If you need to follow a strict gluten-free diet because of coeliac disease, choose speculaas whose current packaging says ‘gluten-free’ or displays the Crossed Grain symbol. Don’t rely on the product name or type of flour alone. Then choose between plain biscuits and filled speculaas, and check the label for other allergens too. According to the Dutch ingredients list, Lotus Biscoff The Original Speculoos contains wheat flour, so these regular biscuits are not a gluten-free alternative.
For you, the ‘gluten-free’ label or Crossed Grain symbol on the current packaging is essential. When serving, also watch out for crumbs transferred by shared kitchen utensils, as described by the Dutch Coeliac Society.
You’re looking for individual, crunchy biscuits rather than a filled biscuit. Jumbo lists Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Speculaas in a 125 g pack.
You’d rather have a filled biscuit than individual speculaas biscuits. For this variety, check the ‘gluten-free’ label and allergen information on the packaging separately.
First, work out what gluten-free requirements apply to your breakfast. Then compare the biscuit styles and see where you can buy the option you’ve chosen.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free status | Check the current pack for a ‘gluten-free’ label or the Crossed Grain symbol. Also check the allergen information. | If I’m preparing breakfast for someone with coeliac disease, I don’t want to have to rely on a biscuit’s name or colour. For around 50% of consumers, certainty about gluten-free status comes first. |
| Biscuit style | Choose between individual speculaas biscuits, a filled biscuit or baking your own with clearly gluten-free ingredients. | For breakfast, I might want a crunchy biscuit or, instead, filled speculaas; that difference determines what I’m looking for. The product style is the first thing around 30% of consumers consider. |
| Availability and packaging | Check what your supermarket stocks, and compare pack sizes only for product styles you actually want to use. | I want to find a suitable option at my usual supermarket and know what size pack I’m buying. For around 20% of consumers, this practical consideration matters most. |
A speculaas flavour tells you nothing about whether a product is gluten-free. According to Lotus Bakeries Nederland, the ingredients in Lotus Biscoff The Original Speculoos include wheat flour.
If you have coeliac disease, check the current packaging for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol.
Albert Heijn warns that product information can change. The listing for Consenza Speculaas Brok includes wheat in the allergen information, despite ‘gluten-free’ appearing in the product name.
Check the pack itself before eating. If the information is inconsistent, don’t rely on the online product name alone.
Gluten-free doesn’t mean that a biscuit is free from other allergens, such as egg. The ingredients information for Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Speculaas lists egg.
If you also need to avoid other ingredients, read the full allergen information on the specific packaging.
The Dutch Coeliac Society says crumbs can get onto gluten-free food via a shared chopping board.
Use clean kitchen utensils and make sure shared spreads don’t come into contact with bread crumbs.
Jumbo lists a 125 g pack of plain speculaas in this gluten-free range.
Albert Heijn lists both AH Glutenvrij Speculaas and a gluten-free filled speculaas biscuit.
Jumbo lists a 230 g pack of filled gluten-free speculaas from this bakery.
Jumbo has product listings for Consenza speculaas biscuits and speculaas brok.
Here, Lotus Biscoff The Original Speculoos is an example of regular speculoos, not speculaas confirmed to be gluten-free.
No. Lotus Biscoff The Original Speculoos isn’t suitable if you need to follow a strict gluten-free diet. Lotus Bakeries Nederland lists wheat flour among the ingredients for this variety.
Look for the Crossed Grain symbol or an explicit ‘gluten-free’ label on the current packaging. The Dutch Coeliac Society identifies both as useful indicators. Also read the ingredients and allergen information for the product you’re buying.
No. The label ‘gluten-free’ doesn’t tell you anything about other allergens. For example, the ingredients information for Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Speculaas lists egg, so check the allergen information on your pack separately.
When serving gluten-free speculaas to someone with coeliac disease, use clean kitchen utensils and spreads that are free from bread crumbs. The Dutch Coeliac Society points out that crumbs can get onto gluten-free food from shared kitchen equipment.
