to you, look for it to be stated clearly. | If I want a pronounced chocolate flavour with my coffee, the type of chocolate matters more than the dark packaging alone. Around 33% of consumers would choose this as their main criterion. |
| Texture and serving | Look at the biscuit’s shape, the number in the pack and whether any are individually wrapped. | With cake, I like to choose between a small biscuit and a larger, individually wrapped treat. For around 25% of consumers, the way it’s served would be the most important factor. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients list and allergen information on the packaging, even if you’ve bought the product before. | If I need to take an allergen into account, checking the label comes before choosing based on flavour. For around 25% of consumers, checking the ingredients would be the main priority. |
| Portion and nutritional information | Compare energy, sugars, saturated fat and salt per 100 g, then consider how much you plan to serve. | When there’s cake on the table too, I want to know what one biscuit adds to my portion. Around 17% of consumers would focus mainly on portion size and nutritional information. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘dark’ means a consistently high cocoa percentage
A mention of dark chocolate or a percentage of chocolate chips is not the same as the cocoa percentage in that chocolate. For example, Jumbo lists 40% dark chocolate chips in its Chocolate Cookies; this does not mean they contain 40% cocoa.
If you have a minimum percentage in mind, look for a clear statement about the chocolate in the biscuit you’re choosing.
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Judging by the front of the pack alone
Words describing flavour or how a product is made are no substitute for the ingredients list and nutritional information table.
Following the Voedingscentrum’s advice, compare nutritional information per 100 g, then consider the portion you’ll actually serve.
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Overlooking allergens because the biscuit goes well with coffee
The biscuits discussed here include ingredients such as wheat, milk and soya. Warnings about the possible presence of other allergens may also be relevant.
Check the current packaging every time you buy, including the allergen information and any ‘may contain’ statements.
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Assuming dark chocolate makes a biscuit a healthier choice
The word ‘dark’ alone tells you nothing about the nutritional value of the whole biscuit. The Voedingscentrum also points out that chocolate contains saturated fat and calories.
Check the nutritional information for the specific product, especially if you’re serving cake alongside it.
Brands to consider
Jumbo
Jumbo’s own-brand range includes a chocolate cookie with dark chocolate chips, for those who like chocolate throughout their cookie.
- For this specific cookie, Jumbo lists 40% dark chocolate chips.
- This percentage refers to the amount of chocolate chips, not their cocoa content or that of other Jumbo biscuits.
LU
According to Albert Heijn’s product information, LU Scholiertje Puur combines a butter biscuit with a bar of dark chocolate.
- The biscuits are individually wrapped in pairs, which can be handy when serving coffee.
- Check the current packaging for ingredients such as milk, soya, wheat and possible nuts.
Sondey
Sondey Dark Chocolate Digestives are a biscuit option for anyone who’d prefer a digestive to a cookie.
- Lidl lists this variety in a 300 g pack.
- Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information on the packaging before comparing these digestives with another biscuit.
Biscotto
The Biscotto butter biscuits described by ALDI offer a selection of different types of chocolate in one pack.
- ALDI lists 20 biscuits, wrapped in pairs, with dark, white and milk chocolate.
- This mix isn’t suitable if you only want to serve biscuits with dark chocolate.
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Biscoff is a caramelised coffee biscuit for anyone who isn’t specifically looking for dark chocolate.
- Lotus Bakeries presents Biscoff as a biscuit to enjoy with coffee.
- It’s an alternative for your coffee break, rather than a biscuit confirmed to contain dark chocolate.
Biscuits on Joybuy
These Joybuy products include a digestive with dark chocolate and cookies with a dark chocolate flavour. For the latter, distinguish between a flavour description and a confirmed cocoa percentage.
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McVitie's Digestives with Dark Chocolate, 266 g
An option if you’d like a digestive with dark chocolate alongside your coffee, rather than a cookie with chocolate chips.
266 g pack. If they’re important to your choice, check the cocoa percentage of the chocolate and the allergens on the current label.
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quduoduo Chunky Cookies, Dark Chocolate Flavour, 72 g
A cookie to consider if you’re looking for the described dark chocolate flavour to enjoy with coffee.
72 g pack. The flavour name doesn’t confirm that the chocolate used is dark or that it has a particular cocoa percentage; check the ingredients and nutritional information on the packaging.
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Franzzi Mellow Dark Chocolate Flavoured Cookies, 115 g
An option to consider if you’d like to serve a dark chocolate-flavoured biscuit with coffee or cake.
115 g pack. Don’t assume a high cocoa content from the flavour description; check the current packaging for allergen and storage information.
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Franzzi Premium Dark Chocolate Flavour Cookies, 70 g
A smaller pack to consider if you’re looking for a dark chocolate-flavoured biscuit to enjoy with a coffee break.
70 g pack. Compare the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information on the label; the flavour name alone doesn’t confirm a cocoa percentage.
Frequently asked questions
Does ‘dark’ on a biscuit mean it contains a lot of cocoa?
No. The word alone doesn’t indicate a specific cocoa percentage. Also, bear in mind the difference between the percentage of chocolate in the whole biscuit and the cocoa percentage of the chocolate itself.
How do I compare the nutritional information for two chocolate biscuits?
First compare the nutritional information per 100 g, as the Voedingscentrum advises, then look at the portion you plan to serve. This also helps you take any cake you’re serving with coffee into account.
Which allergens should I check in chocolate biscuits?
Always check the allergen information for your chosen product on the current packaging. Wheat, milk and soya are among the relevant allergens in the examples discussed here. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that allergens which must be declared should be clearly identified on the label.
Is a biscuit with dark chocolate a healthier alternative to cake?
You can’t tell from the word ‘dark’ alone. Compare the nutritional information and portions of the products you actually plan to serve; the Voedingscentrum points out that chocolate contains saturated fat and calories too.
How should I store chocolate biscuits after opening?
Follow the storage advice on the packaging and seal the pack tightly after opening. For Franzzi Mellow, Joybuy’s product information advises storing the biscuits in an airtight container once opened.