If you’re serving biscuits at different times, or want to give guests a sealed portion to take away, choose chocolate biscuits that are clearly labelled as individually wrapped. For a small gathering where you’ll serve everything straight away, a multipack may be suitable if you follow the storage instructions after opening. If you like, serve the biscuits alongside rusks with aniseed sprinkles, and check the allergens and number of biscuits per wrapper for each variety.
If you want to offer biscuits again later in the day without leaving an opened pack out, look specifically for biscuits that are individually wrapped. A multipack doesn’t tell you how each biscuit is packaged.
If a guest has a food allergy or follows a gluten-free diet, check the ingredients and allergens for the exact variety you’re buying. Gluten-free doesn’t automatically mean a biscuit is free from other allergens.
For lots of visitors meeting the new baby, or a treat-sharing occasion at school or work, the number of sealed portions matters. So check not only the total number of biscuits, but also how many biscuits are in each wrapper.
First, decide whether each guest needs their own sealed biscuit. Then check the label and count the portions, not just the biscuits.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who does this matter to? |
|---|---|---|
| Sealed portions | Does it say ‘individually wrapped’ or ‘wrapped in pairs’? Follow the storage instructions once a multipack has been opened. | If visitors are coming throughout the day, I want to be able to offer or give them a sealed biscuit. For around 45% of consumers, sealed portions come first. |
| Allergens and dietary requirements | Read the ingredients, highlighted allergens and any warnings on the current pack; consider a gluten-free claim separately from other allergens. | If a guest has a food allergy or follows a gluten-free diet, the variety you choose needs to suit their needs. This is the first consideration for around 33% of consumers. |
| Number of portions | Count both the biscuits and the individual wrappers or packs. | For a large group, I want to know in advance how many guests can have a sealed portion. Around 22% of consumers say this is their priority. |
For example, ALDI says its Biscotto chocolate biscuits come in a pack of 20, wrapped in pairs. That doesn’t mean each biscuit has its own sealed wrapper.
Check both the total number of biscuits and how many there are in each wrapper.
Verkade describes its Oaties Milk Chocolate variety as gluten-free, but also lists milk and soya. So a gluten-free label doesn’t answer every question about allergens.
For the guest in question, read the ingredients and any warnings on the packaging of the exact variety.
Albert Heijn’s page for its individually wrapped AH Choco fourré vanilla biscuits also says they are no longer in the range.
Before planning your treats, check that your chosen product is available and read the current packaging when you buy it.
According to 24Baby, rusks with aniseed sprinkles are the usual treat when visiting a new baby in the Netherlands. Choosing chocolate biscuits doesn’t mean you have to replace the rusks.
If you want to keep the tradition, offer the biscuits as an extra choice and work out how many sealed portions you’ll need.
Lotus Bakeries lists a box of 300 individually wrapped Biscoff speculoos biscuits. This is an example of packaging for handing out treats to a large group, not a box of chocolate biscuits.
Verkade’s range includes Tops Milk Chocolate and Oaties Milk Chocolate; Verkade describes the latter as gluten-free.
AH Choco fourré vanilla shows that chocolate biscuits can be individually wrapped.
Jumbo offers chocolate biscuits, including Chocolate Cookies with pieces of dark chocolate.
ALDI lists Biscotto chocolate biscuits in a pack of 20.
These Joybuy products are biscuits and a wafer you could serve as an extra treat alongside rusks with aniseed sprinkles. For each product, check the difference between a sealed pack and a single individually wrapped biscuit.
Image unavailable
A milk chocolate biscuit to serve alongside rusks with aniseed sprinkles. The product information says there are two biscuits in each sealed portion, so don’t choose this if every guest needs one individually wrapped biscuit. Check the current label for milk, wheat, soya and any nut warning.
Image unavailable
The two separate packs may be useful if you want to offer biscuits at different times. The 97 g pack doesn’t confirm that each biscuit has its own wrapper; if you want to hand them out individually, check how many biscuits are in each pack. Read the current label if wheat, soya or other allergens are a concern.
Image unavailable
A chocolate and strawberry wafer as an individual treat, rather than a chocolate biscuit. The product description says it is an individually wrapped 16.5 g portion; check how many wafers it contains when counting portions for a group. If anyone has allergies, check the current label for milk and wheat.
Count the individual wrappers or packs, not just the biscuits or the pack weight. For example, Lotus Bakeries lists 300 individually wrapped Biscoff biscuits, while ALDI says its Biscotto chocolate biscuits come in a pack of 20, wrapped in pairs.
Yes. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, the 14 allergens that must be declared on the label need to be clearly identifiable in the ingredients list. If you have an allergy, always check the packaging of the exact variety you’re buying.
No. Verkade describes Oaties Milk Chocolate as gluten-free, but also lists milk and soya. So read the full allergen information and any warnings on the current pack.
Follow the storage advice on the packaging you’ve bought. Jumbo advises resealing its Chocolate Cookies pack securely after opening and using the remaining biscuits within a few days.
They don’t have to: you can serve chocolate biscuits as an extra option alongside rusks with aniseed sprinkles. According to 24Baby, rusks with aniseed sprinkles are the usual Dutch treat when visiting a new baby; it’s up to you whether you want to keep the tradition.
