If you’re having a coffee break with someone who has coeliac disease, choose a pancake mix labelled ‘gluten-free’. Then check the ingredients, any potential allergens and what you need to add. When cooking and serving, make sure the pancakes don’t come into contact with products containing gluten.
If a guest with coeliac disease is joining you, the ‘gluten-free’ label on the pack matters, as does preparing the pancakes without contact with products containing gluten. The Dutch Coeliac Society points out that gluten can get into gluten-free food through cross-contamination.
If you also need to consider eggs, milk or plant-based preparation, check not only the dry mix but also the ingredients required by the preparation instructions. Information from Albert Heijn and PLUS shows that these vary from product to product.
A smaller pack may be more practical if you’re making just a few pancakes; if you’re catering for more guests, check the stated yield per pack. Compare how much you need to add, too, and whether you’re likely to have mix left over.
First, check that the mix is labelled gluten-free for your guest with coeliac disease. Then compare allergens, the ingredients you need to add and how many pancakes you want to make for your coffee break.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Most relevant for |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling and preparation | Check that the current pack says ‘gluten-free’. Also use clean kitchen utensils and toppings that haven’t come into contact with products containing gluten. | If someone with coeliac disease is joining me, I want to avoid contact with gluten both in the mix and at the table. This is the top priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Eggs, milk and other additions | Read the ingredients and ‘may contain’ information. Check whether you need to add milk, a plant-based drink, eggs or an egg replacement. | A guest with additional dietary requirements needs a mix and preparation method that suit them. These additional ingredients are the biggest consideration for around 30% of consumers. |
| Quantity and preparation | Compare the pack weight and stated yield with the number of guests. Also check which ingredients you’ll need in advance. | For a small coffee break, I don’t want to have lots of mix left over, but for more guests I want to make sure there are enough pancakes to go round. Around 20% of consumers give this practical consideration the most attention. |
Ingredients that don’t contain gluten in themselves don’t automatically make a pancake mix suitable for a coffee break with someone who has coeliac disease. Contact with gluten during production may also be a concern.
Choose a mix labelled ‘gluten-free’ on the current pack, and read the label before you start cooking.
The Dutch Coeliac Society says that gluten crumbs can get into gluten-free food from items such as a chopping board, knife or shared jar.
Use clean kitchen utensils, and check serving plates and toppings too if regular baked goods are on the table.
PLUS states that the Koopmans mix may contain egg and milk, and that the Consenza shaker contains egg as an ingredient. So the gluten-free label doesn’t answer separate questions about allergens.
Check the ingredients, ‘may contain’ information and required additions for every guest with additional dietary requirements.
Koopmans makes a 400 g gluten-free pancake mix. According to Koopmans, this mix meets the AOECS standard.
Albert Heijn’s gluten-free pancake mix comes in a 400 g pack. According to Albert Heijn, the dry mix is made in a completely gluten-free environment.
The Consenza gluten-free pancake shaker contains 230 g of mix, making it a smaller pack option for a coffee break.
Albert Heijn lists a 300 g pack of gluten-free pancake mix from Peak's Free From.
No. The type of flour used isn’t enough on its own to determine whether a mix is suitable for someone with coeliac disease. Check that the current pack says ‘gluten-free’, and avoid contact with products containing gluten during preparation.
Use clean kitchen utensils and make sure crumbs from regular snacks don’t get onto the pancakes or toppings. The Dutch Coeliac Society lists shared chopping boards, knives and jars among the possible sources of cross-contamination.
It depends on the mix you choose and its ingredients. Albert Heijn suggests a plant-based drink and egg replacement as preparation options for its AH Glutenvrij mix; the ingredients information from PLUS lists egg powder in the Consenza shaker. If you adapt the preparation, check the current pack too.
