Choose egg cakes if you’d like something sweet alongside your weekend breakfast; a box of chocolates is better suited to sharing or giving as a small gift. You can serve both, but neither should replace the breakfast foods recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s Wheel of Five. When choosing, check the portion sizes, nutritional information, ingredients and allergens on the packaging you buy.
Would you like to put something sweet on the table without making the whole breakfast a treat? Egg cakes can be served individually, alongside foods such as fruit and wholemeal bread. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends using foods from the Wheel of Five as the basis for breakfast.
For brunch or a visit, presentation may matter more than whether something counts as a breakfast food. A box of individually wrapped chocolates offers a different option from one egg cake per person; Albert Heijn, for example, lists 32 individually wrapped chocolates in its Merci Gift Box.
If you’re buying for someone with a food allergy, don’t just look at the type of product. The AH Egg Cakes reviewed list ingredients including egg, milk, wheat and soya. With chocolate, too, check the ingredients and any warnings on the current packaging.
First decide whether you’re looking for something to go with breakfast or mainly something to hand out. Then compare the portions and check the packaging for anyone who’ll be eating with you.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Its role at breakfast | Think about what you’ll serve alongside the sweet item. For egg cakes, compare the nutritional values per 100 g and per cake, if both are listed. | I want to offer something sweet while still leaving room for the usual breakfast foods. For around 45% of consumers, this breakfast role is the priority. |
| Sharing and portions | Check the number of pieces and whether they’re individually wrapped. A box of chocolates and a pack of egg cakes won’t necessarily be divided into portions in the same way. | When people visit, I want to be able to hand something out or give it as a gift without having to cut it into portions. Around 33% of consumers prioritise sharing. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients, highlighted allergens and any warnings on the packaging of the exact variety you’ve chosen. | If I’m buying for someone with a food allergy, I need to be able to check first whether this particular product is suitable. This is the main concern for around 22% of consumers. |
A value per cake can’t be compared directly with a value per 100 g. For its egg cakes, Albert Heijn lists a 30 g portion and 94 kcal per cake. For the plain egg cakes reviewed, Jumbo lists 295 kcal, 29.5 g of sugars and 1.9 g of fibre per 100 g. Always compare the same quantity, then consider how much you actually want to serve.
A box to share has a different role from the breakfast foods recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s Wheel of Five. The packaging may set the scene for a special moment, but it doesn’t determine what else you put on the breakfast table.
First decide what you’re serving for breakfast, then add chocolate as a treat if you like.
The AH Egg Cakes reviewed list ingredients including egg, milk, wheat and soya. A different variety or a box of chocolates needs to be checked separately; the product name doesn’t tell you everything about what’s in it.
Read the ingredients, allergens and warnings on the packaging you buy, even if you’ve bought the product before.
An offer that runs for a limited time tells you nothing about the range at another time. Lidl’s advertised egg cake offer was only available in store from 5 to 11 October 2026.
Check the current offer dates and in-store range before relying on a particular pack being available.
These examples can help you compare product types and labels; the features of one variety won’t necessarily apply to a whole brand or range.
Its own-brand range offers a specific example of egg cakes for anyone looking to check portions and ingredients.
The supermarket offers a range of egg cakes as well as a separate category for chocolate gifts.
Bolletje describes crisp egg cakes for anyone looking for a different texture.
A chocolate brand to consider when chocolate matters more than having an egg cake with breakfast.
A shop to consider if you’d like to pick up egg cakes during a planned shopping trip.
These products are suited to handing out or giving as chocolate gifts around weekend breakfast. They’re not egg cakes and shouldn’t replace breakfast. When choosing, focus on the pack size and check the current ingredients and allergens.
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A chocolate gift to share when the focus is on a special treat.
Pack weight: 288 g. Check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging before handing it out.
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An assortment of chocolates for anyone who’d like to offer guests a variety to choose from.
Pack weight: 385 g. Check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging before sharing the assortment.
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The individual tubes give you handy portions if you’re sharing chocolate with several people.
Pack: 6 tubes of 34 g. Check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging you buy.
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An option if you’d like to share chocolate bars with matcha.
Pack: 9 pieces, 104.4g in total. If you’re buying them for a later weekend, check the best-before date and allergen information.
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An assortment of chocolates to share around the table.
Pack weight: 143 g. Check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging you choose before serving.
It’s better to serve a box of chocolates as a treat to share alongside breakfast, rather than as a replacement for it. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends using foods from the Wheel of Five as the basis for breakfast, so decide separately what else you’ll put on the table.
Check the full allergen information for the specific product, rather than relying on a standard list for that type of food. The AH Egg Cakes reviewed list ingredients including egg, milk, wheat and soya; ingredients and warnings vary between chocolate products. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains the requirement to list allergens on food labels.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging of the product you buy. For the egg cakes reviewed, Albert Heijn recommends a cool, dry place out of direct light and keeping the pack tightly closed after opening. For the Merci Gift Box reviewed, the advice is to protect it from heat.
