Fans of rich coffee flavours
You’re looking for a pronounced cocoa flavour to enjoy with your coffee. A stated cocoa percentage is more helpful for comparing products than the word ‘dark’ in the product name alone.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Hosts who want to keep things simple
You want to make it easy to offer biscuits to several guests. Consider the size, pack contents and whether you’d prefer one ready-made biscuit or to serve speculaas and chocolate separately.
Guests with questions about ingredients
You take into account guests who need to avoid certain ingredients when you shop. Check the current allergen information for the exact product, even if you’re already familiar with a similar variety.
What should you look for when choosing?
Speculaas with dark chocolate
Choose this if: you want the spices of speculaas and chocolate in one biscuit that’s ready to serve, and you can check the label on the exact product.
The trade-off: ‘dark’ alone doesn’t tell you the cocoa percentage of the chocolate.
Speculaas with chocolate on the side
Choose this if: you want to select the cocoa percentage of the chocolate separately.
The trade-off: you’ll choose and serve two products instead of one chocolate speculaas biscuit.
A classic crunchy biscuit
Choose this if: an easy-to-serve, caramelised biscuit matters more to you than having chocolate with your coffee.
The trade-off: you’ll need to choose chocolate separately for a rich chocolate flavour.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa flavour | Check the cocoa percentage of the chocolate in the exact product; don’t rely on the word ‘dark’ alone. | I want a distinct cocoa flavour with my coffee, rather than having to guess from the product name. This flavour choice is the top priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Easy to share | Compare the pack size and, where stated, the number of biscuits or portions with the number of guests. | When I have friends over, I want to put something out that’s easy to pass around, without portioning it in advance. For around 30% of consumers, ease of sharing comes first. |
| Ingredients | Read the allergen information and any warnings on the current packaging; if you wish, compare the nutritional information per 100 g or per serving. | I want to know before serving which ingredients matter to my guests. For around 20% of consumers, having this reassurance is the top priority. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘dark’ means a high cocoa percentage
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, dark chocolate contains at least 35% cocoa. So the word doesn’t tell you what percentage is in the chocolate used in a particular speculaas product.
If cocoa flavour is your main priority, compare the percentage shown on the packaging of the exact product.
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Mistaking an old product listing for a buying option
Albert Heijn lists AH Speculaas Met Pure Chocolade as discontinued. So a product name doesn’t show what you can buy now.
Before buying, check both current availability and the label on the variety you’re actually choosing.
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Assuming allergens from the name or another variety
A chocolate speculaas product listed by Jumbo contains milk, cereals containing gluten, soya and wheat, among other ingredients; it also carries warnings about possible traces of nuts. This won’t necessarily apply to other products.
For each pack you choose, check both the listed allergens and any warnings about the possible presence of allergens.
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Assuming a higher cocoa percentage means it’s healthier
A percentage can help you choose a chocolate flavour, but on its own it doesn’t tell you the nutritional value of the biscuit as a whole.
Choose based on flavour and, if nutrition matters to you, compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per serving.
Brands to consider
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Bakeries describes Biscoff as a crunchy, caramelised biscuit to enjoy with coffee.
- An option if you want to serve a standalone biscuit with a caramelised flavour.
- For a rich chocolate flavour, you’ll need to choose chocolate separately.
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn has a listing for AH Speculaas Met Pure Chocolade, 320 g.
- The product name shows how speculaas with dark chocolate is sold as a single biscuit product.
- Albert Heijn marks this listing as discontinued; the name also doesn’t state a cocoa percentage.
Jumbo
Jumbo’s seasonal range includes speculaas chunks, speculaas windmills and kruidnoten with dark chocolate.
- Speculaas chunks and windmills are options to consider if you want to serve speculaas on its own.
- For any product you choose, check the ingredients, the cocoa percentage if it contains chocolate, and current availability separately.
Chocolate to serve alongside speculaas
This option suits you if you’re planning to serve plain speculaas and dark chocolate separately with coffee; the chocolate bar itself is not speculaas.
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Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate, 100 g
For anyone who wants to choose their chocolate separately to enjoy with speculaas and coffee. This bar states 70% cocoa and weighs 100 g; it isn’t a speculaas product. If you’re serving it to guests, check the allergen information on the current packaging.
Frequently asked questions
Does ‘dark chocolate’ mean speculaas contains a high cocoa percentage?
No. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre states that dark chocolate contains at least 35% cocoa. If a distinct cocoa flavour is important to you, check the percentage stated for the chocolate in the exact speculaas product.
Which allergens should I check when buying chocolate speculaas for guests?
Read the allergen information on the current packaging of the product you’ve chosen. A chocolate and speculaas product listed by Jumbo contains milk, cereals containing gluten, soya and wheat, and may contain certain nuts. Don’t assume this information applies to another variety.
Is a higher cocoa percentage a reason to eat more chocolate?
No. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against eating more chocolate in the belief that it will prevent cardiovascular disease. Use the cocoa percentage to guide your flavour choice, and check the product’s nutritional information if it matters to your purchase.