Don’t choose Dutch breakfast cake based on the word ‘dark’ alone: a chocolate variant is only a reliable choice for a high cocoa content if the percentage is clearly stated for that variant. Also compare sugars and fibre on the same portion basis. For sale or serving, choose the pack format that suits the setting: sliced pieces or individually wrapped bars.
If you’re looking for chocolate-flavoured Dutch breakfast cake to enjoy with coffee, a cocoa or chocolate percentage for the specific product tells you more than the word ‘choco’. Peijnenburg lists chocolate and cocoa beans as ingredients in its Tussendoor+ Choco, but that doesn’t confirm a high cocoa content.
If sugars and fibre matter to you, you can compare values per 100 g or per portion. General product descriptions such as ‘wholegrain’ and ‘no added sugars’ are no substitute for the nutrition table for the variant you choose.
For a counter, coffee area or communal space, the choice between sliced pieces and individually wrapped bars can make a practical difference. Check the number of pieces and the weight per piece before choosing a format for sale or serving.
First decide whether a pronounced cocoa flavour is essential. Then compare the nutritional information and choose a pack that suits how the Dutch breakfast cake will be offered.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa flavour | Check the cocoa or chocolate percentage for the exact variant and read the ingredients. | If I’m looking for a pronounced cocoa flavour, I want to know how much cocoa or chocolate the cake contains. This is the main consideration for around 25% of consumers. |
| Nutritional value | Compare sugars, fibre and salt per 100 g or per portion of the same size. | If I mainly want to weigh up sugars and fibre, I need to be able to compare the variants on the same basis. This is the main consideration for around 42% of consumers. |
| Portions and serving | Check whether the cake is sliced or individually wrapped, how many pieces the pack contains and how much each piece weighs. | When serving several people, I want to offer portions without having to slice the cake each time. This is the most important consideration for around 33% of consumers. |
For a comparison of product types, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives the following values per 30 g slice: 11.2 g sugars and 1.1 g fibre for regular Dutch breakfast cake, 7.3 g sugars and 3.6 g fibre for reduced-sugar Dutch breakfast cake, and 0.8 g sugars and 5.1 g fibre for Dutch breakfast cake with no added sugar. The values for the Dutch breakfast cake you buy may differ, so check the nutritional information on that pack too.
A chocolate bar calls for different checks from regular Dutch breakfast cake. Peijnenburg states that its Tussendoor+ Choco with no added sugars contains 4% chocolate, but this does not establish a high cocoa percentage. The individually wrapped bar may be convenient for serving, provided the ingredients and warnings are suitable for your intended use.
Chocolate or cocoa beans in the ingredients do not, by themselves, tell you how high the cocoa content is. Peijnenburg states that its Tussendoor+ Choco contains 4% chocolate; this is not the same as specifying a cocoa percentage.
Only describe the cake as ‘high cocoa’ when the percentage is clearly stated for that exact variant. Otherwise, describe it as a chocolate variant.
Peijnenburg states that its sliced wholegrain Dutch breakfast cake contains 37% wholegrain rye flour and 39 g sugars per 100 g. The proportion of wholegrain flour therefore doesn’t tell you how much sugar this variant contains.
Check wholegrain ingredients and nutritional values separately, and compare sugars, fibre and salt for the same quantity.
Peijnenburg Tussendoor+ Choco with no added sugars contains polyols. The packaging warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
For a product with no added sugars, check the ingredients and any usage warnings before choosing it for serving.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers are not required to use baker’s salt. This means you cannot assume that Dutch breakfast cake contains iodine simply because of its product category.
If iodine content matters for the product information, check the label or ask the manufacturer of the specific cake.
Peijnenburg offers products including sliced wholegrain Dutch breakfast cake and individually wrapped Tussendoor+ Choco bars.
The AH range includes sliced plain, wholegrain and zero Dutch breakfast cake, as well as products from other brands.
Jumbo stocks its own-brand Dutch breakfast cake and products from other brands in various formats.
The PLUS range includes own-brand Dutch breakfast cake in formats such as plain, wholegrain, zero and bars.
This ALDI brand offers products including sliced wholegrain Dutch breakfast cake and unsliced luxury Dutch breakfast cake with pearl sugar crystals.
Lidl’s Dutch range includes a zero Dutch breakfast cake product weighing 485 g.
No, that description doesn’t prove a high cocoa content. Peijnenburg states that Tussendoor+ Choco contains 4% chocolate, but this doesn’t establish the bar’s cocoa percentage. If that’s important to your choice, check for an explicit percentage for the exact variant.
Not necessarily for every brand or variant. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives 5.1 g fibre per 30 g slice for Dutch breakfast cake with no added sugar, compared with 1.1 g for regular Dutch breakfast cake on the same portion basis. When buying, compare the nutritional information for the specific products.
Yes, read the ingredients and usage warnings for the bar you choose. Peijnenburg lists xylitol and maltitol in Tussendoor+ Choco and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
No, you can’t assume this for every Dutch breakfast cake. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers are not required to use baker’s salt. For a specific product, check the label or ask the manufacturer which ingredients it uses.
