If you’re hosting someone with coeliac disease, choose a chocolate biscuit whose current packaging explicitly says it is gluten-free. Check for other allergens too, and serve the biscuits separately from regular ones. Lotus Biscoff Original is not a gluten-free alternative: according to Lotus Bakeries, it contains wheat flour and its allergen information states that gluten is present.
They want to choose a biscuit explicitly labelled gluten-free and avoid it ending up among biscuits containing wheat. Checking the current packaging and serving the biscuits separately matter more than choosing a familiar brand.
They can choose from options such as a chocolate chip cookie, a chocolate digestive or an oat biscuit with a chocolate coating. Even with a gluten-free product, other allergens still matter.
As well as gluten, they need to check the ingredients and allergen information for milk, eggs, soya, nuts and oats, among other things. The word ‘gluten-free’ on its own doesn’t answer every guest’s questions.
For this Easter brunch, start by checking the gluten-free label on the packaging. Then compare the other allergens, the type of biscuit and how you’ll serve it.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free option | Read the current gluten-free label and ingredients list. Keep the biscuits separate from those containing wheat when serving. | If a guest with coeliac disease is joining us, I don’t want a regular biscuit ending up among their options. For around 36% of consumers, checking for gluten comes first. |
| Other allergens | Check the full allergen information, including any warnings about what the product may contain. | If guests need to avoid other ingredients too, I want to know whether the same biscuit is suitable for them. Around 29% of consumers give this additional allergen check top priority. |
| Type of biscuit | After checking for gluten, choose between a chocolate chip cookie, a chocolate digestive or an oat biscuit with a chocolate coating. | For brunch, I’m looking for a type of chocolate biscuit that suits the occasion. Around 21% of consumers prioritise the type of biscuit and its texture. |
| Packaging and serving | Compare the pack size with the number of guests and check current availability. | If I’m buying for a group, I want enough biscuits and to be able to serve them separately, with a clear label. For around 14% of consumers, that’s their main practical concern. |
A biscuit’s appearance or brand name doesn’t tell you whether it’s gluten-free. Lotus Bakeries lists wheat flour and states that gluten is present in Lotus Biscoff Original.
Start by checking for a current, explicit gluten-free label, and don’t include varieties containing wheat on the gluten-free platter.
Gluten-free chocolate biscuits can still contain other allergens. For example, Albert Heijn lists egg, milk and hazelnut for AH Glutenvrij Chocolate chip cookies.
Compare the full ingredients and allergen information with your guests’ needs.
A product being listed in a retailer’s range doesn’t mean the biscuit you want will be available when you shop.
Check current availability before planning your brunch around a particular product.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. Albert Heijn therefore advises customers to read the packaging before eating the product.
Check the label on the product you receive, even if you’ve already looked at it online.
Albert Heijn’s range includes Chocolate chip cookies as a gluten-free biscuit option.
Jumbo’s free-from range includes gluten-free milk chocolate digestives for anyone looking for a biscuit.
Oaties Melkchocolade is a gluten-free oat biscuit coated with milk chocolate.
Schär Choco Chip Cookies are a gluten-free biscuit option with chocolate chips.
Lotus Biscoff Original is a regular spiced biscuit, not a gluten-free option for this guest.
This Verkade Oaties variety is a gluten-free oat biscuit with milk chocolate, for anyone who would like to serve this type of biscuit at Easter brunch. Before serving, check that the current packaging and listed allergens are suitable for your guest.
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An option if you’d like to serve a gluten-free oat biscuit with a chocolate coating, provided oats and the other ingredients are suitable for your guest.
For Oaties Melkchocolade, Verkade lists gluten-free oat flakes, gluten-free oat flour and 25% milk chocolate. The product information lists milk, oats and soya, and states that the product may contain nuts.
Joybuy’s product information notes that some people with coeliac disease may be sensitive to oat protein. So check the current packaging and your guest’s individual needs.
No, you can’t tell from its appearance. Look for an explicit gluten-free label on the current packaging, and read the ingredients and allergen information. For example, Lotus Bakeries lists wheat flour and states that gluten is present in Lotus Biscoff Original.
Yes. Gluten-free doesn’t mean a biscuit is free from milk, eggs, soya or nuts. Albert Heijn lists egg, milk and hazelnut, among other things, for AH Glutenvrij Chocolate chip cookies; Jumbo lists milk, oats and soya for its Lekker Vrij Digestives with milk chocolate.
Keep the packaging so guests can read the information, and put the gluten-free biscuits on a separate plate with separate serving utensils. Don’t place them among regular biscuits containing wheat.
No. Check whether the specific oat biscuit is labelled gluten-free. Verkade describes Oaties Melkchocolade as gluten-free and lists gluten-free oat ingredients. As oats aren’t necessarily suitable for everyone with coeliac disease, make sure you understand your guest’s individual needs before serving this variety.
