Regular Verkade NoboSprits Original contains wheat flour, so it isn’t gluten-free. For someone with coeliac disease, a pre-packed biscuit labelled ‘gluten-free’ or bearing the Crossed Grain symbol is a more reliable alternative. Speculaas offers a spiced winter flavour, while oat biscuits are less like spritz biscuits. If you’re buying loose biscuits at a Christmas market, the seller should also be able to explain the ingredients and measures taken to prevent cross-contamination.
You’re looking for a biscuit to take with you or eat there and then. A clear gluten-free label and information about cross-contamination matter more to you than finding a flavour that’s exactly like a spritz biscuit.
You want a crunchy biscuit to enjoy with coffee, tea or hot chocolate, and you’re happy to try speculaas or an oat biscuit even if it isn’t a spritz biscuit.
As well as gluten, you may need to check for ingredients such as egg, milk, soya, nuts or sesame. That makes the allergen information on the chosen biscuit’s packaging essential.
Start by checking for a gluten-free label and considering how the biscuit is being sold. Then choose between spiced speculaas and an oat biscuit.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Verified gluten-free | For pre-packed biscuits, look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol. If buying loose biscuits, also ask how cross-contamination is prevented. | If I have coeliac disease, I want to be able to assess whether both the biscuit and the way it’s served meet my needs. This check is the top priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Wintery flavour | Compare gluten-free speculaas with a gluten-free oat biscuit; both have a different flavour profile from spritz biscuits. | With a hot drink, I’m mainly looking for a crunchy biscuit with a spiced flavour, even if it isn’t a spritz biscuit. This is the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Easy to take with you and other allergens | Read the full allergen information and check whether the packaging can be taken along unopened. | I take biscuits to the market and also need to consider other allergens. Around 20% of consumers give this combination the highest priority. |
Wheat isn’t the only grain that contains gluten; rye and barley are also relevant. So ‘wheat-free’ doesn’t give someone with coeliac disease the same information as a gluten-free label.
Check the current packaging for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol, as well as the ingredients and allergen information.
A biscuit that doesn’t contain gluten-containing ingredients can still come into contact with crumbs or shared equipment during preparation or sale. The Dutch Coeliac Society advises preparing gluten-free food separately.
Ask the market stall how the biscuit is prepared, stored and served. If you don’t get a clear answer, an unopened pack labelled gluten-free is easier to check.
Gluten-free biscuits may still contain ingredients such as egg, milk, soya or nuts. Ingredients vary between products and varieties.
Read the full allergen information on the exact pack you’re buying.
Speculaas has a spiced flavour, while Oaties are oat biscuits; neither is the same as a regular spritz biscuit.
Choose speculaas if a wintery, spiced flavour is what you’re after, or a biscuit labelled gluten-free if you’d rather have oats.
Verkade illustrates the difference between regular spritz biscuits and a gluten-free biscuit alternative: NoboSprits Original contains wheat flour, while the brand describes Oaties as gluten-free.
Albert Heijn offers gluten-free speculaas and almond biscuits, among other products. The speculaas is a good fit if you’re looking for a spiced winter biscuit.
Jumbo offers gluten-free speculaas for anyone looking to take a spiced alternative to spritz biscuits along to the market.
PLUS describes its gluten-free choco-chip cookies as biscuits with milk chocolate pieces: a different flavour from speculaas or spritz biscuits.
No. Verkade lists wheat flour as an ingredient in NoboSprits Original. If you have coeliac disease, choose a biscuit whose current packaging explicitly says ‘gluten-free’ or bears the Crossed Grain symbol.
Look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol, and also read the ingredients, allergen information and warnings about possible cross-contamination. According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, the label ‘gluten-free’ means the product contains less than 20 mg of gluten per kg.
Not on that information alone. Also ask the seller about other gluten-containing ingredients and measures to prevent cross-contamination during preparation, storage and serving. If you can’t get clear information, an unopened biscuit labelled gluten-free is easier to check.
Yes. Depending on the product, the biscuit alternatives mentioned may contain ingredients such as egg, milk, soya or nuts. Check the allergen information for the specific variety and the pack you’re buying.
If possible, take an unopened pack labelled gluten-free with you. Once opened, keep the biscuits separate from snacks containing gluten and prevent contact with crumbs or shared serving equipment.
