If you want to serve egg cakes at Christmas without baking for someone with coeliac disease, choose a pack with a current ‘gluten-free’ label. Albert Heijn and Jumbo each describe a ready-made egg cake as gluten-free. Baking your own gives you more scope to create a festive twist, but you’ll need to check every ingredient and take care to avoid cross-contamination in the kitchen. Whichever option you choose, check for other allergens too: gluten-free does not mean free from egg, milk or soya.
You want to see a current gluten-free label on the packaging, rather than having to work out whether an ordinary egg cake is suitable from the ingredients list. If you bake your own, you’ll also need to check the ingredients and prevent them from coming into contact with flour containing gluten.
You’re looking for a ready-made egg cake to serve with coffee or on a dessert platter, for example. Albert Heijn lists a 100 g gluten-free pack; Jumbo lists two gluten-free egg cakes per 100 g pack from Gluten Free Bakery Holland. Check the current packaging before you buy.
You want to choose the flavour or presentation yourself and can set aside time to check that the ingredients, worktop and baking equipment are suitable for gluten-free baking. A recipe alone won’t take care of these checks for you.
First decide how you’ll check that the egg cakes are suitable for a gluten-free diet. Then choose between the convenience of a packaged egg cake and the freedom to bake your own for Christmas.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten and other allergens | For a packaged egg cake, check the current ‘gluten-free’ label and full allergen information. If you’re baking your own, check every ingredient individually. | If I’m looking after someone with coeliac disease, I don’t want to assume an egg cake is suitable based on its name. Other allergens may matter to the people I’m serving too. For around 50% of consumers, this check comes first. |
| Convenience and packaging | Check the number of cakes, pack size and current availability of the ready-made option. | When I’m short on preparation time, I want to serve a gluten-free egg cake without making the batter myself. Around 30% of consumers give convenience the highest priority. |
| Your own festive twist | If you’re baking your own, choose only ingredients you’ve checked are suitable for a gluten-free diet. Prevent contact with flour containing gluten or previously used baking equipment. | I want to choose the flavour or decoration myself, even if that takes more time and care in the kitchen. Around 20% of consumers value this freedom most. |
According to their product information, the gluten-free egg cakes from Albert Heijn and Gluten Free Bakery Holland contain egg, milk and soya. Possible traces of other allergens are also mentioned.
As well as checking the gluten-free label, read the full allergen information on the current packaging to make sure the product is suitable for the person who’ll be eating it.
Bolletje lists wheat flour, wheat starch and cereals containing gluten in its Brosse Eierkoek Kaneel. The product name is therefore no indication that this egg cake is suitable for a gluten-free diet.
For someone with coeliac disease, choose a product with a current gluten-free label, or bake your own using checked ingredients and taking care to avoid cross-contamination.
A recipe doesn’t tell you which brands of ingredients to use or what has previously been prepared on the worktop or with the baking equipment.
Check flour-like ingredients on their packaging, and make sure the worktop, mixer and baking tray are free from residue left by recipes containing gluten.
You may need separate kitchen equipment and extra time for checks.
Albert Heijn’s product information describes AH Glutenvrij Eierkoeken as a ready-made 100 g pack and states that they’re produced in a completely gluten-free environment.
Jumbo describes the Eierkoeken from Gluten Free Bakery Holland as gluten-free and lists two cakes per 100 g pack.
Bolletje Brosse Eierkoek Kaneel is included here as an example of an ordinary egg cake to distinguish from a gluten-free version, not as a gluten-free alternative.
‘Gluten-free’ is a label with specific requirements. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority highlights this in its information about allergens on labels. For its gluten-free certification under the AOECS standard, Kiwa specifies a limit of no more than 20 mg of gluten per kilogram of product. Check the current packaging when you buy an egg cake.
Albert Heijn’s product information lists egg, milk/lactose and soya as allergens present in the product. It also says the egg cakes may contain sesame, almond, hazelnut and walnut. Check the current packaging for any allergens relevant to that person.
No. This specific product isn’t suitable for a gluten-free diet: Bolletje lists wheat flour, wheat starch and cereals containing gluten. Don’t assume the same applies to other products without checking their individual packaging.
Yes, as long as you check that each ingredient is suitable for a gluten-free diet and prevent cross-contamination during preparation. For example, the Dutch Coeliac Society points out that oats and lentils can become contaminated with gluten during production. Bear this in mind if you use these ingredients for a variation or decoration.
Check the current packaging because ingredient and allergen information can change. Albert Heijn therefore recommends reading the packaging before eating the product. Do this even if you’ve bought the same egg cakes before.
