If you want the filling to define the flavour of your cake, choose plain, uncoated digestives for the crumb base. A wholemeal variety is an option if you’re particularly interested in the stated wholegrain ingredients and fibre content. If you need a gluten-free base, only choose a product explicitly labelled gluten-free. Pick speculoos only if you want its caramelised flavour to come through in the cake, and always check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging.
If you want cream cheese, fruit or chocolate to remain the main flavour, classic, uncoated digestives are a natural choice for the crumb base. Albert Heijn, Jumbo and McVitie's all stock plain varieties.
If you’re avoiding gluten or other allergens, the words ‘digestive’ or ‘wholemeal’ don’t tell you enough. Check the labelling, ingredients and any ‘may contain’ information on the pack you’re using.
If you want to give the base a distinctive caramelised flavour, consider speculoos instead of plain digestives. Lotus Bakeries also lists Biscoff as an ingredient for desserts, including cheesecake.
First decide whether you want the base to stay neutral or add its own flavour. Then check that the biscuits suit your ingredient preferences, any allergen requirements and the quantity your recipe calls for.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral crumb base | Choose a plain, uncoated variety and compare the pack weight with the amount in your recipe. | If I want the filling to remain the main flavour, I don’t want chocolate or speculoos flavour in the base; around 40% of consumers say a neutral base is their top priority. |
| Wholegrain and fibre | Compare the ingredients and the stated fibre per 100 g, not just the word ‘wholemeal’. | When choosing biscuits, I mainly want to consider the proportion of wholegrain ingredients and the nutritional information; this is a priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Gluten and allergens | If necessary, look for an explicit gluten-free label and check for other allergens and ‘may contain’ statements too. | If gluten or another allergen is a restriction for me, the specific pack must meet my requirements; this is the main concern for around 10% of consumers. |
| Speculoos flavour | Decide whether a pronounced caramelised biscuit flavour will work with your chosen filling. | I want the base to have a distinct speculoos flavour, so I won’t automatically choose plain digestives; around 20% of consumers put this flavour first. |
The name describes a type of biscuit and, on its own, says nothing about its effect on your health or digestion.
Choose biscuits for your cake based on flavour, ingredients, nutritional information and your recipe’s requirements.
According to Jumbo, Jumbo Digestive Wholemeal contains wheat and gluten. A wholemeal variety is therefore not automatically a suitable alternative if you need to avoid gluten.
If so, check for an explicit gluten-free label and look for any other relevant allergens on the packaging.
According to Jumbo, McVitie's Digestives Milk Chocolate contains 30% milk chocolate and lists milk and soya. This gives you a different flavour and allergen profile from the Original.
Read the full variety name. Choose uncoated digestives when you want the filling to define the flavour.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. This is especially important when buying biscuits to meet a specific dietary or allergen requirement.
Before baking, read the information on the pack you’re actually using.
AH Digestive is a classic wheat biscuit in a 400 g pack. Albert Heijn also recommends it for cheesecake recipes.
Jumbo stocks both Krokante Digestive and Digestive Volkoren in 400 g packs.
Digestives Original is the plain variety; there is also a separate milk chocolate variety.
Digestive Landtaler is another option if you need an explicitly gluten-free biscuit for your base.
Biscoff is a speculoos biscuit for anyone who wants a caramelised flavour in their cake base, rather than plain digestives.
Biscotto is the own brand under which ALDI lists Digestive Biscuits, including in a 400 g pack.
These Joybuy products suit two different flavour choices for a cake base: classic plain digestives or speculoos biscuits that add flavour. Match the quantity you need and the information on the packaging to your recipe.
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Plain digestives to consider if you’re looking for uncoated biscuits for a crumb base. The pack contains 400 g. According to Jumbo’s product information, this Original variety contains 16% wholemeal wheat flour and lists wheat as an allergen. Check the packaging for any other allergens too.
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Speculoos biscuits for a base where you want to taste the caramelised flavour, rather than plain digestives. The pack contains 250 g. Check that this quantity suits your recipe and, if you have allergen requirements, read the current packaging.
No, don’t assume they are: the classic varieties described from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and McVitie's contain wheat. If you need gluten-free biscuits, look for an explicit gluten-free label and check the current packaging. Schär Digestive Landtaler is labelled gluten-free and wheat-free in Albert Heijn’s product information.
No. Read the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging for the specific variety. Even a biscuit labelled gluten-free may contain other allergens: according to the product information, Schär Digestive Landtaler contains soya and may contain egg and lupin.
Yes, if the chocolate flavour works with your filling, but they’re not a neutral alternative to uncoated digestives. According to Jumbo, McVitie's milk chocolate variety contains 30% milk chocolate and lists milk and soya, so check that its allergen profile is suitable for you too.
Yes, if you want the caramelised speculoos flavour to be a deliberate part of the cake. Lotus Bakeries lists Biscoff as an ingredient for desserts such as cheesecake, but plain digestives are a better choice for a base that’s as neutral as possible.
