If you’re serving biscuits to someone with coeliac disease, choose a product explicitly labelled ‘gluten-free’ and check the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging before serving. A gluten-free biscuit is a good fit for a simple breakfast; gluten-free oat biscuits call for extra care when checking the oats information, while a madeleine or waffle could be an alternative if you’d prefer to serve something softer.
If you want to serve biscuits alongside coffee, yoghurt or fruit for someone with coeliac disease, the suitability of the specific product is what matters. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that a lifelong gluten-free diet is the treatment for coeliac disease, so check the gluten-free claim and the current packaging.
You’re looking for something to share with everyone while keeping your guest’s dietary needs in mind. A gluten-free biscuit or oat biscuit could work at breakfast, but check each pack for any other allergens that may be relevant to your guests.
You might want a crunchy biscuit with your coffee, an oat biscuit or perhaps a softer madeleine. Choose based on flavour, texture and portion size only after you’ve confirmed that the specific product is suitable for the dietary requirement.
If you have coeliac disease, start by checking the gluten-free claim on the specific product. Then choose the type of biscuit and pack that suit your Sunday breakfast.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Suitability for coeliac disease | Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the pack and read the ingredients and allergen information. For oat products, choose one labelled gluten-free and check for the Crossed Grain symbol. | If I’m serving biscuits to someone with coeliac disease, I want to be able to assess the suitability of that exact pack. Around 50% of consumers put this first. |
| Flavour and texture | Compare a biscuit, oat biscuit or softer madeleine; consider waffles as a separate breakfast alternative. Check the gluten-free claim for each product first. | For a relaxed breakfast, I might want a crunchy biscuit, while for a more elaborate spread I’d serve something soft. This breakfast preference is the deciding factor for around 30% of consumers. |
| Availability and packaging | Check whether your chosen product is available at your shop and whether the pack is big enough for the number of guests. If necessary, have another suitable type of biscuit as a back-up. | For a planned breakfast spread, I want to be able to find enough suitable biscuits without relying on just one product. Around 20% of consumers give this practical consideration top priority. |
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that oats can become contaminated with gluten. So the word ‘oats’ on its own doesn’t mean a biscuit is suitable for someone with coeliac disease.
Choose an oat biscuit specifically labelled gluten-free and, if you have coeliac disease, check the pack for the Crossed Grain symbol too.
Albert Heijn warns that ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change. The information you saw online earlier may therefore differ from the packaging you’re serving.
Use the product page to help you make your choice, then read the label on the pack you’ve bought just before serving.
Your preferred biscuit may not always be available at your chosen shop. This can be especially awkward if you need something suitable for a set number of guests.
Check availability in good time and think about another type of biscuit labelled gluten-free that would work for your breakfast.
According to product information from Makro Netherlands, Lotus Biscoff Speculoos Topping contains wheat flour. This doesn’t mean the same is true of every Lotus product, but it shows why a familiar brand name is no substitute for checking the label.
Before serving any individual product to someone with coeliac disease, check its gluten-free claim, ingredients and allergen information.
Albert Heijn’s product pages list gluten-free oat biscuits, chocolate chip cookies and speculaas under this name.
Jumbo lists Schär products labelled gluten-free, including Maria Biscuit, Choco Chip Cookies and madeleines.
Albert Heijn lists Verkade Gluten-free Oaties in plain and milk chocolate varieties.
ALDI describes Heerlijck Banket Coconut Rings as a pack of six gluten-free ring biscuits.
The brand name or speculaas flavour doesn’t mean that a particular Lotus Biscoff product is gluten-free.
Under EU rules, a food can be labelled ‘gluten-free’ if it contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten when sold to the final consumer. If you’re choosing for someone with coeliac disease, also check the ingredients and allergen information on the specific pack.
No, oats on the ingredients list aren’t enough to guarantee that. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that oats can be contaminated with gluten and recommends looking for the official Crossed Grain symbol on oat products for people with coeliac disease. Choose a product labelled ‘gluten-free’ too.
Yes. Before serving, read the packaging of the product you actually bought. Albert Heijn says that ingredients and allergen information, among other details, can change.
Before choosing, ask for the allergen information for that specific biscuit and find out which gluten-containing cereals it contains. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergen information must be available before purchase, and that for unpackaged products it must be clear which gluten-containing cereals are present.
