Choose dark chocolate sprinkles with a stated cocoa percentage if a pronounced cocoa flavour is your priority. Albert Heijn states that De Ruijter Specials Intens Puur contains at least 52% cocoa solids, while De Ruijter Royaal Extra Puur contains at least 43%. However, these percentages don’t tell you how much sugar or which allergens the product contains. The Dutch Nutrition Centre doesn’t include chocolate sprinkles in its Wheel of Five guidelines, and describes sweet bread toppings for primary school children as a once-a-day choice alongside a varied lunch.
For parents, older schoolchildren or adults who prioritise the cocoa flavour when choosing dark chocolate sprinkles. Compare the cocoa solids percentage for the exact product: Albert Heijn lists different percentages for De Ruijter Specials Intens Puur and Royaal Extra Puur.
For anyone who wants to pack chocolate sprinkles occasionally and compare the sugar content. Read the nutritional information per 100 g and consider how much actually goes on the bread; a claim on the front of the pack is no substitute for the nutrition table.
For anyone who needs to check the ingredients of each specific product before adding it to a lunchbox. Albert Heijn’s product information lists milk and soya in De Ruijter Specials Intens Puur; don’t assume another dark variety has the same ingredients.
Start with the cocoa flavour you’re looking for, then compare the sugar content and the amount you’ll serve at lunch. If you need to avoid specific allergens, always check the label on the exact pack separately.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa flavour | The stated cocoa solids percentage for the exact product, and whether you enjoy the flavour. | If an older schoolchild prefers less-sweet chocolate, cocoa flavour is the most important factor. Around 38% of consumers say it’s their top priority. |
| Sugars and portion size | The sugars per 100 g and how much goes on one slice of bread. | If you pack chocolate sprinkles as an occasional change, you’ll want to compare sugar content without confusing a small portion with the figures per 100 g. Around 37% of consumers put this first. |
| Pack size | The pack’s contents, best-before date and how much you expect to use at home. | If chocolate sprinkles only make it onto the table occasionally, you don’t want to buy more than you’ll use. For around 25% of consumers, choosing a suitable pack size is their main concern. |
A cocoa percentage and the amount of sugars answer different questions. Albert Heijn states that De Ruijter Specials Intens Puur contains at least 52% cocoa solids, while its product information also lists 43 g of sugars per 100 g.
Check both the cocoa percentage and the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g on the exact pack.
The Dutch Nutrition Centre doesn’t include chocolate sprinkles in its Wheel of Five guidelines. For primary school children, it allows for one daily choice of bread topping alongside a lunch made up mainly of foods included in the guidelines.
Think of chocolate sprinkles as an occasional alternative, and consider the whole lunch rather than just the topping on one slice of bread.
Albert Heijn’s product information lists milk and soya in De Ruijter Specials Intens Puur. The word ‘dark’ doesn’t tell you about allergens.
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the exact product’s packaging before packing it in a lunchbox.
A larger pack is only practical if your family will use that amount before it goes out of date. For example, Jumbo lists a 400 g pack of Venz; the pack size tells you nothing about the cocoa percentage or sugar content.
Compare the pack size and best-before date with how often you eat chocolate sprinkles at home, especially if you haven’t tried the dark variety before.
The dark varieties reviewed have different stated cocoa percentages: according to Albert Heijn, Specials Intens Puur contains at least 52% and Royaal Extra Puur at least 43% cocoa solids.
Jumbo lists Céréal Hagelslag Puur in a 200 g pack. If you’re considering this variety, compare its nutritional information with that of other dark chocolate sprinkles.
Jumbo lists Venz Puur Chocolade Hagelslag in a 400 g pack.
Jumbo also lists its own-brand dark chocolate sprinkles, including a 600 g pack.
For AH Hagelslag Puur, Albert Heijn lists 64 g of sugars and 6.8 g of fibre per 100 g in its nutritional information.
This Joybuy selection features dark chocolate sprinkles in a 200 g pack. If you’re looking for a pronounced cocoa flavour for a school lunch, compare the cocoa percentage, sugars and allergens on the label for this exact product before buying.
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For anyone who wants to enjoy dark chocolate sprinkles as an occasional change at school lunch.
The pack contains 200 g. Check the label for this exact product to make sure it suits your preferred cocoa flavour and any allergen requirements.
A higher cocoa content doesn’t make dark chocolate sprinkles an everyday staple. The Dutch Nutrition Centre doesn’t include chocolate sprinkles in its Wheel of Five guidelines. For primary school children, it allows for one daily choice of bread topping alongside a varied lunch made up mainly of foods included in the guidelines.
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging for the exact product. Albert Heijn lists milk and soya in De Ruijter Specials Intens Puur; the word ‘dark’ doesn’t mean a product is free from these ingredients.
A larger pack is a good choice if the quantity suits how much you use at home and you’ll finish it before the best-before date. For example, Jumbo lists Venz Puur Chocolade Hagelslag in a 400 g pack. Be sure to compare the label too, as pack size tells you nothing about nutritional values.
Use it to compare products, but also check the packaging of the product you buy. Albert Heijn notes that ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change.
