Bakers looking for a pronounced cocoa flavour
If you want the chocolate flavour to stand out alongside the speculaas spices, the cocoa percentage of the exact chocolate variant is a more reliable guide than the word ‘dark’ alone.
Who is this choice for?
Christmas bakers who want to decorate quickly
A ready-made product can be handy for a topping or crumb layer. Check that its shape suits your recipe and that the seasonal product is still available.
Shoppers who need to check ingredients and allergens
Read the current packaging for both the biscuits and the chocolate. The word ‘dark’ on its own does not tell you whether a product is suitable for an allergy or a specific dietary requirement.
What should you look for?
For your Christmas baking, first choose the form your recipe calls for: a biscuit layer, a separate chocolate component or decoration only. Then check the cocoa percentage and ingredients of the products you actually buy.
Speculaas with dark chocolate
Best for: quick crumbling, decorating or serving, provided the label meets your taste and allergen requirements.
Trade-off: you depend on the cocoa percentage and availability of the ready-made variant. In October 2026, Albert Heijn listed the product we looked at as discontinued.
Speculaas and separate dark chocolate
Best for: recipes where you want to choose the biscuit and the stated cocoa percentage separately.
Trade-off: you’ll be working with two ingredients and need to check that the chocolate is suitable for the method you have in mind.
Seasonal decoration with kruidnoten
Best for: small decorations when your recipe doesn’t need flat speculaas biscuits.
Trade-off: a chocolate mix won’t give you a pure dark chocolate flavour, and the shape won’t automatically work as a speculaas layer.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa flavour | Check the cocoa percentage of the exact chocolate variant on the packaging; ‘dark’ alone doesn’t tell you the percentage you want. | If I want a clear cocoa flavour alongside the spices, I’d rather choose the chocolate based on its stated percentage. Around 33% of consumers prioritise this. |
| Shape and texture | Decide whether you want to crumble biscuits, make a layer or use decoration only; kruidnoten are not automatically interchangeable with flat speculaas. | For a base or layer, the biscuit shape needs to suit my recipe, while a small topping allows for a different choice. For around 27% of consumers, shape is the most important factor. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the current ingredients list and allergen information for both the biscuits and chocolate, including warnings about possible traces. | If I need to avoid an ingredient, the packaging information takes priority over flavour or convenience. This is the main consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
| Availability | Check current online and in-store availability shortly before baking, and have an alternative ready for any seasonal product. | If I need my ingredients in time, my chosen way of buying them needs to be practical. That’s why availability comes first for around 20% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
-
Assuming ‘dark’ means a consistently high cocoa percentage
The percentage applies to the exact chocolate variant. Jumbo states that Verkade Speculaas Melkchocolade contains at least 29% cocoa solids in the milk chocolate; Verkade states that a separate dark chocolate bar contains at least 52%. These are not two variants of the same speculaas product.
Check the label of the product you want to use. If you want to choose a specific cocoa percentage yourself, you can combine speculaas with separate dark chocolate.
-
Assuming a seasonal listing guarantees availability
In October 2026, Albert Heijn listed AH Speculaas Met Pure Chocolade as discontinued. The range of other festive products can also change before you start baking.
Check current online and in-store availability shortly before buying, and decide which separate biscuits and chocolate you could use as an alternative.
-
Assuming dark chocolate is free from relevant allergens
Verkade states that its dark chocolate may contain milk, hazelnut and almond. Albert Heijn notes that product information, including allergen details, may change.
For every variant you choose, read the current packaging for all the ingredients in your recipe, including information about possible traces.
-
Using a kruidnoten mix as a complete substitute for speculaas
The chocolate and kruidnoten mix described by ALDI contains white, milk and dark chocolate. It won’t give you dark chocolate alone, and small kruidnoten are not shaped like flat speculaas.
Use the mix only if that variety suits your decoration; for a biscuit layer, choose a shape that works with your recipe.
Brands and shops to consider
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn has a product page for AH Speculaas Met Pure Chocolade, a ready-made combination.
- The product name makes it clear which biscuit and chocolate option it is.
- In October 2026, the page listed the product as discontinued. For another variant, check the cocoa percentage and current packaging yourself.
