If you want chocolate to take centre stage with your morning coffee, choose a biscuit with a generous layer of dark chocolate. A digestive puts more emphasis on the biscuit, while a dark chocolate speculoos adds a spiced flavour. Compare the chocolate content, ingredients and allergens for each variety. The chocolate content does not tell you how much cocoa the chocolate contains.
You’re looking for a small biscuit with a prominent dark chocolate flavour. Jumbo and Albert Heijn both state that their compact varieties contain 63% chocolate. Don’t mistake this for the cocoa percentage of the chocolate.
You want the pack size and number of portions to suit how often you have or share a biscuit. Compare the packaging and check how to store the biscuits once opened.
You’ll need to check the ingredients and allergens for the exact variety. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority highlights that allergens must be declared on the label. The words ‘dark chocolate’ alone don’t mean a biscuit is free from milk, wheat or soya.
First decide whether you’re mainly looking for chocolate, a particular ingredient profile or a suitable pack size. Then check the details for the exact variety: dark chocolate biscuits can differ considerably from one another.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate and flavour | Check what the stated chocolate percentage refers to, and look for any mention of spices or decorative sugar. | If I want chocolate to be the star of the show with my coffee, I want a biscuit with a flavour that suits that. Around 42% of consumers prioritise this chocolate profile. |
| Allergens and ingredients | Check the ingredients, declared allergens and any warnings about traces on the pack you’ve chosen. | If I need to avoid a particular allergen, this specific variety must meet my requirements. For around 33% of consumers, checking this comes first. |
| Portions and storage | Compare the pack size and number of portions, and check the storage advice for after opening. | For several coffee breaks, I want a pack that suits how often I have or share biscuits. Around 25% of consumers prioritise this convenience. |
A claim such as ‘63% dark chocolate’ may refer to how much chocolate the biscuit contains, not how much cocoa is in that chocolate. Albert Heijn, for example, uses this wording for AH Zaans House dark chocolate biscuits.
Read the full percentage claim. If the cocoa content is a deciding factor for you, check whether the pack gives a separate cocoa percentage for the chocolate.
The name of the chocolate doesn’t tell you which allergens the biscuit contains. The Jumbo and Lotus varieties mentioned here list ingredients including wheat, milk and soya.
Check the label of the exact variety every time you buy it, including any warnings about possible cross-contamination.
A pack for several coffee breaks needs to suit your habits once opened; otherwise, crisp biscuits may lose their texture.
Follow the storage advice on the pack and seal any remaining biscuits well.
Compare specific varieties rather than just brand names: chocolate content, other ingredients and packaging can all vary.
Albert Heijn lists both AH Zaans House dark chocolate biscuits and AH Sugared dark chocolate biscuits.
Jumbo lists a compact chocolate biscuit and a digestive with dark chocolate.
Lotus Bakeries lists speculoos with dark chocolate in a pack of 7 × 3 biscuits.
ALDI describes Biscotto Chocolate Biscuits as an assortment of butter biscuits with dark, white and milk chocolate.
Lidl presents Sondey as a brand offering a range of cookies and biscuits.
Verkade includes Choco Biscuit varieties in its chocolate range.
No, this wording alone doesn’t give you the cocoa percentage. A percentage on the label may refer to the amount of chocolate in the whole biscuit; check separately whether a cocoa percentage is given for the chocolate used.
Not necessarily. The Jumbo and Lotus biscuits described here list these ingredients or allergens. If you need to avoid anything, check the label of the exact variety.
Follow the storage advice on the packaging and seal the pack well. For the varieties described here, Jumbo and Albert Heijn recommend, among other things, storing the biscuits in a dry place or keeping them in a tightly sealed tin.
Yes, check the packaging of the variety you’re buying. Albert Heijn warns that ingredients and allergy information, among other details, can change. The label also gives you the latest nutritional information.
