Bakers who want to dip kruidnoten
You’re baking kruidnoten and looking for chocolate to coat the biscuits once they’ve cooled completely. Albert Heijn Allerhande describes this method using melted dark chocolate.
Who are these options for?
Lovers of a pronounced cocoa flavour
You’re comparing bars with a stated cocoa percentage, such as 70%, 85% or 90%, because flavour matters to you. According to the Voedingscentrum, terms such as ‘extra bitter’ don’t correspond to a fixed cocoa percentage.
Shoppers checking allergens
You want to check which ingredients and allergen warnings are relevant to the people you’re serving before you start baking. Check the packaging for both the chocolate and any speculoos biscuits.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether you want a chocolate coating, chocolate pieces or biscuit crumbs. Then compare the cocoa percentage and ingredients of products suited to that use.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate coating and preparation | Check whether the product is intended for melting or dipping, and follow the instructions. | If I want to dip cooled kruidnoten, I look for chocolate that the packaging says I can use for this. Around 33% of consumers prioritise a chocolate coating. |
| Cocoa flavour | Compare the stated cocoa percentage; don’t rely on terms such as ‘extra dark’ alone. | For my kruidnoten, a pronounced cocoa flavour is what matters most, so I choose my chocolate accordingly. This flavour is the top priority for around 27% of consumers. |
| Speculoos crumbs | Choose a biscuit for crumbs or a topping, not as a substitute for a chocolate dip. | I’d rather add a crunchy speculoos topping than dip every kruidnoot in chocolate. This is the most important consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the packaging for the ingredients, the ‘contains’ statement and any ‘may contain’ warnings. | Before I serve anything to others, I need to check whether the ingredients and allergens are suitable for them. Around 20% of consumers put this check first. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘extra dark’ means a set cocoa percentage
According to the Voedingscentrum, terms such as ‘bitter’ and ‘extra bitter’ don’t have a fixed cocoa or cocoa butter percentage. The term alone doesn’t tell you what percentage is in the bar.
If it matters to your choice of flavour, compare the specific cocoa percentage shown on the packaging.
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Using speculoos as a substitute for melting chocolate
Crumbling a speculoos biscuit can add texture, but it won’t create a melted chocolate coating around a kruidnoot.
Decide in advance whether you want to dip them in chocolate or finish them with biscuit crumbs. You can also plan to do both separately.
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Checking only whether chocolate is ‘dark’ for allergens
The dark chocolate products reviewed and Lotus Biscoff list different ingredients and potential allergens. The word ‘dark’ is no substitute for this product information.
Check the packaging just before use. If anything the people you’re serving need to know remains unclear, ask the manufacturer or retailer for clarification.
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Assuming a product page guarantees availability
A chocolate bar being listed doesn’t necessarily mean it will be in stock at your local shop when you visit. For example, the ALDI offer reviewed for Moser Roth 85% starts on 12 October 2026.
Check availability on the day you shop, and have an alternative with a clearly stated cocoa percentage in mind.
Brands to consider
Jumbo huismerk
Jumbo sells its own 200 g dark chocolate for melting and 125 g dark chocolate drops: two different product formats for different baking plans.
- According to Jumbo’s product specifications, the melting chocolate contains at least 56% cocoa solids and the drops at least 40%.
- Both products reviewed list soya and warnings about possible other allergens; check the label on each pack.
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Bakeries says its speculoos biscuits can also be used as an ingredient in cooking. Crumbled over kruidnoten, they work well as a topping.
- Biscuit crumbs add a different texture from a chocolate coating.
- Lotus Biscoff isn’t dark chocolate. The product reviewed contains wheat flour and soya flour, and may contain traces of milk, nuts and peanuts.
Moser Roth
ALDI Netherlands lists a 125 g Moser Roth bar with 85% cocoa, which may suit you if you want to choose a bar by its stated cocoa percentage.
- The cocoa percentage is clearly stated, so you can compare it with other bars.
- A bar containing 85% cocoa isn’t automatically suitable for the coating you want. The ALDI offer shown starts on 12 October 2026; check availability when you shop.
Lidl
Lidl Netherlands listed 125 g dark chocolate with 90% cocoa as an in-store product.
- The stated percentage makes this bar an obvious choice if you’re specifically looking for 90% cocoa.
- Check stock in store. Lidl says it doesn’t provide an online list of ingredients, allergens and nutritional values for its food products, so check the packaging.
Chocolate bars and chips at Joybuy
This selection includes four chocolate bars with a stated cocoa percentage and one pack of chocolate chips. Choose by flavour or product format, and check the instructions for your chosen product if you’re making a coating for dipping.
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Lindt Excellence 90% Cocoa Supreme Dark, 100 g
A bar to consider if you’re looking for a high stated cocoa percentage. If you want to dip kruidnoten, check the melting and usage instructions separately.
Also check the ingredients and allergen warnings on the packaging for the people you’re serving.
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Lindt Excellence 78% Cacao, 100 g
A bar for anyone who wants to factor the stated cocoa percentage into their flavour choice. Check the packaging to see how to use the chocolate for your baking plans.
Also check the current ingredients and allergen warnings.
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Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate, 100 g
A bar to consider if you’re choosing chocolate for kruidnoten by its stated cocoa percentage. If you want a coating, check the melting and usage instructions for this bar.
Check the packaging if ingredients or allergens matter to the people you’re serving.
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Cote D'or Sensation Noir 70%, 100 g
A bar for anyone who starts with a specific cocoa percentage in mind. Check the instructions before choosing this chocolate for a coating.
Also check the packaging for ingredients and any allergen warnings.
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Dr. Oetker Chocolate Chips, 100 g
Chips are a product format to consider if you’re looking for chocolate pieces to add to your bake. Check the packaging to make sure they’re suitable for your dough or the finish you have in mind; don’t assume they’ll work for dipping just because of their format.
Compare the cocoa percentage on the label if it matters to your flavour choice.
Frequently asked questions
Does ‘dark’ automatically mean a high cocoa percentage?
No. The Voedingscentrum says that terms such as ‘bitter’ and ‘extra bitter’ don’t indicate a fixed cocoa percentage. If you want to choose by percentage, compare the figure on the specific packaging.
For chocolate-coated kruidnoten, should I choose a bar, melting chocolate or drops?
For dipping, a product specifically sold for melting is a targeted choice; if you choose a bar, check how to prepare it. Albert Heijn Allerhande uses 72% dark chocolate in its recipe for chocolate-coated kruidnoten and dips the biscuits only after they’ve cooled. Drops are a different format to choose if you want small pieces of chocolate.
How can I melt chocolate for a coating?
A bain-marie is one way to heat chocolate indirectly: place a heatproof bowl containing the chocolate over a pan of water and stir as it melts. Albert Heijn Allerhande describes this technique as a way to prevent the chocolate from burning; also follow the instructions for the product you’ve chosen.
Which allergen information should I check for chocolate and speculoos?
Read the ingredients list and any ‘may contain’ warnings on every pack you use. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains the mandatory declaration of allergens on food labels; check the chocolate and any biscuit topping separately.