If you want to choose the cocoa flavour yourself
You want to offer your guests a dark chocolate topping with a clearly stated cocoa percentage. Plain egg cakes and a separate chocolate bar are a good choice if you have time to add the topping.
Which option is right for you?
If you want something ready to serve quickly
You want to serve the egg cakes straight away. A ready-made chocolate or filled variety could work well, as long as you don’t assume that ‘chocolate’ means a high cocoa percentage and you check that it’s available.
If you’re buying for guests with allergies
Before serving, check the allergens in your chosen egg cakes and any chocolate topping. Ingredients vary between products, so always check the packaging of the products you’re actually using.
What should you look for when choosing?
Plain egg cake with a dark chocolate topping
Choose this if: you want to pick a chocolate bar with a stated cocoa percentage. Jumbo suggests melted dark chocolate as a topping for egg cakes.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to buy and add the chocolate separately. The percentage on the bar does not apply to the egg cake with its topping.
Ready-made chocolate egg cake
Choose this if: you want to serve a snack without preparing a topping and can find a suitable product.
Bear in mind: a filling or chocolate coating doesn’t, by itself, tell you that the product has a high cocoa percentage. Check current availability too.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Rich, dark cocoa flavour | Check the ingredients in the egg cake and the stated cocoa percentage on any chocolate bar you choose separately. | If I want to choose a rich, dark cocoa flavour, a specific percentage on my topping is more useful than the word ‘chocolate’. This is the main priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Ready to serve | Check how many pieces are in the pack and whether the ready-made variety you want is available. | I don’t want to have to add chocolate during the game; I’d rather put the egg cakes straight on the table. Around 33% of consumers prioritise serving speed. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the allergen information on every pack you use; compare sugars and saturated fat per 100 g across products. | When I’m buying for several guests, I want to know what ingredients and allergens are in the snack before serving it. This is the top buying priority for around 17% of consumers. |
If you’re comparing the nutritional information on different packs, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing the values per 100 g. Values per portion are only easy to compare if you also take portion size into account.
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘chocolate’ means a known, high cocoa percentage
A chocolate egg cake may have a filling or coating containing cocoa ingredients without a high cocoa percentage being stated for the egg cake as a whole. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also says there is no single standard cocoa percentage for descriptions such as ‘bitter’ and ‘extra bitter’.
If you want to check the percentage, read the label on a separate dark chocolate bar. Also check the ingredients and allergens in the egg cakes.
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Assuming an old product page means it’s still in stock
Jumbo marks the chocolate egg cake products we checked as no longer available in its online range. So, a product page with nutritional information doesn’t guarantee that you can order the product.
Check availability shortly before you shop. If the ready-made variety you want isn’t available, plain egg cakes with chocolate chosen separately are another option.
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Reading only the front of the pack
A flavour name doesn’t tell you which ingredients, allergens or nutritional values apply to that particular product. For example, Albert Heijn lists 41 g of sugars and 6.4 g of saturated fat per 100 g for its Gulden Krakeling Choco filled egg cakes. These values apply to this variety.
Before serving, read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you’ve bought. Use the nutritional information per 100 g to compare products.
Brands to consider
Jumbo
Jumbo offers several types of egg cake and suggests dark chocolate as a topping in one of its recipes.
- The recipe gives you a practical way to serve plain egg cakes with chocolate chosen separately.
- The chocolate egg cake pages we checked say these products are no longer part of the online range.
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn provides product information for its own-brand plain egg cakes and Gulden Krakeling Choco filled egg cakes.
- The information for the plain egg cakes includes nutritional values per cake and allergen information.
- The filled variety does not state a high cocoa percentage. Check store availability if that’s the one you want to buy.
Verkade
Verkade is relevant here as a brand of chocolate for a separate topping, not as a maker of dark chocolate egg cakes.
- Verkade states that its Extra Puur bar contains at least 71% cocoa.
- That percentage applies to the chocolate bar, not to any egg cakes you might add it to.
Bolletje
Bolletje describes a crisp egg cake with a milk coating and cinnamon as an alternative for anyone who doesn’t fancy chocolate.
- The cinnamon variety offers a different flavour option if not everyone wants chocolate.
- This isn’t a dark chocolate egg cake. Check the pack for ingredients including cereals containing gluten, egg, soya and milk.
Chocolate for a homemade topping
These Joybuy products are chocolate bars and chocolate sprinkles to add to plain egg cakes yourself. They are not egg cakes, so buy the base separately. Choose between a bar with a stated cocoa percentage and sprinkles you can use without melting.
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Lindt Excellence 78% Cacao, 100 g
For anyone who wants to know the cocoa percentage of their chosen topping. This bar states 78% cocoa and weighs 100 g; egg cakes are sold separately. Check the allergens on both packs before serving.
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Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate, 100 g
A separate bar for anyone who wants to make a chocolate topping with a stated cocoa percentage. The pack contains 100 g; plain egg cakes are not included. Check the allergens on the pack before serving.
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Lindt Excellence 90% Cocoa Supreme Dark, 100 g
For anyone who wants a separate topping with 90% cocoa. This is a 100 g chocolate bar, not a ready-made egg cake. Add the chocolate yourself and check the allergens in both products.
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De Ruijter Pure dark chocolate sprinkles, 390 g
For anyone who wants to add chocolate sprinkles as a topping without melting a bar. This is a 390 g pack, not an egg cake; the name ‘Pure’ doesn’t tell you the exact cocoa percentage. Before serving, check the allergens in both the sprinkles and the egg cakes.
Frequently asked questions
Does ‘dark’ or ‘bitter’ mean an egg cake contains a lot of cocoa?
No. Those words alone don’t give you an exact cocoa percentage for the egg cake. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says there is no standard cocoa percentage for descriptions such as ‘bitter’ and ‘extra bitter’. Check the percentage on any chocolate you use as a topping, and don’t apply it to the egg cake as a whole.
How can I add a dark chocolate topping to plain egg cakes?
You can decorate them with melted dark chocolate, as Jumbo suggests in one of its recipe tips. Choose a bar based on the information on the pack, and check the allergens in both the chocolate and the egg cakes.
Which allergens should I check when serving egg cakes to a group?
Read the allergen information on every pack you use, including any separate topping. Depending on the product, allergens may include egg, wheat or other cereals containing gluten, milk, soya and nuts. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens must be labelled on prepacked foods.
How should I store the egg cakes until board game night?
Follow the storage instructions on the pack you choose. Albert Heijn says to store its plain egg cakes in a cool, dry place away from light and to close the pack securely after use. The filled chocolate egg cakes we checked are labelled to be stored in a cool, dark, dry place in a sealed pack.