If you’re looking for ontbijtkoek (Dutch spiced breakfast cake) for an adult New Year’s Eve gathering, start by choosing a specific flavour rather than relying on the word ‘dark’ or dark packaging. Ginger, nuts and spiced cake are familiar flavour options. If you want a cocoa flavour, check the ingredients for the exact variety, and take any requirements around sugars, gluten and how it’s served into account.
Want to serve something a little different from plain ontbijtkoek when entertaining. Albert Heijn’s range includes varieties with ginger and nuts, among others. The flavour of the variety you choose is a more useful guide than the colour of its packaging.
Check the information on the exact packaging. For example, ALDI labels a specific Koek & Bakker variety ‘no added sugars’, while Peijnenburg says that many of its varieties contain rye and therefore gluten.
Look for sliced cake, strips or individually wrapped slices to hand out. For example, Peijnenburg lists a pack of ten individually wrapped slices, each weighing 28 g.
Decide which feature matters most for your New Year’s Eve gathering, then check the other requirements on the same pack. A flavour name or convenient portion packaging doesn’t, by itself, tell you anything about cocoa, sugars or allergens.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and cocoa | Check the flavour name and ingredients. If you want a cocoa or chocolate flavour, look for an explicit mention of cocoa or chocolate. | When I’m entertaining, I want a distinctive flavour rather than just a dark appearance; around 37% of consumers put this flavour preference first. |
| Sugars | Read the claim on the exact variety and compare the nutritional information per 100 g. | If avoiding added sugars is my main requirement, I want to assess the claim and nutritional information for that cake; around 27% of consumers prioritise this. |
| Gluten and allergens | If necessary, choose a variety explicitly labelled gluten-free and check the latest allergen information on the pack. | If someone at the table needs to avoid gluten, that takes priority over my flavour preference; around 18% of consumers put checking allergens first. |
| How it’s served | Compare a whole cake with sliced cake, strips and individually wrapped slices. | I want to offer guests something without having to slice a whole cake first; for around 18% of consumers, serving convenience matters most. |
A dark colour or packet won’t tell you how much cocoa an ontbijtkoek contains. And a product with ‘choco’ in its name isn’t necessarily the same type of cake as the ontbijtkoek you’re looking for.
If a cocoa flavour is essential, check the product name and ingredients for the exact variety. Ginger, nuts and spiced cake are different flavour options, not substitutes for a confirmed mention of cocoa.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So the product category alone won’t tell you what type of salt is used in a particular ontbijtkoek.
If the type of salt matters to you, read the ingredients on the pack or ask the manufacturer.
Peijnenburg says that many of its varieties contain rye and therefore gluten. Other gluten-containing grains may also be relevant for a particular variety.
If gluten needs to be avoided, choose a variety explicitly labelled gluten-free and check the latest allergen information on the pack.
ALDI labels Koek & Bakker Gesneden Ontbijtkoek Zero ‘no added sugars’. This claim doesn’t automatically apply to other ontbijtkoek products from the same brand or to products from other brands.
Compare the exact claim and nutritional information for each variety.
Offers ontbijtkoek in a range of flavours and formats, including plain, ginger, nut and individually wrapped slices.
Spiced cake and individually wrapped portions for anyone comparing formats and sugar claims that apply to specific varieties.
ALDI lists Koek & Bakker Gesneden Ontbijtkoek Zero as a pre-sliced variety.
Own-brand options include plain, wholemeal and zero varieties, in a range of pack formats.
No, don’t assume that it does. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. For a particular ontbijtkoek, check the label or ask the manufacturer about the ingredients.
No, don’t assume ordinary ontbijtkoek is gluten-free. Peijnenburg says that many varieties contain rye and therefore gluten. If necessary, choose a variety explicitly labelled gluten-free and check the latest allergen information.
Store it in a dry, dark place in a tightly sealed container. Follow any different storage instructions on the pack you choose.
When buying, use the latest packaging as your guide. PLUS warns that ingredients and allergen information can change. This is particularly important if someone at the table needs to avoid a particular ingredient.
