Gluten-Free Biscuits for Mother's Day & Coeliac Disease

Who is this choice relevant to?

Buying a gift for someone with coeliac disease

Wants to choose a biscuit labelled gluten-free and check the current ingredients and allergen information before giving it as a gift.

Short on preparation time

Is looking for ready-made biscuits for a Mother’s Day treat, without having to bake them yourself.

Taking other dietary requirements into account

Needs to consider not only gluten but also lactose or specific allergens such as nuts, eggs, milk and soya.

What should you look for when choosing?

If you’re buying for someone with coeliac disease, first check the gluten-free label and the allergen information on the packaging. Then decide whether ready-to-serve biscuits or home baking would suit your Mother’s Day plans better.

What to consider	What to check	Especially relevant for
Gluten-free labelling	Read the gluten-free label and check the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging.	When I’m giving biscuits to someone with coeliac disease, I don’t want to rely on the product name alone. For around 50% of consumers, gluten-free suitability is the top priority.
Convenience and presentation	Choose between ready-made biscuits and baking your own; if buying a pack, check that the quantity suits the occasion.	I want to be able to serve or share the biscuits straight away, without baking them first. For around 30% of consumers, convenience is the top priority.
Additional dietary requirements	For your chosen biscuits, also check for lactose information and details of allergens that are present or may be present.	If the recipient also needs to avoid lactose or certain allergens, a gluten-free label alone isn’t enough for me to make my choice. Around 20% of consumers prioritise these additional dietary requirements.

Common mistakes

Assuming gluten-free means free from all allergens

Gluten-free biscuits may still contain egg, milk, soya or nuts, for example, or carry a warning that these may be present.

Ask which allergens the recipient needs to avoid, and read both the ingredients list and the allergen information on the packaging.
Relying only on the online product description

Albert Heijn says that ingredients and allergy information can change. The packaging on the product you buy may therefore differ from information you read online earlier.

Check the packaging again before giving or serving the biscuits.
Assuming home-baked biscuits suit every allergy

Allerhande’s gluten-free almond letter biscuit recipe contains almonds, eggs and butter. A personalised shape doesn’t automatically make the recipe suitable for other dietary requirements.

Adapt the ingredients to suit the recipient, and when baking, take care to avoid contact with gluten through ingredients and kitchen utensils.

Brands to consider

AH Glutenvrij

Albert Heijn’s AH Glutenvrij range includes a variety of sweet biscuits, such as almond biscuits and oat biscuits.

Albert Heijn says its gluten-free almond biscuits are made in a completely gluten-free environment.
The almond biscuits also list egg, soya, almonds and wheat. Check the current packaging, especially if an allergy is also a concern alongside coeliac disease.

Jumbo Lekker Vrij

Jumbo’s Lekker Vrij range includes gluten-free speculaas, syrup waffles and chocolate digestives.

The range of biscuits gives you options for a small serving or a treat to share.
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging of your chosen product; a gluten-free label says nothing about other allergens.

Céréal

Jumbo’s product page describes Céréal chocolate biscuits as gluten-free and lactose-free.

This is an option to explore if lactose is also a concern alongside gluten.
The product page lists soya and says the biscuits may contain, among other things, egg, milk, nuts, sesame and lupin. Lactose-free doesn’t mean free from these allergens.

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Frequently asked questions

Is a biscuit labelled only wheat-free suitable for someone with coeliac disease?

No, wheat-free isn’t the same as gluten-free. If you have coeliac disease, choose a product labelled gluten-free and check the packaging: alongside wheat, rye and barley are also gluten-containing cereals covered in the European Commission’s information on gluten-free food.

Why might a gluten-free biscuit still list wheat?

This is the case, for example, with Albert Heijn’s gluten-free almond biscuits: they’re labelled gluten-free but also list wheat and use gluten-free wheat starch. Read the full, current packaging; if you have a wheat allergy, the gluten-free label alone isn’t enough to assess the product.

Should I still check the packaging if I’ve already looked at the product page?

Yes, check the packaging of the biscuits you’re actually giving or serving. Albert Heijn says that ingredients, nutritional values and allergy information can change.

Are gluten-free and lactose-free biscuits also free from other allergens?

No, those two labels don’t mean that all other allergens are absent. According to the product page, Céréal’s gluten-free and lactose-free chocolate biscuits contain soya and may also contain, among other things, egg, milk, nuts, sesame and lupin.