Choosing Fairtrade ingredients when baking speculaas depends on which ingredient you want to carry the certification. Albert Heijn’s classic speculaas recipe contains no cocoa. If you add cocoa or chocolate to a recipe or dessert, check the Fairtrade mark on the packaging of that specific ingredient. A general sustainability claim about a brand or supermarket does not confirm that the speculaas or baking mix itself is Fairtrade-certified.
You’re making speculaas or a speculoos dessert and want to make a verifiable Fairtrade choice for the chocolate, cocoa or decorations. Check the mark and any accompanying information on the packaging of the ingredient you choose.
You want to make the dough yourself and choose each ingredient individually. Albert Heijn’s classic recipe contains no cocoa, so first decide which ingredient you want to have a Fairtrade mark.
You’re checking not only the recipe’s base ingredients, but also almonds and decorations. Albert Heijn warns that not all almonds are necessarily suitable for its gluten-free recipe; the information on the packaging of every product you use is what counts.
First decide whether you’re making classic speculaas or adding cocoa or chocolate to a recipe. Then compare the certification on the exact ingredients, the preparation required and the allergen information.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade mark | If you add cocoa or chocolate, check the mark on the exact product and read any information about traceability. | If I add cocoa, I want to know whether that specific ingredient carries the Fairtrade mark; this assurance is a priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Recipe and preparation | Choose between individual ingredients and a baking mix; if you use a mix, check what else you need to add. | I want to control the dough and the final flavour, even if that means more preparation. This level of control matters most to around 29% of consumers. |
| Allergens | Read the latest allergen information for the mix or biscuits, as well as for individual additions such as almonds and chocolate. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, I check each item individually rather than relying on the recipe name; this is the main concern for around 21% of consumers. |
| Convenience | Check how many ingredients and preparation steps a recipe or mix still requires. | I want to bake something at home without weighing out all the basic ingredients separately. This is the deciding factor for around 14% of consumers. |
A supermarket may use different certification schemes. Information about Fairtrade chocolate at ALDI or Lidl therefore doesn’t confirm that a specific pack of speculaas or a baking mix carries the same mark.
Check the mark on the packaging of the exact chocolate, cocoa or speculaas product you want to use.
For cocoa, Fairtrade International allows mass balance: Fairtrade and non-Fairtrade cocoa do not have to remain physically separate at every stage of processing.
If the way cocoa is traced matters to you, read the information accompanying the mark.
Jumbo Mix voor Speculaas lists wheat and the possible presence of other gluten-containing cereals and egg. Even with a gluten-free recipe, additions such as almonds need to be checked separately.
Read the latest allergen information for every packaged ingredient, including decorations.
Lotus Bakeries also presents Biscoff biscuits and spread as ingredients for desserts.
Albert Heijn has a recipe for making speculaas from scratch and also sells ready-made speculaas.
Jumbo offers a speculaas baking mix that requires you to add some ingredients yourself.
Lidl states that its Favorina seasonal chocolate is Fairtrade-certified.
ALDI Nederland states that Moser Roth chocolate and seasonal chocolate are Fairtrade-certified.
This cocoa and chocolate are suitable for recipes where you choose an ingredient to add to speculaas or a speculoos dessert. They do not confirm that the speculaas itself carries the Fairtrade mark; check the certification information on the packaging of the ingredient you buy.
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For a recipe or dessert that you want to add cocoa to. The product name mentions Fairtrade; check the mark on the current packaging.
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A chocolate option if you want to add caramel and sea salt to your speculaas dessert. Before using it, check the Fairtrade mark and allergen information on the packaging of this product.
No. Albert Heijn’s classic speculaas recipe contains no cocoa, so it isn’t a Fairtrade choice in itself. Decide which individual ingredient you want to buy with a Fairtrade mark, then check its packaging.
No. Fairtrade International allows mass balance for cocoa, which means it can be mixed during processing while Fairtrade volumes are tracked. Read the information accompanying the mark to find out more about the product you’ve chosen.
Check the label of every pre-packaged product you use, including individual additions. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that allergen information must appear on the label of pre-packaged products; check the current packaging each time you buy.
