People with coeliac disease
If you choose Dutch breakfast cake as an evening snack, check the gluten-free label on the packaging and take care to avoid contact with crumbs containing gluten.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Groups with a mix of snacks
If there are also snacks containing gluten on the table, you’ll need to set aside a separate place for the gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake. The Dutch Coeliac Society says cross-contamination can occur when gluten accidentally gets onto gluten-free food.
Anyone who wants an individual portion
A gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake bar is handy if you want to keep your snack separate without slicing a whole cake. An unsliced cake lets you cut your own portions instead.
What should you look for when choosing?
If you have coeliac disease, first check the current gluten-free label. Then choose a format that suits how you’ll serve it: an individual bar, or a cake you can slice using clean utensils.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Check the current packaging and look for the explicit ‘gluten-free’ label. Under EU Regulation 828/2014, a product carrying this label must not contain more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. | If I have coeliac disease, I want to be able to check for the gluten-free label rather than rely on the brand name alone. For around 46% of consumers, this would be the first condition for buying. |
| Cross-contamination | Consider whether you can keep a bar separate, or use a clean knife, a clean board and a separate plate for an unsliced cake. | When there are regular snacks on the table, I want to stop crumbs getting onto my Dutch breakfast cake. This would be the main concern for around 27% of consumers. |
| Portion size | Compare an individual Dutch breakfast cake bar with an unsliced cake that you can cut into slices yourself. | For an evening snack on my own, I’d rather pick up an individual bar; if there are several people eating, I’d rather cut the slices myself. Around 18% of consumers would mainly choose based on this format. |
| Diet | Don’t rely on the gluten-free label for information about iodine; consider Dutch breakfast cake as part of your overall diet. | If I don’t eat much regular bread, I don’t want to automatically count Dutch breakfast cake as a source of iodine. For around 9% of consumers, this question about their diet would come first. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming a familiar brand means the product is gluten-free
Ingredients vary from product to product: for example, Peijnenburg Naturel Gesneden lists rye flour, while Peijnenburg also makes a Dutch breakfast cake specifically labelled gluten-free.
Check the full product name and the gluten-free label on the packaging, not just the brand.
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Slicing the cake next to regular snacks
The Dutch Coeliac Society says gluten-free food can still come into contact with gluten when it is being served.
Use a clean knife, a clean board and a separate plate for an unsliced cake. An individual bar can be easier to keep separate.
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Relying only on online product information
Albert Heijn says that product ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change.
Read the packaging before serving the Dutch breakfast cake, even if you’ve looked at the product information online before.
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Automatically counting Dutch breakfast cake as a source of iodine
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes bread made with iodised baker’s salt as an important source of iodine in the Netherlands, but bakers aren’t required to use this salt. A gluten-free label tells you nothing about the iodine content of Dutch breakfast cake.
Don’t assess your iodine intake based only on the product category or the gluten-free label.
Brands to consider
Jumbo Lekker Vrij
Jumbo lists an unsliced 300 g gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake in this range.
- The product page states that this Dutch breakfast cake carries the Crossed Grain symbol.
- If you’re serving it alongside snacks containing gluten, you’ll need clean utensils and a separate plate for the unsliced cake.
Peijnenburg
The 285 g gluten-free Peijnenburg Dutch breakfast cake is an option if you’d like to cut your own slices.
- Jumbo states that this specific variety carries the Crossed Grain symbol.
- Check the variety carefully: Peijnenburg Naturel Gesneden lists rye flour as an ingredient.
AH Glutenvrij
Albert Heijn lists a gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake bar for anyone looking for an individual portion.
- The bar format is an alternative to slicing a whole cake.
- Check the current label: Albert Heijn says product information, including allergen information, can change.
Joybuy products for your snack night
Jumbo Lekker Vrij gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake
Unsliced 300 g cake. A good option if you’d like to cut your own slices.
Peijnenburg gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake
285 g cake. Check the packaging for the gluten-free label before serving.
AH Glutenvrij Dutch breakfast cake bar
An individual gluten-free bar for a snack portion you can keep separate.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dutch breakfast cake with no mention of wheat in the name suitable for someone with coeliac disease?
The name alone isn’t enough: choose a product explicitly labelled ‘gluten-free’ and check the current label. Under EU Regulation 828/2014, a product carrying this label must not contain more than 20 mg/kg of gluten.
Does gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake have to carry the Crossed Grain symbol?
No, the symbol isn’t required for a product to be legally labelled ‘gluten-free’. However, it’s another useful identifier if it appears on the packaging of the variety you choose. Jumbo states that its Lekker Vrij Dutch breakfast cake carries the symbol, and mentions it for the gluten-free Peijnenburg variety.
How should I serve gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake alongside regular snacks?
Keep the cake separate and use a clean knife, a clean board and a separate plate for slicing. The Dutch Coeliac Society says contact with crumbs containing gluten can cause cross-contamination.
Does gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake automatically contain iodine from baker’s salt?
No, the gluten-free label doesn’t confirm the iodine content. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre names bread made with iodised baker’s salt as an important source of iodine in the Netherlands, but also says bakers aren’t required to use this salt.