Crushed aniseed sprinkles are a good choice for an aniseed-flavoured Advent treat or as decoration, but the ingredients in the De Ruijter variety reviewed here mean it isn’t chocolate. If you want to count down each day with Fairtrade chocolate, choose a chocolate advent calendar whose claim you can verify for the specific version, or fill a calendar yourself with chocolate you’ve chosen individually. Also check the allergens and, if you’re buying a ready-made calendar, the number of doors.
If the claim on the chocolate is a deciding factor, check the label on the specific product. Milieu Centraal explains that a Fairtrade logo on a white background may apply only to a certified ingredient, not automatically to the whole product.
If you want a treat behind every door, a ready-made chocolate advent calendar is a good fit. Tony’s Chocolonely states that its advent calendars contain 24 surprises and Fairtrade-certified chocolate.
For an aniseed flavour on a rusk or as decoration for cupcakes or cakes, for example, crushed aniseed sprinkles are an alternative to chocolate. The ingredients list for De Ruijter Crushed Aniseed Sprinkles at Albert Heijn includes sugar, aniseed and wheat starch.
Choose these for: an aniseed flavour or decoration for a treat you’re putting together yourself.
Bear in mind: the De Ruijter variety reviewed here isn’t chocolate and doesn’t make a calendar with doors by itself.
Choose this for: counting down each day with chocolate, without filling the doors yourself. Tony’s Chocolonely states that its calendars contain 24 surprises and Fairtrade-certified chocolate.
Bear in mind: the flavour, allergens and availability may vary depending on the version you choose.
Choose this for: a calendar you can fill with chocolate treats you’ve chosen individually.
Bear in mind: check the Fairtrade label on each product you choose and decide for yourself how to fill the doors.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade label | Read the claim on the chocolate you’ve chosen. According to Milieu Centraal, a Fairtrade logo on a white background may identify only a certified ingredient. | When I choose chocolate for the calendar, I want to know exactly what the Fairtrade claim applies to. Around 50% of consumers put this check first. |
| Calendar with doors | Check the number of doors and the version; Tony’s Chocolonely states that its calendars contain 24 surprises. | I want to find a chocolate treat behind a door each day, without filling the calendar myself. For around 30% of consumers, this calendar format comes first. |
| Aniseed flavour and decoration | Read the ingredients and decide whether sprinkles are right for the treat you want to make. According to Albert Heijn, De Ruijter Crushed Aniseed Sprinkles contain aniseed and wheat starch. | When I decorate treats myself, I’m mainly looking for the flavour and use of sprinkles, not a chocolate advent calendar. Around 20% of consumers put this need first. |
The ingredients list for De Ruijter Crushed Aniseed Sprinkles at Albert Heijn includes sugar, aniseed, wheat starch, glucose syrup and colourings. They’re a different kind of treat from chocolate.
Choose sprinkles when you want an aniseed flavour or decoration. If you’re looking for Fairtrade chocolate, choose a product with a label you can verify.
A claim must apply to the product and ingredients you’re buying. Milieu Centraal points out that a Fairtrade logo on a white background may apply only to a certified ingredient.
Read the exact label on the calendar or bar you’ve chosen rather than relying on a brand’s general image.
Allergen information and format must match the exact version you choose. De Bijenkorf lists possible traces of gluten, egg and nuts for a 225 g Tony’s calendar; this doesn’t necessarily apply to other editions.
Before buying, check the current packaging, the number of doors and whether that version is available.
Worth considering if you’re looking for a ready-made chocolate advent calendar. On its Dutch calendar page, Tony’s Chocolonely lists versions with 24 surprises and Fairtrade-certified chocolate.
Worth considering if you want to fill a calendar with chocolate yourself. Albert Heijn describes its AH Biologisch extra-dark Delicata bar as a 100 g bar with 72% cocoa, and states that the required quantity has been traded and verified as Fairtrade.
Worth considering if you’re looking for crushed aniseed sprinkles as a topping or decoration. For the variety reviewed, Albert Heijn lists sugar, aniseed and wheat starch among the ingredients.
This chocolate bar is an option if you’re choosing treats for an advent calendar yourself; it isn’t a ready-made calendar with 24 doors.
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Worth considering if you want to fill a calendar with chocolate yourself. This bar is described as Fairtrade chocolate; check the exact label on the current packaging. Before filling the calendar, decide how many individual treats you want to make from the bar and check the allergens if they’re relevant to the recipient.
The De Ruijter Crushed Aniseed Sprinkles reviewed here aren’t chocolate: Albert Heijn lists sugar, aniseed, wheat starch, glucose syrup and colourings as ingredients. If you want to choose a Fairtrade treat, check the label on the specific product you’re buying.
Read the label on the exact calendar or bar you want to buy. According to Milieu Centraal, a Fairtrade logo on a white background may apply only to a certified ingredient, not automatically to the whole product.
Tony’s Chocolonely states that its advent calendars contain 24 surprises. When you buy one, check the size and information for the version you’ve chosen.
Check the allergens on the current packaging of the calendar you’ve chosen. For a 225 g Tony’s version, De Bijenkorf lists possible traces of gluten, egg and nuts and recommends storing it in a dark place at 12 to 19 °C; don’t assume this information applies to another version without checking.
