For a Halloween party with guests who have coeliac disease, start by choosing packaged biscuits labelled ‘gluten-free’ or bearing the Crossed Grain symbol. Then check for other allergens and serve the biscuits separately from regular snacks. Finally, choose a flavour: speculaas for a spiced selection, chocolate for a chocolatey treat, or oat biscuits if they’re also labelled gluten-free and suit your guest’s individual preferences.
Wants to offer biscuits clearly labelled gluten-free and avoid crumbs from regular snacks coming into contact with them when serving. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights both the gluten-free label and the importance of avoiding gluten for people with coeliac disease.
Perhaps wants spiced speculaas or chocolate cookies for the Halloween table, but checks the packaging before deciding which biscuits are suitable for guests.
Considers guests’ allergies as well as gluten. A gluten-free label alone says nothing about whether a product contains allergens such as egg, soya, milk or nuts.
When choosing biscuits for a Halloween party with a guest who has coeliac disease, the gluten-free label is essential. Other allergens, the flavour you’re after and the number of servings will then help you decide which pack is right for your party.
| What to consider | What to look for | Especially relevant for |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free option | Check the packaging for the ‘gluten-free’ label or Crossed Grain symbol; use a separate plate and clean serving utensils. | If a guest has coeliac disease, I want to offer biscuits without placing them among regular snacks. For around 36% of consumers, choosing a gluten-free option comes first. |
| Festive flavour | Compare gluten-free speculaas and chocolate options for flavour, and check the label even on your preferred variety. | For my Halloween table, I’m looking for a spiced or chocolatey flavour to go with the treats. Around 29% of consumers put flavour first. |
| Other allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information, even on biscuits labelled ‘gluten-free’. | If a guest has another allergy too, I want to know whether the specific biscuits contain ingredients such as egg, soya or nuts. Checking for multiple allergens is the top priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Number of servings | Check the pack size and number of biscuits before deciding how many packs you need. | When I’m filling a separate plate for several guests, I want to make sure there are enough biscuits without having to guess based on the pack size. For around 14% of consumers, quantity comes first. |
According to Lotus Bakeries’ Dutch product information, original Lotus Biscoff contains wheat flour and lists gluten as an allergen. Its familiar speculaas flavour doesn’t make it suitable as a gluten-free option.
For your gluten-free plate, choose a speculaas variety whose packaging clearly says ‘gluten-free’. Keep regular biscuits on a separate plate.
Gluten-free biscuits may contain other allergens. Albert Heijn lists egg, soya, almond and wheat, among other things, in its gluten-free almond biscuits. Its gluten-free speculaas lists egg, and warnings about sesame and nuts are also relevant.
Ask which allergens matter to your guests, and read the full, up-to-date information on every pack.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, oat products may be unsuitable for people with coeliac disease because they can come into contact with gluten during processing. So the presence of oats alone isn’t enough to check that they’re suitable.
Choose an oat biscuit with an explicit gluten-free label or the Crossed Grain symbol. If you’re unsure about oats, check with the guest concerned.
If regular and gluten-free biscuits are placed side by side, crumbs or shared serving utensils can compromise the separate gluten-free option.
Open and serve the gluten-free biscuits separately, on a clean plate with their own serving utensils.
Albert Heijn’s range includes gluten-free speculaas and almond biscuits, among other options. This lets you compare different types of biscuits for your party table.
Schär offers a range of gluten-free biscuits, including chocolate chip cookies in the selection shown by Albert Heijn.
Nairn's makes gluten-free oat biscuits and biscuit breaks for anyone looking for an oat-based biscuit.
Jumbo’s gluten-free range includes its own-brand speculaas and chocolate digestives, among other products.
Original Lotus Biscoff is an option for a regular biscuit plate, not for the separate gluten-free one.
No. Lotus Bakeries lists wheat flour and gluten in original Lotus Biscoff. Choose a biscuit for that plate whose packaging clearly states that it is gluten-free.
Not automatically. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, oat products may have come into contact with gluten. So check whether the specific oat biscuit is labelled gluten-free or bears the Crossed Grain symbol. If you’re unsure about the guest’s individual preference regarding oats, check with them.
Keep the gluten-free biscuits separate from regular biscuits and bread. Open the pack when serving and use a clean, separate plate and tongs, so crumbs and shared serving utensils don’t compromise the separate option.
Check the full ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging too. ‘Gluten-free’ doesn’t mean that a biscuit is also free from egg, soya, milk or nuts, for example. Ask the guest which allergens are relevant to their choice.
