Which option is right for you?

Buying for several breakfasts

You’re looking for a simple breakfast cake for breakfast in bed and later occasions. A large supermarket own-brand pack is worth comparing; check the net weight and whether the cake is sliced.

Choosing a specific variety

You might be looking for wholemeal breakfast cake or a variety with no added sugar. Check the exact product name, ingredients and nutritional information: one claim doesn’t automatically tell you anything about another.

Buying to serve or share

You want to be able to serve slices straight away at a small breakfast, or take the cake with you and share it out. Sliced cake and individual portions suit these practical needs; check which type of packaging you’re choosing.

What should you look for when choosing?

First, decide how much breakfast cake you’ll need for breakfast and later occasions. Then choose the recipe, packaging or flavour you want.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Quantity Check the net weight and whether you’re buying a large cake or individual portions. If I want to serve breakfast cake after breakfast in bed too, one pack needs to be enough. Around 42% of consumers prioritise having enough for several occasions.
Recipe Compare the product name, ingredients and nutritional information for the exact variety. If you’re specifically looking for wholemeal or no added sugar, don’t rely on a prominent name alone. Around 33% of consumers prioritise choosing a specific variety.
Serving and sharing Check whether the cake is sliced and whether individual portions are wrapped separately. For a quick breakfast or something to take with me, I don’t want to have to divide up a large cake first. Around 17% of consumers give this convenience top priority.
Flavour Check which flavour you’re choosing, and read the ingredients if you have a specific dietary need. For a special breakfast, a flavour such as ginger or pearl sugar may matter more than a plain variety. Around 8% of consumers prioritise this preference.

Common mistakes

  • Treating plain, wholemeal and zero as the same variety

    These names describe different product choices. What’s more, a statement about less sugar in one type of product doesn’t tell you the nutritional value of every individual breakfast cake.

    Compare the ingredients and nutritional information on the packaging of the varieties you’re actually considering.

  • Assuming allergens or iodine content based on the product category

    Dutch breakfast cake may contain cereals containing gluten and carry a warning about nuts. The name alone also doesn’t tell you whether a specific product has iodine added.

    Read the label on the pack in question. If the product information isn’t clear enough to help you decide, ask the manufacturer or retailer for clarification.

Brands and supermarket ranges to consider

These brands and supermarket ranges offer different types of Dutch breakfast cake. Compare the specific variety: a large plain cake, a flavoured variety and individual portions don’t all meet the same needs.

Peijnenburg

Peijnenburg offers plain, wholemeal and flavoured varieties, as well as individual portions.

  • Jumbo listed a 550 g sliced plain cake and individually wrapped plain portions at 10 × 28 g.
  • A pack of individual portions is a different format from a large cake, so decide which one you need first.

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn has its own-brand breakfast cake in plain, wholemeal and flavoured varieties.

  • The range included, among other options, a 550 g unsliced plain cake and a 485 g sliced wholemeal cake.
  • When comparing products, look at both the weight and whether the cake is sliced or unsliced.

Jumbo

Jumbo stocks a range of breakfast cake brands and formats.

  • The category included breakfast cake from Bolletje, Snelle Jelle and Jumbo, among others.
  • A breakfast cake bar or a special variety isn’t necessarily interchangeable with a large plain cake.

Tastino (Lidl)

Tastino is a Lidl range of breakfast cake varieties, including plain and zero.

  • Lidl listed packs ranging from 465 to 550 g.
  • Check the exact variety and product information in store; Lidl directs customers to its stores for the latest information about its food range.

Koek & Bakker (ALDI)

ALDI’s Koek & Bakker range includes sliced wholemeal breakfast cake, a zero variety and pearl sugar cake.

  • ALDI listed 485 g packs of the wholemeal and zero varieties, and a 465 g pack of the pearl sugar variety.
  • For the zero variety, check the exact claim and nutritional information; the variety name alone doesn’t tell you everything about its recipe.

PLUS / Korenlanders

PLUS lists its own-brand breakfast cake and Korenlanders Bakkers breakfast cake, alongside a range of varieties and pack formats.

  • The PLUS range included, among other options, a 550 g unsliced plain cake and a 485 g sliced wholemeal cake.
  • The product information for Korenlanders Bakkers breakfast cake lists rye and possible traces of nuts; check the current label if allergens are relevant to you.

Dutch breakfast cake at Joybuy

This selection features a Snelle Jelle breakfast cake variety for anyone who wants to take cake with them or share it out. Check the packaging if the exact sugar information is important to your choice.

Snelle Jelle Breakfast Cake Less Sugar-Free, 250 g pack

Snelle Jelle Breakfast Cake Less Sugar-Free 250 g

A breakfast cake variety to take with you or share out. The pack states 250 g; check the exact sugar information on the label, as the variety name alone doesn’t make this clear.

View at Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Does ‘no added sugar’ mean breakfast cake is sugar-free?

No, these terms don’t mean the same thing. ALDI uses ‘no added sugar’ for its Koek & Bakker Zero variety; check the nutritional information on the exact pack to see which sugars the product contains.

What should I look for if I have a gluten or nut allergy?

Read the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging of the exact breakfast cake. PLUS lists rye and possible traces of nuts for Korenlanders Bakkers breakfast cake; don’t assume another variety has the same ingredients.

Does all breakfast cake contain iodine from baker’s salt?

You can’t tell from the name alone. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority sets out conditions for iodine from baker’s salt in bakery products, but that doesn’t confirm that a specific breakfast cake contains baker’s salt. Check the product ingredients if this matters to you.