Jumbo
Jumbo lists seasonal products, including Kruidnoten Puur, as well as Verkade Speculaas Melkchocolade.
- The range offers different product shapes to consider for decoration.
- Jumbo states that the milk chocolate in the Verkade speculaas mentioned contains at least 29% cocoa solids; this does not support a claim of a high cocoa percentage for speculaas with dark chocolate.
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Bakeries describes Biscoff biscuits as a kitchen ingredient and Biscoff spread as an ingredient for desserts.
- The biscuits can be used as a separate biscuit component when your recipe calls for one.
- Speculoos biscuits and spread have different uses; if you want to add a chocolate flavour, choose chocolate separately with a suitable stated cocoa percentage.
ALDI / Choceur
ALDI describes a 200 g Choceur dark chocolate bar and a separate chocolate and kruidnoten mix.
- The separate bar offers a different product shape to kruidnoten for those who want to combine biscuits and chocolate themselves.
- The kruidnoten mix described contains white, milk and dark chocolate; don’t use it if you want only dark chocolate in your decoration.
Lidl
Lidl Netherlands lists a 90% dark chocolate bar as an in-store product.
- The stated cocoa percentage gives you a specific figure to consider when choosing separate chocolate.
- According to Lidl Netherlands, groceries cannot be ordered through its website or app, and it does not offer a grocery delivery service.
Products to combine yourself
These chocolate bars and biscuit products suit the approach of choosing your own chocolate and biscuit components for Christmas baking. The chocolate bars are not speculaas; check that each product’s shape and current packaging suit your recipe.
Image unavailable
Lindt Excellence 78% Cacao, 100 g
For anyone who wants to use chocolate with a stated cocoa percentage alongside separately chosen speculaas.
The product name states 78% cocoa and 100 g. Check that the bar suits the method your recipe calls for, and read the current packaging if you have allergies.
Image unavailable
Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate, 100 g
A separate chocolate component for a baking recipe using separately chosen speculaas.
The product name states 70% cocoa and 100 g. Check that the bar is suitable for the way you plan to use it; read the current packaging if you have allergies.
Image unavailable
Lindt Excellence 90% Cocoa Supreme Dark, 100 g
For anyone looking for a bar with 90% stated cocoa when combining it with separate speculaas.
The product name states 100 g. Whether the bar is suitable for melting or grating, for example, depends on how you plan to use it; check the current allergen information too.
Image unavailable
Lotus Biscoff Speculoos Cookie, 250 g
A speculoos biscuit to use as a separate biscuit component when its shape suits your Christmas baking recipe.
The product name states 250 g. Add separately chosen chocolate for a chocolate flavour; for a base or layer, check what shape of biscuit your recipe calls for.
Image unavailable
De Ruiter Bakers Speculaas, 450 g
A speculaas component for anyone who wants to choose the biscuits and dark chocolate separately.
The product name states 450 g. Check that the biscuit shape suits the base or crumb layer in your recipe, and read the current packaging if you have allergies.
Frequently asked questions
Does ‘dark’ mean speculaas with chocolate has a high cocoa percentage?
No. Check the cocoa percentage of the exact chocolate variant on the current packaging. Jumbo states that Verkade Speculaas Melkchocolade contains at least 29% cocoa solids in the milk chocolate; Verkade states that a separate dark chocolate bar contains at least 52%. The percentage in that bar says nothing about the amount in a speculaas product.
Where can I check allergens for my Christmas baking recipe?
Read the current packaging of every ingredient you plan to use, including information about possible traces of allergens. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority highlights the allergen information on the labels of pre-packed foods; for example, Verkade states that its dark chocolate may contain milk, hazelnut and almond.
Can I use kruidnoten instead of speculaas for a tart base?
Only if their shape and texture suit your recipe; kruidnoten are not automatically a like-for-like substitute for flat speculaas. They can work differently as decoration, but if you use a chocolate mix, check the types of chocolate too: the mix described by ALDI contains white, milk and dark chocolate.
Can Lidl deliver these groceries to my home in the Netherlands?
No. According to Lidl Netherlands, it does not sell groceries through its website or app and does not offer a grocery delivery service. If delivery is essential, choose another way to buy the ingredients.