Enjoy Dutch breakfast cake mainly as a snack or as part of a meal, and choose the type according to when you plan to run. For a long training session, compare the carbohydrates in the portion you’ll actually eat. Just before running, also consider portion size, fibre and any polyols. A premium look or a ‘no added sugars’ label doesn’t, on its own, tell you whether a cake is right for your planned mealtime.
If you train for several hours a week for a marathon, you’ll want to know how many carbohydrates are in a slice or bar you’ll actually eat, and when to have it. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that planning your carbohydrate intake is relevant for intensive endurance training.
If you want to eat something shortly before a training session, portion size and the amount of fibre, fat and any polyols are worth considering. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against eating a large meal or foods high in fat, protein or dietary fibre just before exercise.
For a snack outside your training, you can compare standard, organic, wholemeal and no-added-sugars options by their ingredients, nutritional information and packaging. The best choice for this doesn’t have to be the same as what you’d eat just before an intensive run.
Start with when you’ll eat it: you might choose differently for a snack on a training day than for a portion just before or during a run. Then compare the nutritional information for the type you’re considering with the amount you’ll actually eat.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it’s most relevant to |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrates per portion | Compare the carbohydrates per 100 g with the weight of the slice or bar you plan to eat. | For a long run, I want to plan my carbohydrate intake based on the portion I’ll actually eat. This portion planning is a priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Eating around your run | Check the portion size and the amounts of fibre, fat and any polyols; try your chosen portion during a regular training session first. | Just before running, I don’t want to eat a large portion that doesn’t agree with me. Digestive comfort is the main concern for around 29% of consumers. |
| Everyday ingredients | Read the ingredients and compare fibre, sugars and added sugars per 100 g. | If I usually eat Dutch breakfast cake when I’m not exercising, the ingredients in my everyday snack matter more. Everyday use is the main consideration for around 21% of consumers. |
| Taking it with you and portioning it | Check whether the cake is sliced or individually wrapped, and how many grams each piece weighs. | When I’m out and about, I want to take a pre-portioned snack without having to slice it myself. This convenience is the deciding factor for around 14% of consumers. |
A no-added-sugars option may contain fibre and polyols. PLUS states that its Zero Dutch breakfast cake contains 15.6 g of fibre and 21.7 g of polyols per 100 g. Peijnenburg warns that excessive consumption of its Tussendoor+ Choco option may have a laxative effect.
Check the fibre, polyols and carbohydrates per portion on the label too. Try your chosen type and portion during a regular training session.
A nutrition table showing values per 100 g doesn’t automatically describe one slice or bar. Albert Heijn states that AH Bakkersontbijtkoek contains 69 g of carbohydrates per 100 g, with a portion size of 25 g.
Use the weight of your portion to calculate the carbohydrates in the amount you’ll eat, and include drinks in your training plan too.
These terms don’t tell you how a particular Dutch breakfast cake will sit during a run. In 2025, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority reported that, in a sample of artisan-made Dutch breakfast cakes, 34% of the products tested had acrylamide levels above the benchmark level. This finding says nothing about any individually wrapped product or brand.
Compare the specific product’s ingredients, nutritional information and portion size rather than judging it by the look of the packaging.
You can’t assume a Dutch breakfast cake contains baker’s salt just because of its product category. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that using baker’s salt is not compulsory.
Check the ingredients or ask the baker which salt was used if this matters to your choice; don’t rely on the name ‘Dutch breakfast cake’ alone.
Offers, among other things, original Dutch breakfast cake, a no-added-sugars option and individually wrapped snack bars.
Offers, among other things, organic unsliced Dutch breakfast cake and baker’s Dutch breakfast cake; compare the options separately.
Offers both sliced Zero Dutch breakfast cake and original Dutch breakfast cake bars, with different ingredients and packaging.
ALDI lists pre-sliced Zero and wholemeal Dutch breakfast cake from Koek & Bakker.
Lists, among other products, sliced wholemeal Dutch breakfast cake.
These options show two formats for a snack on training days: sliced wholemeal Dutch breakfast cake and an option you can take with you. Use the label and your planned mealtime to decide whether a portion also works for you around a run.
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The sliced format suits anyone who wants to grab a slice for a snack at home. If you’re planning a specific carbohydrate intake, you’ll also need the weight per slice and the nutritional information on the packaging.
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The individually wrapped format is handy if you want to take Dutch breakfast cake with you. Before eating it around a long run, check the carbohydrates per bar and also look at the fibre and polyols on the packaging.
Yes, if the portion you choose fits your carbohydrate plan and you’ve found that you tolerate it well during training. For prolonged, intensive exercise, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends 30 to 60 g of carbohydrates per hour. For exercise lasting longer than 2.5 to 3 hours, it says that intake of up to 90 g per hour may be appropriate. Calculate this using the carbohydrates in the bar or slice you’ll actually eat, and plan what you’ll drink too.
Not based on that label alone: check the portion size, fibre and polyols too. PLUS states that its Zero option contains 15.6 g of fibre and 21.7 g of polyols per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against foods high in fibre just before exercise, so try a specific option on a regular training day first.
No, the product name doesn’t confirm that iodised baker’s salt was used. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt in baking is not compulsory. Check the ingredients for a specific Dutch breakfast cake or ask the baker which salt was used.
No, these labels aren’t proof that an individual product is safe. In 2025, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority found acrylamide levels above the benchmark level in 34% of a sample of 85 artisan-made Dutch breakfast cake and gingerbread products. This sample result shouldn’t be attributed to any specific packaged supermarket product or brand.
