Who is this choice relevant to?

If you want to take a single bar with you and have coeliac disease

You’re looking for a portion to take with you. First check that the packaging says ‘gluten-free’; the bar shape or an individual wrapper doesn’t tell you that.

If you’d like to portion a whole cake for yourself

You’re happy to cut and store your own portions rather than choosing an individual bar. When portioning it, remember to avoid cross-contamination with gluten in your kitchen.

If you also need to watch out for other allergens

As well as checking for the gluten-free label, check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging. The gluten-free unsliced ontbijtkoeken discussed here contain milk and lupin.

What should you look for when choosing?

If you have coeliac disease, first check the packaging for the gluten-free label. Then compare whether you’d prefer an individual bar or an unsliced cake that you can portion yourself.

What to consider What should you check? Who is this most important for?
Gluten-free label Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging and read the ingredients. Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, this label may only be used when the finished product contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. If I have coeliac disease, I want to make sure the ontbijtkoek is labelled gluten-free first, even if I’m only buying one bar. Around 50% of consumers put this label first.
Individual portion Check whether the product is a bar or an unsliced cake, and look at the weight. Albert Heijn lists a 65 g gluten-free ontbijtkoek bar. For a day out, I want to take a single bar with me without having to cut up a whole cake first. For around 30% of consumers, an individual portion is the most important factor.
Alternative size and allergens If you choose an unsliced cake, consider how you’ll portion and store it. Also check the allergens on the current packaging; the Jumbo and Peijnenburg varieties discussed here contain milk and lupin. If I choose a whole gluten-free cake, I want to be able to store the rest while taking other allergens into account. For around 20% of consumers, this is the main consideration.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming ‘individually wrapped’ means ‘gluten-free’

    An individual wrapper tells you nothing about the ingredients. Peijnenburg says its regular Naturel 5-pack contains rye flour, so those bars aren’t a gluten-free choice if you have coeliac disease.

    First check for the gluten-free label on the packaging, then consider the portion size.

  • Treating a whole ontbijtkoek as a single bar

    The gluten-free ontbijtkoeken from Jumbo, weighing 300 g, and Peijnenburg, weighing 285 g, are unsliced. If you’re buying one for yourself, you’ll need to portion it and store the rest.

    Choose a bar if you want to take a single portion with you straight away; choose an unsliced cake only if cutting and storing it works for you.

  • Assuming ‘gluten-free’ means free from other allergens

    The gluten-free unsliced ontbijtkoeken from Jumbo and Peijnenburg discussed here contain milk and lupin. The Jumbo variety also says it may contain, among other things, nuts, egg and sesame.

    If you also need to avoid other allergens, read all the allergen information on the packaging you buy.

  • Assuming ontbijtkoek always contains baker’s salt

    The Voedingscentrum says bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So the name ontbijtkoek doesn’t tell you whether baker’s salt has been used.

    Check the ingredients on the packaging if baker’s salt is important to your choice.

Brands to consider

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn lists an AH Glutenvrij Ontbijtkoekreep weighing 65 g for anyone looking for a bar rather than a whole cake.

  • The product name includes both ontbijtkoek bar and gluten-free.
  • Check the label, ingredients and allergens on the packaging you buy; product information can change.

Jumbo Lekker Vrij

Jumbo lists a 300 g gluten-free unsliced ontbijtkoek; the product page says it makes 12 portions.

  • An option if you want to portion a whole cake yourself.
  • It isn’t an individual bar. The variety discussed here contains milk and lupin; check the rest of the allergen information too.

Peijnenburg

PLUS lists Peijnenburg Ontbijtkoek Glutenvrij Ongesneden, weighing 285 g. This is a different product from the regular individually wrapped Peijnenburg Naturel bars.

  • The unsliced variety is described as gluten-free ontbijtkoek.
  • It isn’t an individual bar and contains milk and lupin. Peijnenburg says its regular Naturel 5-pack contains rye flour.

Related products on Joybuy

Related products will appear soon.

Frequently asked questions

If I have coeliac disease, can I choose a regular individually wrapped ontbijtkoek bar?

Not just because it’s individually wrapped. Peijnenburg says its regular Naturel 5-pack contains rye flour; if you have coeliac disease, look for the ‘gluten-free’ label on the packaging.

What does ‘gluten-free’ mean on packaging?

Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, a food may only be labelled ‘gluten-free’ if the finished product contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. Check that the label appears on the packaging of the product you’re actually buying.

Is gluten-free ontbijtkoek also free from milk and lupin?

No, the ‘gluten-free’ label doesn’t mean that. The unsliced ontbijtkoeken from Jumbo and Peijnenburg discussed here contain milk and lupin; if you have other allergies, read all the allergen information on the packaging too.

Is the information on a supermarket’s website enough to help me choose?

Check the label on the product you buy too, as ingredients and allergen information can change. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains the labelling rules for pre-packed foods; for your choice, the gluten-free label and up-to-date ingredient and allergen information are important.

Does an ontbijtkoek bar automatically contain iodine from baker’s salt?

Don’t assume so based on the product name. The Voedingscentrum says bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt; check the ingredients of the specific ontbijtkoek bar if you want to know whether it contains baker’s salt.