If you’re catering for a guest with coeliac disease, choose a pancake mix labelled gluten-free on its current packaging, and prepare and serve it separately from any party food containing gluten. Check the allergens in the mix and in everything you add, too. Then compare the number of pancakes each pack makes and the ingredients required to find a mix that fits your party plans.
You’ll need a mix labelled gluten-free and want to prevent crumbs or shared kitchen equipment from contaminating the pancakes during cooking or serving. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre and the Dutch Coeliac Society stress the importance of avoiding cross-contamination.
You’ll want to know how many pancakes the pack makes according to its label and which ingredients you’ll need to buy as well. Work out how many packs you need based on the packaging you actually buy.
As well as checking for gluten, check the mix, added ingredients and toppings for any allergens that could affect your guests. Albert Heijn, for example, lists other allergens for its Koopmans and Consenza mixes.
Start by checking that the mix is labelled gluten-free and can be prepared separately. Then look at other allergens and consider how many pancakes the pack will make for your party plans.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free and prepared separately | Check that the current pack is labelled gluten-free. Make sure you also use clean pans and utensils, and keep toppings separate from food containing gluten. | If I’m cooking for a guest with coeliac disease, I want to stop crumbs from regular party food getting onto the pancakes; gluten safety would be the main concern for around 50% of consumers. |
| Yield and preparation | Check the yield and required additions on the pack you’re buying. Remember to allow for separate cooking and serving when planning. | When cooking for a larger group, I want to know in advance whether I can make enough pancakes and what else I need to buy; party planning would be the main priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Other allergens | Read the ingredients list and any ‘contains’ or ‘may contain’ statements. Check additions and decorations separately, too. | If a guest has other allergies as well, I need to be able to check what’s in both the mix and the toppings; additional allergens would be the main concern for around 20% of consumers. |
A rice or buckwheat base alone doesn’t tell you whether the finished product can be labelled gluten-free. Cross-contamination can also happen during cooking and serving.
Choose a pack with a current gluten-free label, and use clean, separate equipment and toppings.
The finished pancakes also contain anything you add to the batter. Toppings and decorations may contain other ingredients, too.
Before the party, check the mix, all additions and decorations separately, and keep gluten-free toppings apart from the rest.
Koopmans packaging and yield information varies between listings. So a pancake count you saw earlier may not apply to the pack you buy.
Plan how many packs you need using the net weight and preparation instructions on the packaging you’re buying.
A mix may only be available in store or may no longer be part of an online range. This could affect your shopping plans.
Check what your store has in stock well in advance, and reassess any alternative for its gluten-free label and allergens.
Albert Heijn describes its gluten-free pancake mix as a 400 g pack to which you add liquid and eggs or an egg substitute.
Koopmans offers a gluten-free pancake mix that, according to its preparation instructions, requires milk and eggs.
Jumbo described its own gluten-free pancake mix as a 400 g pack containing, among other ingredients, maize, rice and buckwheat flour.
The gluten-free mix for egg pancakes described by Albert Heijn is made with water, according to the product page.
Food sold as gluten-free in the Netherlands must meet the harmonised EU requirements for that label. According to EUR-Lex, ‘gluten-free’ means less than 20 mg of gluten per kg of finished product. Check the label on the current packaging when you buy it.
No. The type of flour used isn’t enough to determine that. Choose a mix labelled gluten-free, then take care to prevent cross-contamination during preparation and serving.
Keep gluten-free ingredients, utensils and toppings separate from those used for regular pancakes. The Dutch Coeliac Society recommends using clean pans and utensils for gluten-free cooking. Also take care with shared jars and spoons when serving.
Albert Heijn and Jumbo list these as options for their own gluten-free pancake mixes. Follow the preparation instructions on the specific pack, and check the ingredients and allergens in your chosen substitute.
Check the mix and all additions for any allergens that could affect your guests. Albert Heijn says the Koopmans mix may contain egg and milk; the Consenza mix described contains milk, egg and lupin, and may contain traces of soya, nuts and sesame.
