If you specifically want to make kano biscuits with almond paste, choose a gluten-free kano recipe and use the flour and any binder it specifies. If you have coeliac disease, you’ll also need to consider the other ingredients and how to prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen. If you’re mainly after a quick sweet treat, a ready-made gluten-free biscuit could be a good option, but it won’t necessarily be a kano biscuit.
You want to make kano biscuits yourself, so you’ll need to check not just the flour, but every ingredient and your work surface too. The Dutch Coeliac Society points out that gluten can get into gluten-free food via flour dust, crumbs and kitchen utensils.
If you’re after the combination of biscuit dough, almond paste and that distinctive shape, baking your own is the best match. Heel Holland Bakt describes kano biscuits as crisp biscuits filled with almond paste; another gluten-free biscuit won’t necessarily have the same features.
If you don’t want to make dough or use moulds, you could consider a ready-made gluten-free biscuit. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list products like these, including filled biscuits. Check the label on the product you choose, and don’t assume it will have the shape of a kano biscuit.
First decide whether you want to bake kano biscuits or are simply looking for a gluten-free sweet treat. If you’re baking from scratch, the ingredients and kitchen preparation matter more than simply choosing a packet of flour.
Choose this if: you want to make the almond paste filling and kano shape yourself, and have time to prepare the dough and filling.
Bear in mind: gluten-free kano recipes need careful attention to the dough’s texture. If you have coeliac disease, you’ll also need to prevent cross-contamination.
Choose this if: convenience matters more to you than baking kano biscuits yourself.
Bear in mind: a gluten-free filled biscuit or another type of biscuit won’t necessarily have the shape or be made in the same way as a kano.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten and cross-contamination | Check the gluten-free label and ingredients on packaged products. When baking, make sure your work surface and utensils are clean. | If I’m baking for someone with coeliac disease, I want to prevent gluten getting into the kano biscuits via the ingredients or the kitchen. Around 46% of consumers prioritise preventing this kind of gluten contact. |
| Dough and kano shape | Choose a gluten-free kano recipe and check which flour or binder it calls for. Make sure you have suitable moulds. | If you want to make the distinctive biscuit filled with almond paste, just any other gluten-free biscuit won’t do. For around 36% of consumers, getting this specific kind of kano biscuit matters most. |
| Convenience and choice | Compare the type of product you want and, for a ready-made biscuit, read the latest packaging information. | If I don’t want to prepare dough, I’d rather choose a ready-to-eat gluten-free biscuit and accept that it may have a different shape. This kind of convenient option is the top priority for around 18% of consumers. |
According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, contact with gluten-containing flour, crumbs or used kitchen utensils can also matter for someone with coeliac disease. Replacing one ingredient doesn’t automatically make the whole baking process suitable.
Check every ingredient, and keep your work surface, equipment and gluten-free products clean and separate from anything containing gluten.
The Dutch Coeliac Society explains that gluten-free flour behaves differently from flour containing gluten. A published gluten-free kano recipe from Annemiekeglutenvrij specifically calls for flour with a binder; the words ‘gluten-free’ alone don’t tell you how another mix will work in that recipe.
Follow a gluten-free kano recipe and use the type of flour or binder it specifies, or test any changes with a small quantity first.
Albert Heijn and Jumbo list gluten-free biscuits, but a filled biscuit or another snack won’t necessarily have the shape or be made in the same way as the kano biscuits described by Heel Holland Bakt.
Choose a ready-made product if convenience is your priority. If you specifically want to make kano biscuits, look for a suitable recipe and the moulds you’ll need.
A product listing doesn’t mean the item will be available at your chosen shop when you buy it. The range and ingredients may also change.
Before buying, check the latest product information, availability at the retailer in question and the label.
A brand to consider if you’re looking for a gluten-free flour mix for home baking. PLUS lists Schär Mix C as a gluten-free product; for kano biscuits, always check what your chosen recipe specifies for the dough.
A retailer’s own-brand range to consider if you’d rather choose a ready-made gluten-free biscuit than bake your own.
An own-brand range for anyone looking for a ready-made gluten-free biscuit.
A brand with gluten-free baking mixes for other treats, but not necessarily a suitable choice for kano dough.
No. The filling doesn’t determine whether the whole kano biscuit is gluten-free. The traditional recipe from Heel Holland Bakt uses flour in the dough. For a gluten-free version, check the recipe and all the ingredients used.
Prevent gluten from other products getting onto your ingredients or baked goods. The Dutch Coeliac Society lists crumbs, kitchen utensils and airborne flour as possible sources of cross-contamination, so work cleanly and keep products separate.
‘Gluten-free’ is a regulated claim on food products; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority refers to Regulation (EU) No 828/2014. Also read the latest ingredients and allergen information. If you’re baking from scratch, check every individual ingredient and your preparation method too.
Yes, if you’re mainly looking for a ready-made gluten-free sweet biscuit and the kano shape isn’t important to you. A filled biscuit isn’t the same as a kano, so check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging before you buy.
