Who is this choice relevant to?

Hosting someone with coeliac disease

You’re looking for a biscuit to serve with coffee. A clear gluten-free label on the pack and keeping it separate from regular biscuits matter more than a familiar brand name.

Hosting people with multiple allergies

As well as gluten, you’ll need to consider your other guests’ allergies. A gluten-free label alone doesn’t tell you whether a product contains, for example, egg, milk, nuts, sesame, soya or lupin.

Baking speculaas to serve yourself

You want to choose the ingredients and portions yourself, and have time to bake. For a guest with coeliac disease, the ingredients and equipment you use must also be suitable to help prevent cross-contamination.

What should you look for when choosing?

Start by checking the gluten-free label and allergen information on the pack. Then decide whether you want something ready to serve or have time to bake from scratch.

What to consider What to look for Who it matters to
Gluten-free for coeliac disease Look for an explicit ‘gluten-free’ label on the pack and keep the biscuit separate from regular speculaas when serving. Anyone hosting a guest with coeliac disease will want to offer a clearly labelled biscuit that hasn’t come into contact with regular biscuits. This is the top priority for around 46% of these consumers.
Other allergens Compare the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ information on the pack you choose with your guests’ allergies. If your guests have other allergies too, the same biscuit needs to be suitable for them. Around 27% of consumers give this check top priority.
Serving or baking Choose between a packaged biscuit and a recipe for which you can organise the ingredients, clean equipment and preparation time. If you’re starting shortly before coffee is served, you’ll want something ready to serve. With more time to prepare, baking from scratch may appeal. Ease of serving and preparation method are the main considerations for around 27% of consumers.

Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, a product as sold may be labelled ‘gluten-free’ if it contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. You’ll still need to check the specific pack for other allergens.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming a familiar biscuit served with coffee is gluten-free

    A familiar way of serving biscuits doesn’t tell you what’s in them. Lotus Bakeries Nederland lists wheat flour as an ingredient in regular Lotus Biscoff.

    Choose a product explicitly labelled gluten-free for a guest with coeliac disease, and keep regular biscuits separate.

  • Checking only the gluten-free label

    Gluten-free speculaas may contain other allergens. For example, Albert Heijn lists egg in AH Glutenvrij Speculaas; Jumbo lists egg and possible traces of ingredients including milk, lupin, sesame and nuts in Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Speculaas.

    Ask which allergies you need to consider, then read the full allergen information on the exact pack you’re serving.

  • Relying on an old product page

    Jumbo says on its product pages for Consenza Glutenvrije Speculaasjes and Schär Gluten Free Speculoos that these products are no longer in its online range.

    Check current availability before buying, and don’t automatically replace an unavailable gluten-free product with regular speculaas.

  • Choosing gluten-free ingredients but forgetting the work surface

    When baking from scratch, ingredients or biscuits may come into contact with regular flour through shared equipment or a shared serving plate. The Voedingscentrum points out that even a small amount of gluten can cause symptoms in people with coeliac disease.

    Check all the ingredients, use clean equipment and serve the gluten-free biscuits separately.

Relevant brands to consider

Always check the specific product and the current packaging. A brand name alone doesn’t tell you whether a biscuit is suitable for all your guests.

AH Glutenvrij

Albert Heijn describes both AH Glutenvrij Speculaas (125 g) and a gluten-free filled speculaas biscuit (60 g).

  • According to Albert Heijn, regular AH Glutenvrij Speculaas is made in a completely gluten-free environment.
  • The regular speculaas contains egg and may contain sesame and nuts, among other allergens. The filled biscuit has a different allergen list, including egg, soya, lupin, almond and wheat.

Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten

Jumbo describes its 125 g gluten-free speculaas as a packaged biscuit that’s ready to serve.

  • The product information shows a gluten-free label and the crossed grain symbol.
  • The product contains egg and may contain milk, lupin, sesame, nuts and gluten-free oats, among other ingredients. Check the pack for the guests you’re serving.

Consenza

Consenza Glutenvrije Speculaasjes featured in Jumbo’s product information.

  • Jumbo’s product page describes the speculaasjes as gluten-free.
  • Jumbo says on that page that the product is no longer in its online range. If you find a pack elsewhere, check its own current ingredients and allergen information.

Schär

Schär Gluten Free Speculoos is a speculoos-style biscuit described as gluten-free on a Jumbo product page.

  • The product page shows a gluten-free label.
  • Jumbo says this variety is no longer in its online range. The allergens listed include lupin and almond, with possible soya.

Lotus Biscoff

Regular Lotus Biscoff is a speculoos biscuit to enjoy with coffee, but it isn’t a gluten-free option for this occasion.

  • The ingredients information from Lotus Bakeries Nederland makes it clear what’s in the regular variety.
  • Lotus lists wheat flour as an ingredient. Don’t serve regular Lotus Biscoff as a gluten-free alternative for a guest with coeliac disease.

Related Joybuy products

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

What does ‘gluten-free’ mean on a pack of speculaas?

Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the label may be used in the EU when the product as sold contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. Also check the other allergens on the pack you’re buying.

Can I serve regular Lotus Biscoff to someone with coeliac disease?

No, not as a gluten-free biscuit. Lotus Bakeries Nederland lists wheat flour as an ingredient in regular Lotus Biscoff, so choose an alternative explicitly labelled gluten-free for this guest.

How should I serve gluten-free speculaas alongside regular biscuits?

Keep the gluten-free biscuits and their packaging separate, and use clean serving equipment. Don’t put them on a plate that also holds regular biscuits.

Can gluten-free speculaas still contain other allergens?

Yes. Albert Heijn lists egg in AH Glutenvrij Speculaas; Jumbo lists egg and other possible allergens in Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Speculaas. If a guest has an additional allergy, check the current packaging of the product you’ve chosen.

When is it practical to bake gluten-free speculaas yourself?

Baking from scratch works well if you have time to check all the ingredients and equipment. Jumbo’s recipe with teff flour and gluten-free baking powder takes around 130 minutes, according to Jumbo, and also uses butter, milk and flaked almonds. Check that these ingredients are suitable for your guests.