When choosing a Valentine’s Day treat, first decide how many individual portions you need and how many biscuits are in each pack. A small multipack is ideal for a few recipients; a box of individually wrapped biscuits is more practical when lots of people need to be able to help themselves. If you’re giving biscuits to others, check the label on the exact variety for ingredients, allergens and the best-before date.
The right pack depends on how many people you’re buying for: a bag with two biscuits is different from an individually wrapped biscuit.
Want to give someone a small portion without splitting up a pack of biscuits yourself? Check not only how many bags there are, but also how many biscuits each one contains. Albert Heijn and Jumbo, for example, list Lotus Biscoff packs with two biscuits per bag.
If people will be helping themselves during a coffee break or group get-together, an individually wrapped biscuit can be a practical choice. Lotus Bakeries lists a box of 300 individually wrapped Biscoff biscuits; ALDI Netherlands also offers Biscotto chocolate biscuits packed in pairs.
If you’re giving biscuits to someone with specific dietary requirements or an allergy, read the ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack. The product name alone won’t tell you which ingredients a variety contains.
First decide how many sealed portions you want to give. Then choose the type of biscuit and check the label and storage information for the variety you’re actually buying.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portions and recipients | Count the individual bags and the biscuits in each one; a bag may contain more than one biscuit. | If I want to give something to a few people, I need to know how many sealed portions I can actually hand out. Around 36% of consumers put getting the right number of portions first. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the label on the exact variety, even if you already know another flavour from the same brand. | When I buy biscuits for someone else, I need to check whether the ingredients are suitable for them. For around 29% of consumers, this is their first concern. |
| Flavour and presentation | Choose the type of biscuit or chocolate variety that suits the occasion, then check how the portions are wrapped. | For a personal treat, I mainly want to choose a flavour the recipient will enjoy. Around 21% of consumers prioritise this choice. |
| Pack size and storage | Choose a pack that suits the number of recipients and check the best-before date, storage advice and packaging seal. | If I buy biscuits in advance, I don’t want to be left with an unnecessarily large amount, and I need to be able to store them properly until I give them. This is the main concern for around 14% of consumers. |
Albert Heijn lists two biscuits per bag for Lotus Biscoff Snack Pack; Jumbo lists three biscuits per pack for Lotus Biscoff Chocolate. So the number of bags isn’t always the same as the number of biscuits.
Before buying, count both the sealed portions and the biscuits in each portion, then decide how many you want to give each person.
Allergens can vary between varieties. For the Lotus Biscoff chocolate variety it checked, Jumbo also lists milk, as well as soya and wheat.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack of the exact variety you’re handing out.
The box described by Lotus Bakeries contains 300 individually wrapped Biscoff biscuits. That size is less suitable if you’re buying a treat for just a few people.
Compare the number of individual portions with the number of people you want to give biscuits to.
The time between buying and giving the biscuits matters too: damaged packaging or unsuitable storage can affect their quality.
Voedingscentrum advises storing biscuits in a cool, dry, dark place in a well-sealed container. Also check the best-before date, the advice on the packaging and that the individual wrappers are intact.
These examples show different types of packaging and biscuits; always check the exact product when you buy.
Speculoos in small multipacks, as well as individually wrapped biscuits in a large box.
Chocolate biscuits for anyone looking to hand out small portions of two.
A different kind of treat from a classic biscuit: spiced cake or ontbijtkoek bites.
A Lidl range that includes biscuits and other baked treats.
These biscuits are worth considering if you’re looking for small wrapped portions to take with you or hand out. If you’re buying for a set number of people, compare the number of individual portions in each pack and what they contain.
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An option for sharing in small portions. Check how many biscuits are in each individual pack and read the ingredients and allergen information on the label before handing them out.
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For anyone who wants to share biscuits with milk chocolate in small portions. Check how many individual portions are in the outer pack and read the label if you’re giving them to others.
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A mini biscuit for anyone who wants a wrapped portion to take along or hand out. Check the pack to see how many individual portions it contains and how many biscuits are in each one.
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For a small sharing occasion when you want to give out two individual packs. Check how many biscuits are in each pack and read the label for the exact ingredients and allergens.
No, a sealed portion can contain two or three biscuits. Albert Heijn lists two biscuits per bag for Lotus Biscoff Snack Pack, while Jumbo lists three biscuits per pack for Lotus Biscoff Chocolate. So count both the portions and the biscuits in each one.
No, don’t assume different varieties contain the same allergens. For the chocolate variety it checked, Jumbo also lists milk, as well as soya and wheat. Read the label on the exact pack before giving biscuits to someone else.
At the very least, check the ingredients and allergens for the variety you’ve chosen, the best-before date and any storage instructions. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority stresses that information on labels of pre-packed foods must be clearly legible.
Store biscuits in a cool, dry, dark place in a well-sealed container, as advised by Voedingscentrum. Follow the storage advice on the pack too, and check the best-before date and that the individual wrappers are intact before giving them.
