Who are these options for?

Home bakers with coeliac disease

You want to make kruidnoten, so you need to check each dough ingredient separately to make sure it’s suitable for a gluten-free diet. A ready-to-eat Dutch breakfast cake doesn’t replace those checks.

Shoppers looking for ready-to-eat Dutch breakfast cake

You’re looking for a gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake or breakfast cake bar to eat straight away, without baking kruidnoten yourself.

Households changing their bread choices too

If you’re replacing bread that contains gluten, it may also be worth checking bread labels for iodised baker’s salt. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that not all bread is made with baker’s salt.

What should you look for when buying?

First decide whether you need ingredients to make kruidnoten or a ready-to-eat Dutch breakfast cake. Then check that each product you choose is labelled ‘gluten-free’ and read its current label.

What to check Check when buying Who it matters to
Gluten-free suitability Look for the ‘gluten-free’ label on the exact product and read the ingredients and allergen information. Simply checking that wheat isn’t listed is not the same thing. If I’m buying for someone with coeliac disease, I don’t want to rely on the brand name alone or the absence of wheat. Around 50% of consumers prioritise verifiable gluten-free suitability.
Baking ingredients Choose a gluten-free kruidnoten recipe and check the types of flour, raising agent and spices separately. To make kruidnoten at home, I need ingredients for dough, not a biscuit that’s ready to eat. Around 30% of consumers prioritise these baking ingredients.
Ready-to-eat product format Decide whether you want a whole Dutch breakfast cake or a breakfast cake bar, and check the packaging of that particular variant. If I’m not baking, I’m looking for something I can eat straight away in a suitable format. This is the main priority for around 20% of consumers.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming ‘no wheat’ means ‘gluten-free’

    Rye and barley also contain gluten. So, the absence of wheat alone doesn’t tell you whether a product is suitable for someone with coeliac disease.

    Check that the product you’re actually buying is labelled ‘gluten-free’. The European Commission sets out requirements for using this label in Regulation (EU) No 828/2014.

  • Buying Dutch breakfast cake for a kruidnoten recipe

    A ready-to-eat Dutch breakfast cake doesn’t provide the separate ingredients you need to make kruidnoten from scratch.

    Make your baking shopping list using a gluten-free recipe. Allerhande’s kruidnoten recipe includes gluten-free self-raising flour, gluten-free almond flour and biscuit and speculaas spices, among other ingredients.

  • Confusing a gluten-free variant with regular Dutch breakfast cake

    Jumbo lists a gluten-free Peijnenburg Dutch breakfast cake, while Peijnenburg lists rye flour as an ingredient in one of its regular plain variants. The brand name alone doesn’t tell these products apart.

    Read the full product name and check the label again whenever you pick up a different pack.

  • Automatically counting Dutch breakfast cake as a source of iodine

    The Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains that iodised baker’s salt is one important reason why bread provides iodine in the Netherlands. It also notes that using baker’s salt in bread isn’t compulsory. This doesn’t tell you anything about the salt in a specific Dutch breakfast cake.

    If iodised baker’s salt matters to your choice, check the label of the product in question.

Relevant brands and product ranges

Peijnenburg

For those looking for a ready-to-eat Dutch breakfast cake, Jumbo lists a specific 285 g Peijnenburg gluten-free breakfast cake.

  • Jumbo’s listing also mentions the Crossed Grain symbol for this variant.
  • According to Peijnenburg’s own ingredients list, one of its regular plain variants contains rye flour. So always check which variant you’re buying.

Jumbo Lekker Vrij

Jumbo lists a 300 g unsliced gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake in this range.

  • The product listing mentions the Crossed Grain symbol for this breakfast cake.
  • A ready-to-eat Dutch breakfast cake says nothing about whether separate ingredients are suitable for kruidnoten dough.

AH Glutenvrij

Albert Heijn lists a 65 g gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake bar in this range, as well as products for those looking for kruidnoten or wanting to bake them.

  • The range overview includes both gluten-free kruidnoten and a kruidnoten mix.
  • The Dutch breakfast cake option listed is a bar, not a whole cake. Check the current packaging of each product you choose.

Related Joybuy products

Related products will appear soon.

Frequently asked questions

When can a food be labelled ‘gluten-free’?

Under European Commission Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, a food can be labelled ‘gluten-free’ if it contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. Check the label on the specific product; checking the ingredients list for wheat alone is not an equivalent check.

Can I use regular Dutch breakfast cake to make gluten-free kruidnoten?

Don’t use regular Dutch breakfast cake as an ingredient for kruidnoten for someone with coeliac disease without checking it first. For example, Peijnenburg lists rye flour in one of its regular plain variants. Choose a gluten-free recipe for baking and check each ingredient separately.

Which types of flour are used in a gluten-free kruidnoten recipe?

Allerhande’s gluten-free kruidnoten recipe uses gluten-free self-raising flour and gluten-free almond flour, as well as biscuit and speculaas spices, among other ingredients. Follow the ingredients list for the recipe you choose and check the packaging of every ingredient.

Does gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake automatically contain iodised baker’s salt?

No, you can’t tell from the ‘gluten-free’ label. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre notes that even bread doesn’t have to be made with baker’s salt, so check the label on the specific Dutch breakfast cake rather than assuming it contains iodised baker’s salt.