Cheesecake and no-bake tart bakers
If you’re making a crumb base, digestives are a natural choice. Rutger bakt specifically recommends their firm, crumbly texture for a cheesecake base.
Which option is right for you?
Bakers looking to add almond paste as a flavour accent
Kano biscuits work well in a tart when you deliberately want to include pieces of filled biscuit. The butter-based kano described by Jumbo contains 38% almond paste, making it quite different from an unfilled digestive.
Bakers who need to consider gluten or allergens
Check the packaging of the exact biscuits you choose, as well as the other ingredients in your tart. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre stresses the importance of checking up-to-date label information when managing food allergies. Jumbo also lists a Schär digestive that is specifically labelled gluten-free.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether the biscuits need to form the base, add a particular flavour or meet a specific dietary requirement. Then check the exact variety on the packaging.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Crumb base | Choose plain, unfilled digestives if the recipe calls for crushed biscuits mixed with butter. | I want the biscuits to form the base of my cheesecake, not for their filling to affect the flavour. For around 50% of consumers, using the biscuits as a base is the main priority. |
| Almond paste flavour | Consider whether you want to use pieces of kano biscuit as a topping or in the filling, rather than as a complete replacement for the biscuits in the base. | I’m specifically looking for the flavour of a filled butter biscuit in my tart. For around 30% of consumers, this flavour accent matters most. |
| Gluten and allergens | Read the label of the exact biscuit variety and check the other ingredients in the tart too. | If someone sharing the food needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to check the whole tart. For around 20% of consumers, this is the first priority. |
Common mistakes
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Treating a filled kano biscuit like a plain digestive
Jumbo describes its kano biscuits as butter biscuits containing 38% almond paste. That’s quite different from the unfilled biscuits Baktotaal recommends for a biscuit base.
Use unfilled biscuits for a standard crumb base. If you want to use kano biscuits, add them deliberately as a flavour accent rather than swapping them in for all the base biscuits without adjusting the recipe.
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Mistaking a flavoured variety for Digestive Original
A digestive with chocolate or caramel, for example, adds different ingredients and flavours from a plain variety. This may not suit the base your recipe calls for.
Read the full product name and choose a plain, unfilled variety if the recipe doesn’t specify a flavoured one.
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Relying on the product name alone when checking for allergens
Albert Heijn says that ingredient and allergen information can change. That’s why anyone with a food allergy should check the information on the packaging when choosing a product.
Before baking, check the current packaging of every ingredient. If you’re baking gluten-free, also take care to avoid contact with ingredients that contain gluten during preparation.
Brands and own-label options to consider
Albert Heijn
Own-label range with butter-based kano biscuits, as well as plain and wholemeal digestives to consider as different product types.
- Albert Heijn lists AH Roomboter kano's, AH Digestive and AH Digestive volkoren met tarwebloem as separate products.
- Albert Heijn recommends checking the packaging, as ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change.
Jumbo
Own-label range with both filled kano biscuits and digestives.
- Jumbo describes its kano biscuits as butter biscuits containing 38% almond paste. It also lists crunchy and wholemeal digestives.
- The filling means this variety isn’t a direct replacement for unfilled biscuits in the same base recipe.
McVitie's
A brand to consider if you’re specifically looking for Digestives Original for a biscuit base.
- Albert Heijn lists McVitie's Digestives Original as a separate variety.
- Check the full name: Original isn’t the same as a digestive with chocolate or caramel.
Schär
A brand with a digestive variety specifically labelled gluten-free.
- Jumbo lists Schär Digestive Landtaler Glutenvrij.
- Choosing gluten-free biscuits doesn’t guarantee that the other tart ingredients or the preparation method are suitable.
Digestives at Joybuy
For a crumb base, this is a plain digestive variety. Choose kano biscuits only if you deliberately want a different flavour from your biscuits.
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McVities Digestive Original, 400 g
A plain digestive to consider if your recipe calls for biscuits for a cheesecake base.
Pack size: 400 g.
If you have allergies, check the label on the pack you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use kano biscuits instead of digestives, one for one, in a tart base?
Not without taking their filling into account. Jumbo describes its kano biscuits as butter biscuits containing 38% almond paste, while Baktotaal recommends unfilled biscuits for a biscuit base. It’s better to use kano biscuits deliberately as a separate flavour accent when your recipe calls for digestive crumbs.
Which digestives should I choose for a plain biscuit base?
Choose plain, unfilled digestives if the recipe doesn’t specify a flavoured variety. Baktotaal recommends unfilled biscuits as the starting point for a biscuit base. Check the product name before buying a variety with chocolate or caramel.
Are gluten-free digestives enough to make a gluten-free tart?
No, the other ingredients and the preparation method must also be suitable. Jumbo lists Schär Digestive Landtaler Glutenvrij as a specific biscuit variety. Also check the labels on the other ingredients and avoid contact with products containing gluten while baking.
Should I check allergens on the product page or on the packaging?
Read the packaging of the product you’re actually using. Albert Heijn warns that online ingredient and allergen information can change. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also stresses how important label information is for people with food allergies.