Who is this choice relevant for?

Host welcoming someone with coeliac disease

Looking for a gluten-free sweet option to serve with drinks nibbles, and wants to avoid the cake coming into contact with regular bread or snack crumbs when serving.

Shopper catering for multiple allergens

Needs to check for allergens other than gluten, too. A gluten-free label alone doesn’t tell you whether the product contains, for example, milk or lupin.

Practical supermarket planner

Compares pack sizes and quantities for the gathering, but first checks before buying and serving that the chosen cake is suitable for the guest.

What should you look for when choosing?

If your guest has coeliac disease, start by checking for a gluten-free label and making sure there’s a serving area where the cake won’t come into contact with regular nibbles. If breakfast cake isn’t essential, or a particular variety isn’t suitable for your guest’s other allergies, choose an alternative only if you can check its packaging and how it will be served too.

What to check Check when buying Who should pay particular attention?
Gluten and crumbs Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging. Use a clean, separate plate and knife when serving, too. If I’m hosting someone with coeliac disease, I want to prevent the cake coming into contact with regular drinks nibbles once it’s been opened; around 50% of consumers prioritise this gluten assurance.
Other allergens Read the allergen information on the pack you’ve bought, even if the cake is labelled gluten-free. If my guest is also allergic to milk or lupin, I need to look beyond the gluten-free label; around 30% of consumers give the most weight to additional allergens.
Pack size and portions Compare the pack weights of suitable varieties and check the exact product in store. For a smaller gathering, I want to buy the right amount without ending up with a different cake from the one I planned; around 20% of consumers prioritise availability and portion sizes.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming all Dutch breakfast cake is gluten-free

    The product name or a label such as ‘zero’ says nothing about whether it’s suitable for someone with coeliac disease. Regular Dutch breakfast cake is not a substitute for a product explicitly labelled gluten-free.

    Check the packaging for ‘gluten-free’ before choosing cake for a guest with coeliac disease.

  • Overlooking other allergens

    According to product information from PLUS and Jumbo, the Peijnenburg and Jumbo Lekker Vrij gluten-free varieties mentioned both contain milk and lupin. Jumbo also states that they may contain, among other things, nuts, egg, oats and sesame.

    If your guest has additional allergies, check which ingredients and warnings are relevant with them, and read the current packaging.

  • Putting gluten-free cake on a shared drinks platter

    According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, even a stray breadcrumb can cause symptoms for someone with coeliac disease. The label on the packaging won’t prevent the cake coming into contact with crumbs after opening.

    Cut and serve the cake on a clean, separate surface with its own serving utensils, away from regular bread and drinks nibbles.

  • Relying only on the online product description

    Ingredients and allergen information can change. So a product page you looked at previously is no substitute for checking the label on the pack you buy.

    Check the exact variety in store and read the packaging again before serving the cake.

Brands and shopping options to consider

Peijnenburg

PLUS describes a 285 g uncut gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake from Peijnenburg.

  • The product description on PLUS explicitly labels this variety gluten-free.
  • PLUS’s ingredient information lists milk and lupin. Check the packaging if your guest also needs to avoid these allergens.

Jumbo Lekker Vrij

Jumbo describes a 300 g uncut gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake and states that each pack contains twelve portions.

  • Jumbo also displays the Crossed Grain symbol for this variety.
  • According to Jumbo, the cake contains milk and lupin and may also contain nuts, egg, oats and sesame, among other things.

Albert Heijn

In its gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake category, Albert Heijn lists an AH Glutenvrij Ontbijtkoekreep weighing 65 g: a different portion format from the uncut cakes.

  • The bar offers a smaller pack format to compare when planning a gathering.
  • Check the allergens on the packaging before choosing this bar for a guest, too.

Related products at Joybuy

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

When can Dutch breakfast cake be labelled ‘gluten-free’?

Under Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the label ‘gluten-free’ may only be used if the food sold to the final consumer contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg. Check for this label on the packaging of the Dutch breakfast cake you buy.

Should gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake be served separately from drinks nibbles?

Yes. If you’re serving someone with coeliac disease, prevent the cake from coming into contact with regular bread and drinks nibbles. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that even a stray breadcrumb can cause symptoms, so use a clean, separate plate and its own serving utensils.

Is gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake also free from milk or lupin?

No. The gluten-free label says nothing about these allergens. PLUS lists milk and lupin for Peijnenburg Glutenvrij; Jumbo lists both for its Lekker Vrij breakfast cake. Check the allergen information on the pack you choose when buying.

Does all Dutch breakfast cake contain iodised baker’s salt?

No, you can’t assume this is true of every Dutch breakfast cake. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine compounds may be present in bakery products through baker’s salt containing up to 65 mg of iodine per kg of salt; this doesn’t mean every product contains this salt. If iodine is relevant to your choice, check the ingredients on the specific cake.