Who is this relevant to?

Hosting someone with coeliac disease

You want to offer gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake without it coming into contact with regular cake or bread crumbs when you slice or serve it.

Sharing a cake

You’re looking for a whole Dutch breakfast cake that you can slice yourself. Check how many portions the pack says it contains and which allergens are listed.

Serving one guest separately

You want to keep an individual Dutch breakfast cake bar sealed until serving, rather than placing it on a shared bread or cake board.

What should you look for when choosing?

If you’re catering for someone with coeliac disease, start by checking for a gluten-free statement and planning a clean way to serve the cake. Then choose between a whole cake and an individually wrapped bar, and check which other allergens matter to your guest.

What to consider What to check Who is this important for?
Gluten-free status and clean serving Check the gluten-free statement or Crossed Grain symbol on the pack, and use clean utensils for cutting and serving. If I’m serving someone with coeliac disease, I want to make sure regular bread crumbs don’t end up on their cake. Around 50% of consumers prioritise gluten-free suitability and separate serving.
Portions and serving style Compare the pack format, net weight and stated number of portions. For a sharing platter, I want to slice the cake myself; for one guest, I’d rather keep a bar separate. Serving style is the first thing around 30% of consumers consider.
Other allergens and nutritional information Read the allergen list on the pack you buy; compare sugars and fibre on the same basis, for example per 100 g. If my guest has another allergy too, I need to know what else is in the cake besides gluten. Around 20% of consumers prioritise these additional allergens or how the cake fits into their diet.

Common mistakes when buying and serving

  • Assuming gluten-free means free from other allergens

    The Dutch breakfast cakes and bar mentioned here contain milk and lupin; some packs also warn that other allergens may be present.

    Ask which allergens matter to your guest and read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you’re actually serving.

  • Slicing the gluten-free cake on a used board

    According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, crumbs and residue on kitchen utensils can cause cross-contamination when you’re also serving products that contain gluten.

    Wash your hands and use a clean work surface, knife, board and plate. Keep the gluten-free cake separate from regular Christmas loaves and cakes.

  • Relying on a product page alone

    The pack you have at home is the source of information about the ingredients, allergens and best-before date of the product you’re putting on the table.

    Check the label again before serving the Dutch breakfast cake to your guest.

  • Treating Dutch breakfast cake as a substitute for bread

    The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that bread made with iodised baker’s salt is an important source of iodine in the Netherlands, and notes that bakers are not required to use baker’s salt. So a festive portion of Dutch breakfast cake tells you nothing about your iodine intake over the longer term.

    Consider questions about iodine as part of your overall diet, not on the basis of one festive portion.

Brands and product ranges to consider

Jumbo Lekker Vrij

Jumbo lists its unsliced gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake as weighing 300 g, with twelve portions and the Crossed Grain symbol.

  • A whole cake lets you slice it yourself to share.
  • This variety contains milk and lupin, and may also contain almonds, egg, hazelnuts, oats, pistachios, sesame and walnuts.

Peijnenburg

Albert Heijn describes Peijnenburg’s unsliced gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake as a 285 g pack containing nine portions.

  • You can slice the whole cake to your preferred thickness.
  • This variety contains milk and lupin. The stated nutritional values are 42 g of sugars and 1 g of fibre per 100 g; don’t treat it as a bread substitute for its fibre content.

AH Glutenvrij

Albert Heijn sells a 65 g gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake bar under this name, which is one portion, and describes the production environment as completely gluten-free.

  • The individually wrapped bar can stay sealed until you serve it to one guest.
  • This bar contains milk, lactose and lupin, and may contain sesame and nuts; its individual format is less practical for a sharing platter.

Joybuy products for this topic

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Is a gluten-free statement enough for a guest with coeliac disease?

It’s a starting point when choosing a product, but you also need to serve it separately from products containing gluten. Use clean kitchen utensils and check the current packaging for ingredients and allergens.

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

Not necessarily: the Peijnenburg, Jumbo Lekker Vrij and AH Glutenvrij varieties mentioned here contain milk and lupin. Also check the pack you’ve bought for information about the possible presence of other allergens.

When should I choose a whole cake rather than a Dutch breakfast cake bar?

A whole cake works well when you want to slice portions yourself for several guests, as long as you use clean utensils and a separate area. A Dutch breakfast cake bar is more convenient if you want to keep one portion sealed until serving.

Can gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake replace bread as a source of iodine?

Don’t assume it can. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread made with iodised baker’s salt is an important source of iodine in the Netherlands, although bakers aren’t required to use this salt. If someone regularly eats very little bread, consider their overall diet rather than relying on one Christmas product.