Who are these options relevant to?

Travellers with coeliac disease

You don’t want to rely on a standard hotel biscuit without a clear gluten-free label. If you bring your own, check the current packaging, any other allergens and that the pack is intact.

Hotel guests with limited luggage space

For a short stay, you may want a biscuit to have with your coffee without having to bring a large, opened pack. A small pack or individually wrapped portions may be more practical.

Coffee drinkers with additional allergies

As well as gluten, you may need to look out for ingredients such as milk, soya, nuts or eggs. A gluten-free biscuit isn’t automatically free from other allergens.

What should you look for when choosing?

For coffee in your hotel room, first check that the current packaging identifies the biscuit as gluten-free. Then compare the allergen information and the amount you’ll actually want to open during your stay.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters most to
Gluten-free label Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the current packaging; don’t judge whether it’s suitable from the ingredients list alone. With coeliac disease, I want to check what the pack says before eating the biscuit with my hotel coffee. For around 42% of consumers, this is their main concern when buying.
Portions and packaging Compare the pack size, the number of individually wrapped portions and the storage instructions. For one or a few coffee breaks, I don’t want to open a large pack and have to take it home afterwards. Around 33% of consumers prioritise how easy it is to take along and portion out.
Other allergens Read the allergen information and any ‘may contain’ warning for the specific product. As well as gluten, I may need to avoid milk, soya, nuts or eggs, so a gluten-free label doesn’t answer all my questions. For around 25% of consumers, these additional requirements are the main consideration.

Common mistakes when choosing

  • Assuming a familiar coffee biscuit is gluten-free

    Lotus Bakeries presents Biscoff as a biscuit to enjoy with coffee, but that doesn’t tell you whether the product is labelled gluten-free.

    If you have coeliac disease, choose based on the current packaging, not the brand or the habit of having a biscuit with coffee.

  • Stopping reading after you see ‘gluten-free’

    Gluten-free biscuits can contain other allergens. For example, the Twix, Schär and AH products reviewed differ in their declarations of milk, soya, eggs, almonds and possible traces.

    For each individual product, read the full allergen information and any ‘may contain’ warning.

  • Opening a large pack for one coffee break

    If you’re staying in a hotel for a short time, you may have an opened pack left over when you leave.

    Compare small packs and individually wrapped portions with the number you plan to eat. Take a larger pack if you can share it or use the rest later.

  • Applying a warning about one product to an entire brand

    On 9 September 2026, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority issued a specific warning about AH Glutenvrij Speculaasbrok with a best-before date of 26-3-2027, because almonds may not have been listed on the label. This is not a warning about all AH Glutenvrij products.

    If there’s a safety warning, check the exact product name and best-before date, and read the packaging of the product you’re buying.

Brands and product ranges to consider

Schär

According to its product information, Schär Digestive Landtaler is a gluten-free, lactose-free biscuit packaged in portions of four.

  • The individually wrapped portions are useful if you’re planning several coffee breaks and don’t want to open the whole pack at once.
  • This specific product contains soya and may contain eggs and lupin; this doesn’t tell you anything about the ingredients in other Schär products.

AH Glutenvrij

AH Glutenvrij Koekjes amandel comes in a small 45 g pack. Albert Heijn states that this product is made in a completely gluten-free environment.

  • The smaller pack size may suit a short stay.
  • This almond biscuit contains almonds, eggs and soya. Check the current packaging when you buy it, even if you’ve already looked at the product information online.

Jumbo Lekker Vrij

Jumbo offers a range of gluten-free biscuits under Lekker Vrij, including speculaas and milk chocolate digestives.

  • The range gives you different types of biscuits to compare by packaging and ingredients.
  • Check the allergens for each individual product; the ingredients in one variety don’t necessarily apply to another.

Verkade

Verkade Gv Oaties Melkchocolade is an oat biscuit with milk chocolate that Joybuy describes as gluten-free.

  • This type of product is worth considering if you’re looking for an oat biscuit to have with coffee.
  • The product contains milk, oats and soya, and may contain nuts. Before choosing it if you have coeliac disease, check the current gluten-free label on the packaging.

Lotus Biscoff

Lotus Bakeries describes Biscoff as a match for coffee. That makes the brand familiar for this coffee break, but doesn’t confirm that it’s a gluten-free option.

  • If you have coeliac disease, don’t choose it just because it goes well with coffee: check that the packaging of the specific biscuit explicitly says ‘gluten-free’.

Joybuy products for this choice

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

What should I look for in a biscuit for someone with coeliac disease?

Choose a biscuit whose current packaging explicitly says ‘gluten-free’. The European Commission sets out the conditions for using this label; checking the ingredients list alone to see whether it contains gluten isn’t the same thing.

If I have coeliac disease, can I have the standard hotel biscuit?

Don’t have it unless you have information about that specific biscuit. Ask the hotel about its ingredients, allergens and gluten-free label, or bring your own sealed product so you can check the packaging.

Is a gluten-free oat biscuit suitable for everyone with coeliac disease?

No. Joybuy’s product information for Verkade Gv Oaties Melkchocolade states that a small number of people with coeliac disease may be sensitive to the oat protein avenin. Check the current packaging and other allergens for this biscuit too.

What’s best for a short hotel stay: a small pack or individual portions?

A small pack may be right for one coffee break; individually wrapped portions let you keep the rest sealed. Compare the pack size and storage instructions with how long you’ll be away and how many biscuits you want to take.

Should I still read the label if I’ve checked the ingredients online?

Yes. Albert Heijn notes that ingredients and allergen information can change. So before eating the product, read the packaging of the one you’ve actually received or bought.