If you’re looking for a biscuit for someone with coeliac disease, start with a packaged product that is explicitly labelled ‘gluten-free’ and check the label on the pack you buy. Only then compare biscuit styles, any lactose restrictions and availability: a gluten-free oat biscuit, chocolate cookie or coconut macaroon won’t necessarily meet the same additional requirements.
You’re looking for a biscuit to enjoy with your coffee and need to avoid gluten completely. That makes the gluten-free label on the pack your first selection criterion; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that a lifelong gluten-free diet is essential for people with coeliac disease.
As well as checking for a gluten-free label, you’ll need to check separately for lactose. Read the other ingredients and allergen information too, if relevant to you: gluten-free doesn’t automatically mean free from milk, soya or nuts.
Perhaps you’d like an oat biscuit, chocolate cookie, speculaas or coconut macaroon with your afternoon coffee. Choose a product in your preferred style only after checking for a gluten-free label and any other restrictions.
Start by checking for a gluten-free label on the pack you buy. Then consider which additional dietary restriction, shop or biscuit style matters most for your coffee break.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Check for a ‘gluten-free’ label and read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack. For biscuits containing oats, check specifically for a gluten-free label. | With coeliac disease, I don’t want to have to rely on the name, picture or a vegan label. Around 36% of consumers would put checking the gluten-free label first. |
| Availability | Check the current range at your chosen shop; don’t assume special-offer products will always be available. | For my afternoon coffee, I want to be able to buy a suitable biscuit without relying on a temporary range. Around 29% of consumers would put availability first. |
| Additional dietary restrictions | As well as gluten, check the information on lactose, milk, soya and oats, depending on what you avoid. | If I also avoid lactose, the biscuit needs to meet both requirements. Around 21% of consumers would put an additional dietary restriction first. |
| Biscuit style and size | Compare the type of biscuit and the pack size once you’ve completed the necessary label checks. | For a coffee break with others, I might prefer a larger coconut macaroon to a small biscuit. Around 14% of consumers would give the biscuit style the most weight. |
A vegan label tells you nothing about gluten. For example, Lotus lists wheat flour and gluten in its Biscoff Sandwich Cookies.
If you’re choosing for someone with coeliac disease, use the gluten-free label on the current packaging as your first filter.
The online information for AH Glutenvrij Koekjes amandel pairs a gluten-free product name with a mention of wheat in the allergen information. Albert Heijn also says that product information can change.
Don’t choose this particular biscuit based on its online title alone; check the packaging and the current gluten-free label first.
Jumbo describes Céréal Chocoladekoekjes as gluten-free and lactose-free, but also lists soya. For Verkade Gv Oaties, Joybuy lists milk, oats and soya.
Check the label of your chosen product separately for every additional restriction.
ALDI warns that special-offer products can sell out quickly. Extra gluten-free products at Lidl may not always be available either.
Check the current range before making a special trip for a particular biscuit.
Albert Heijn has an online category featuring different types of gluten-free biscuits, including oat biscuits and chocolate cookies.
Jumbo’s Lekker Vrij van Gluten range includes speculaas, syrup waffles and digestives.
ALDI lists Heerlijck Banket Kokosmakronen, Kokoskransen and Trader Joe's Rice Cookies among its gluten-free products.
Lidl has a page listing its gluten-free range and also sells biscuits under the Sondey name.
Lotus Biscoff is marketed by the manufacturer as a biscuit to enjoy with coffee, but that doesn’t mean it is labelled gluten-free.
Don’t assume they are. Lotus lists wheat flour and gluten in Biscoff Sandwich Cookies; this product information doesn’t necessarily apply to every Lotus variety. Only choose a specific biscuit if its current packaging explicitly says ‘gluten-free’.
Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, a product sold to the final consumer may be labelled ‘gluten-free’ if it contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg. Oats in a product with this label must also meet requirements designed to prevent contamination with wheat, rye or barley.
Not necessarily. Check that the finished product containing oats is labelled gluten-free. Joybuy also notes that a small number of people with coeliac disease may be sensitive to avenin, a protein found in oats, in relation to Verkade Gv Oaties.
Don’t base your choice on the online product title alone; check the packaging of the biscuit you’re actually buying. Albert Heijn says that ingredient and allergen information can change, and the online listing for AH Glutenvrij Koekjes amandel mentions wheat as well as using a gluten-free product name.
Albert Heijn and Jumbo have online categories for gluten-free biscuits, while ALDI lists specific gluten-free coconut and rice biscuit products. For every product you choose, check current availability and the label; a shop category doesn’t mean that every biscuit in it meets your additional requirements.
