If you have coeliac disease, don’t choose a regular canoe-shaped pastry if its label lists cereals containing gluten: Albert Heijn lists wheat in its butter canoe-shaped pastry. A filled biscuit clearly labelled gluten-free is the closest match in terms of product type; if you’d prefer cake or a crisp biscuit, there are other gluten-free options. When you’re on the terrace, also ask how the treat is stored and served to make sure it won’t come into contact with crumbs or shared utensils.
You’re looking for a treat labelled gluten-free and want to know how it’s stored and served away from your own kitchen. The Dutch Coeliac Society points out that cross-contamination, for example from crumbs, is also a concern.
Above all, you want a biscuit with the same filled character as a canoe-shaped pastry. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list separate gluten-free filled biscuits; check the current packaging of the product you choose.
The almond paste filling matters less to you than finding the right texture to enjoy with your coffee or tea. Jumbo and Albert Heijn’s ranges include gluten-free madeleines, mini cakes and oat biscuits.
First, check that it’s labelled gluten-free and find out how it will be served. Then decide whether you’d prefer a filled biscuit, soft cake or crisp oat biscuit: each offers a different eating experience.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten and serving | Check the current gluten-free label and allergen information. Ask staff whether it’s stored separately and served with clean utensils. | If I’m having something with my coffee on a terrace and have coeliac disease, I also want to avoid contact with crumbs while it’s being served. For around 42% of consumers, careful handling of gluten is the top priority. |
| Similarities to a canoe-shaped pastry | Check whether it’s a gluten-free filled biscuit, and look at the ingredients if the filling is important to your choice. | I mainly want the filled-biscuit experience of a canoe-shaped pastry; an ordinary biscuit is less appealing. Around 33% of consumers give this similarity top priority. |
| Texture and packaging | Choose between soft cake or madeleines and a crisp oat biscuit. Check whether you can store the packaging hygienically once it’s open. | With coffee or tea, I want a treat with a texture I enjoy, without having to take an opened pack with me unprotected. This is the first thing around 25% of consumers consider. |
A canoe-shaped pastry or filled biscuit isn’t automatically gluten-free. Albert Heijn lists wheat and cereals containing gluten in its regular butter canoe-shaped pastry.
Look for the gluten-free label on the current packaging and check the allergen information too.
The Dutch Coeliac Society says cross-contamination can also happen if gluten-free food comes into contact with crumbs or shared utensils.
Ask how the product is stored and whether clean cutlery and a clean plate are used to serve it.
A product’s ingredients and allergen information can change. That means a description you saw previously may differ from the packaging of the product you buy.
Read the information on the packaging just before eating, even if you already know the product.
A gluten-free product category doesn’t mean the filled biscuit or cake you want will be available every time you visit the shop.
Check the current range before you set off, or take a sealed, clearly labelled alternative with you.
Albert Heijn lists a separate AH Glutenvrij Gevulde koek, alongside other gluten-free biscuit options.
Albert Heijn and Jumbo list a range of gluten-free biscuits and baked goods from Schär, including madeleines.
Verkade describes its Oaties as gluten-free; Albert Heijn lists a plain version and one with milk chocolate.
Jumbo’s gluten-free range includes a filled biscuit and Lekker Vrij van Gluten Mini Cakes.
If you’d rather have a crisp oat biscuit than a filled biscuit with your coffee or tea, take a look at this Verkade Oaties variety. Even when a biscuit is labelled gluten-free, it still needs to be stored and served carefully on the terrace.
Image unavailable
For anyone looking for a crisp oat biscuit with coffee or tea instead of an almond paste-filled canoe-shaped pastry.
Milk Chocolate variety in a 150 g pack. Check the current gluten-free label and allergen information on the packaging, and avoid contact with crumbs or shared utensils when serving.
Not if the label lists cereals containing gluten. Albert Heijn lists wheat and cereals containing gluten in its butter canoe-shaped pastry. For a coffee break, look for an alternative explicitly labelled gluten-free and check the current packaging.
Yes. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, customers must be able to obtain allergen information about unpackaged food before buying it. Also ask how a gluten-free treat is stored and served: ingredient information alone doesn’t tell you whether it may come into contact with crumbs on the terrace.
No. For someone with coeliac disease, possible contact with gluten during storage and serving is also important. The Dutch Coeliac Society highlights cross-contamination, so ask about crumbs, shared cutlery and how the biscuit is put on your plate.
Check that the specific oat biscuit is labelled gluten-free. Under Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, oats in a product sold as gluten-free must meet conditions designed to avoid contamination with wheat, rye and barley. Also check the current packaging and ask how it will be served on the terrace.
