For someone with coeliac disease, AH Spritsen are off the menu: according to Albert Heijn, these biscuits contain wheat flour. For an autumn half-term snack, choose a biscuit whose current packaging explicitly states that it is gluten-free. A gluten-free butter biscuit, petit-beurre or oat biscuit can replace spritz biscuits as a snack, but it may not have the same flavour or shape. Also check for any other allergens that are relevant to the people eating them.
You’re looking for a pre-packed biscuit for yourself or a family member with coeliac disease. Don’t judge a biscuit by its shape or name: Albert Heijn lists wheat flour in AH Spritsen. Look for an explicitly gluten-free alternative and read the current packaging.
You’d like something to enjoy with your coffee that’s similar to a spritz biscuit, but you need a gluten-free option. Gluten-free butter biscuits, petit-beurre and other biscuits are types worth comparing, but they won’t necessarily have the same shape or buttery flavour as spritz biscuits.
You’re buying autumn half-term snacks for a group of people. As well as checking for a gluten-free label, look at each product’s allergen information. For example, PLUS lists milk, egg and hazelnut in its gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
If you’re buying for someone with coeliac disease, first look for an explicit gluten-free label. Then compare which type of biscuit best suits the occasion and which pack works for your holiday plans.
Choose this if: you want to take a pre-packed biscuit with you on an outing or when visiting someone.
Bear in mind: a butter biscuit, petit-beurre or oat biscuit won’t necessarily have the shape or flavour of a spritz biscuit. Check for other allergens too.
Choose this if: you have time to make biscuits at home. PLUS publishes recipes including one made with gluten-free oats and a gluten-free mix.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to check every ingredient and allow time for baking. Homemade biscuits won’t necessarily have the texture of classic spritz biscuits either.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Look for an explicit gluten-free label on the current packaging, and check the ingredients and allergens. | If I’m buying for someone with coeliac disease, I want to see that the biscuit is gluten-free on the packaging. For around 42% of consumers, a clear label comes first. |
| Type and flavour | Compare butter biscuits, petit-beurre, biscuits and oat biscuits; don’t rely on the product name alone. | I’d like a crisp biscuit with my coffee, though it doesn’t have to be a spritz biscuit. For around 33% of consumers, finding something similar to a spritz biscuit is the main priority when choosing. |
| Taking them along and sharing | Check the packaging, availability at your shop and any allergens that are relevant to the other people eating them. | For a holiday outing, I want a biscuit I can take along and share without having to search at the last minute. Convenience comes first for around 25% of consumers. |
A biscuit that looks buttery isn’t automatically gluten-free. Albert Heijn lists wheat flour and wheat as an allergen in AH Spritsen.
If you’re buying for someone with coeliac disease, choose an explicitly gluten-free alternative and read the ingredients on the current packaging.
PLUS lists milk, egg and hazelnut in its gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, and soya in its gluten-free double cookies.
Check the packaging of your chosen product for any allergens relevant to each person eating them.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. A product page or pack you looked at previously is no substitute for checking the information on the biscuits you’re buying now.
Read the current packaging and choose another product if the gluten-free label isn’t clear.
An online range doesn’t guarantee that the biscuit you want will be available at your shop.
Check availability before your holiday outing and have another gluten-free biscuit alternative in mind.
Schär offers a range of gluten-free biscuits, including Butterkeks petit-beurre and digestives. A biscuit can be an alternative if you’re looking for something other than spritz biscuits.
Albert Heijn offers several gluten-free alternatives, including speculaas, oat biscuits and other types of biscuit.
Albert Heijn lists Verkade Glutenvrije Oaties as oat biscuits in its gluten-free biscuit range.
Jumbo’s gluten-free range includes digestives and speculaas as alternative biscuits.
PLUS offers gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and double cookies, among other options, if you’re looking for a different kind of sweet biscuit.
This Verkade oat biscuit is a ready-made gluten-free option to take along during the autumn half-term if you’d like something different from ordinary spritz biscuits. It isn’t a spritz biscuit, so check that the oats and other allergens are suitable for the people eating it.
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A ready-made gluten-free oat biscuit for a snack break instead of ordinary spritz biscuits.
Milk chocolate variety; 150 g pack. According to the product information, it contains milk, oats and soya, and may contain nuts. The product information also notes that some people with coeliac disease are sensitive to avenin in oats. Read the current packaging and allergen information before buying.
You can’t assume they are based on the name alone: according to Albert Heijn, AH Spritsen contain wheat flour and the packaging lists wheat as an allergen. That variety isn’t suitable for someone with coeliac disease. Always check the current packaging if you’re considering a different spritz biscuit.
Look for a biscuit that’s explicitly labelled gluten-free on the current packaging, and check the ingredients and allergens too. The European Commission explains the EU requirements for using the ‘gluten-free’ label; a biscuit’s shape or name doesn’t tell you whether it meets them.
No, a gluten-free label doesn’t mean that. PLUS lists milk, egg and hazelnut in its gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, and soya in its gluten-free double cookies. Check the allergens for the variety you’re buying.
Yes, if you have time to bake and, if you’re cooking for someone with coeliac disease, check that every ingredient you use is labelled gluten-free. PLUS, for example, publishes a recipe for oat cookies made with gluten-free oats and a gluten-free mix. The result won’t necessarily have the same texture as classic spritz biscuits.
Check in advance which biscuits are available at your shop, as ranges can change. Also check the packaging of the product you choose so you can confirm the current gluten-free label and any relevant allergens.
