What should you look for when choosing?
There are three practical ways to serve aniseed sprinkles on a gluten-free product: buy currant buns, bake your own or use a different bread product. The best option depends on the shape you want, how much time you have to prepare it and which ingredients your guest needs to avoid.
Ready-made gluten-free currant bun
Best if: you want to serve a currant bun with aniseed sprinkles without baking it yourself.
Bear in mind: the storage instructions and the time between delivery and serving. Yara's Glutenvrij Bakkerij recommends freezing the buns if you need to keep them for longer.
Bake your own gluten-free currant buns
Best if: you want to choose the ingredients and decide how many buns to make.
Bear in mind: you’ll need time to prepare, prove and bake them on a clean work surface. Albert Heijn Allerhande’s recipe makes eight buns.
Gluten-free bread or roll
Best if: you want to serve aniseed sprinkles but don’t need to use a currant bun.
Bear in mind: the product will have a different shape, and allergens vary by product. A gluten-free roll isn’t automatically free from soya or other ingredients.
| What to consider |
What to check before buying |
Who is this most important for? |
| Choosing and serving gluten-free food separately |
Look for the gluten-free label on the current packaging. Use clean utensils when preparing the product and keep it away from regular bread crumbs. |
If I’m serving someone with coeliac disease, I want to make sure the chosen product doesn’t come into contact with gluten on the celebration table. This is the top priority for around 42% of consumers. |
| The shape of the product |
Decide whether you want to buy gluten-free currant buns, bake them using a recipe or choose a different gluten-free bread product. If it’s packaged, check the contents and storage instructions too. |
If you specifically want to hand out currant buns with aniseed sprinkles, the familiar shape and the preparation involved are what matter most. Around 25% of consumers give this choice priority. |
| Other allergens and ingredients |
As well as checking the gluten-free label, read the ingredients list and allergen information for the specific product. |
If your guest also needs to avoid another ingredient, that will determine which gluten-free options are suitable. For around 17% of consumers, this additional check comes first. |
| Iodine if you regularly replace bread |
If you use bread products regularly, check the ingredients of each one. Iodised salt or potassium iodide in one product tells you nothing about other products. |
If you’re replacing regular bread over the long term, consider your choice as part of your overall diet, not just for this celebration. For around 16% of consumers, this question takes priority. |
According to the Dutch Coeliac Association, a product labelled gluten-free contains less than 20 mg of gluten per kg. It’s also important to prevent cross-contamination when serving it. The RIVM describes bread as an important source of iodine in the Netherlands. This makes iodine a particular consideration if you regularly replace ordinary bread; it’s not a reason to relax the gluten-free requirement for a single celebration product.
Brands and suppliers to consider
These examples include currant buns, recipes and bread alternatives. A gluten-free bread range doesn’t necessarily mean that the same supplier also offers gluten-free currant buns.
Yara's Glutenvrij Bakkerij
A specialist supplier of ready-made gluten-free currant buns, sold in packs of six.
- According to its own product information, these currant buns are also free from lactose, soya, wheat starch, cow’s milk and egg.
- If you order in advance, check the current ingredients and storage instructions.
Schär
A brand with a recipe for gluten-free currant buns, as well as separate bread products.
- The currant bun recipe uses Schär Mix Brot, for those who want to bake their own.
- Schär Meesterbakker Mehrkorn bread at PLUS contains soya and may contain lupin, mustard and sesame. Check each product individually.
Albert Heijn / AH Glutenvrij
Albert Heijn Allerhande has a recipe for gluten-free currant buns, while the AH Glutenvrij range also includes rolls and bread.
- The recipe makes eight currant buns to bake at home.
- The gluten-free white rolls and seeded rolls are different products from currant buns.
Jumbo / Lekker Vrij van Gluten
Jumbo’s gluten-free bread range includes brown rolls and raisin bread, among other products.
- These products offer a different option to serve with aniseed sprinkles if you don’t need currant buns.
- Jumbo Rozijnen Krentenbollen contain wheat and gluten, so check the label on the exact product.
PLUS
PLUS lists gluten-free breads and a raisin bread as alternatives to currant buns.
- The ingredients list for Schär Meesterbakker Mehrkorn bread includes iodised salt.
- This product contains soya and may contain lupin, mustard and sesame. The ingredients in other breads may differ.
Bread alternatives at Joybuy
These products are suitable if you want to serve aniseed sprinkles on a different gluten-free bread product or bake your own bread. They aren’t ready-made currant buns. For the mini baguettes, check the product shape and preparation instructions before buying.
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Gv Baguette Mini, 7 pieces
A bread alternative to serve with aniseed sprinkles if you don’t need currant buns. Check whether you’ll receive rolls or a mix, how to prepare the product and what the pack contains. Before use, check the current gluten-free label and allergen information, and take care to prevent cross-contamination during preparation.
View at Joybuy
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Schär Mix B gluten-free bread mix, 1 kg
For anyone who wants to bake their own bread as an alternative to a currant bun. According to the product description, you can knead this bread mix by hand or use it in a bread maker. It isn’t a ready-made currant bun. Check the current label for ingredients and allergens, particularly if soya is relevant to your guest.
View at Joybuy
Frequently asked questions
When can I choose a currant bun or roll for someone with coeliac disease?
Choose a product labelled gluten-free on the current packaging and prevent it from coming into contact with gluten during preparation and serving. According to the Dutch Coeliac Association, the label means the product contains less than 20 mg of gluten per kg. An ingredients list that appears to be free from wheat isn’t enough on its own.
Can I serve an ordinary raisin and currant bun with aniseed sprinkles?
Not if it contains gluten and your guest has coeliac disease. Jumbo Rozijnen Krentenbollen list wheat flour and wheat gluten. Choose a currant bun explicitly labelled gluten-free for this guest, or opt for another bread product with a gluten-free label.
How can I keep the gluten-free product separate on the celebration table?
Prepare and serve it with clean hands, on a clean work surface and using separate utensils. Keep it away from regular rusks and don’t use shared spreads or aniseed sprinkles that have been contaminated with crumbs containing gluten. The Dutch Coeliac Association stresses the importance of preventing cross-contamination.
Are gluten-free currant buns also free from milk, egg and soya?
It depends on the product. Yara's Glutenvrij Bakkerij describes its currant buns as free from lactose, cow’s milk, egg and soya, among other things. Those properties don’t automatically apply to other gluten-free bread products. If there are additional allergies, always check the current label.
Does iodine matter if I eat gluten-free bread more often?
If you regularly replace ordinary bread, it’s worth checking the ingredients in the products you usually buy. The RIVM describes bread as an important source of iodine in the Netherlands, but the presence of iodised salt or potassium iodide varies between gluten-free products. A single celebratory currant bun doesn’t give you a picture of your overall diet.