Don’t use ordinary kano biscuits if your cake or tart needs to be sugar-free: Albert Heijn and PLUS list 37.6 to 39 g of sugars per 100 g for the varieties mentioned, while the EU condition for the ‘sugar-free’ claim is a maximum of 0.5 g per 100 g. If you’re baking from scratch, you could consider a baking sweetener or a cake mix explicitly labelled sugar-free, provided you check the nutritional information, preparation instructions and allergens for the product you choose.
If you want to choose a product that meets the EU condition for the ‘sugar-free’ claim, check the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. Terms such as ‘light’ or ‘less sugar’ don’t, on their own, tell you whether it meets that condition.
If you replace sugar in a cake recipe, you also need to consider the texture and browning. Rutger Bakt explains the role sugar plays in baking, so when using a substitute, follow a suitable recipe or the manufacturer’s baking instructions.
Kano biscuits are a different choice from ingredients for a homemade cake. If convenience is your priority, still check the sugars and allergens on the packaging: the varieties mentioned from Albert Heijn and PLUS are not sugar-free.
Suitable when: You’re looking for a ready-made biscuit and don’t need it to be sugar-free.
Trade-off: The kano biscuits mentioned from Albert Heijn and PLUS don’t meet that requirement because of their sugar content.
Suitable when: You want to adapt an existing cake recipe and can follow the instructions for your chosen substitute.
Trade-off: According to Rutger Bakt, sugar also affects texture and browning, so replacing it involves more than simply using a different amount of sweetener.
Suitable when: You’d rather use a mix with its own preparation instructions than adapt a standard recipe.
Trade-off: Check the claim, nutritional information and allergens for the specific mix. Sukrin calls its Cake Mix sugar-free, but also lists sesame and oats.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Actually sugar-free | Check the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. According to EUR-Lex, a product must contain no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g to carry the EU ‘sugar-free’ claim. | If sugar-free is essential for my tart, I don’t want to rely on ‘light’ or ‘less sugar’. An estimated 42% of consumers put this sugar-free choice first. |
| Baking results | Check the quantity and preparation method for your chosen baking sweetener or mix; a standard recipe may not work if you use it unchanged. | When adapting my cake recipe, I mainly want to know how the substitute affects texture and browning. An estimated 33% of consumers put baking results first. |
| Convenience and allergens | Compare the ingredients, nutritional information and allergens on the current packaging for the ready-made option. | When I want to take something sweet with me without baking, convenience matters most, but I still need to check for allergens. Around 25% of consumers give convenience top priority. |
A relative claim doesn’t tell you whether a product meets the ‘sugar-free’ limit. For example, Voedingscentrum explains that ‘light’ can refer to a reduction in energy, fat or sugars.
If sugar-free is essential, compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g with the EU limit of no more than 0.5 g, as published via EUR-Lex.
The kano biscuits mentioned from Albert Heijn and PLUS contain 37.6 to 39 g of sugars per 100 g. That means they’re not a sugar-free base for a cake or tart.
For baking from scratch, choose a suitable baking sweetener or check a mix explicitly labelled sugar-free. Use ordinary kano biscuits only if sugar-free isn’t a requirement.
According to Rutger Bakt, sugar also affects the texture and browning of cake. Using the same amount of a different sweetener may therefore not give you the same baking results.
Follow a recipe designed for your chosen substitute or stick to the manufacturer’s recommended quantity and preparation method.
A sugar-free claim tells you nothing about a product’s allergens. Both kano biscuits and cake mixes may contain ingredients that matter to some shoppers.
Read the ingredients and allergen statement on the current packaging of the exact product you’re using.
Albert Heijn provides nutritional information for AH BASIC Kano’s and AH Roomboter kano’s.
PLUS provides nutritional information for Aviateur Kano’s and PLUS Roomboter kano’s.
Sukrin offers a baking sweetener and a cake mix for anyone who wants to bake from scratch instead of using kano biscuits.
No. Albert Heijn lists 38 g of sugars per 100 g for AH BASIC Kano’s and 39 g for AH Roomboter kano’s; PLUS lists 37.6 g for Aviateur Kano’s and 38.9 g for PLUS Roomboter kano’s. Under the EU condition for the ‘sugar-free’ claim, published via EUR-Lex, a product may contain no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g.
No. According to Voedingscentrum, ‘light’ can refer to a reduction in energy, fat or sugars compared with a similar product. If you want a sugar-free option, check the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g.
No. First check the quantity and preparation method for your chosen substitute. Rutger Bakt explains that sugar also contributes to the texture and browning of cake. According to Sukrin, 50 g of its Finesse replaces 100 g of sugar in baking; this ratio applies to this specific product.
Read the allergen statement for the exact product on the current packaging. The kano biscuits mentioned from Albert Heijn and PLUS list, among other things, cereals containing gluten, soya, milk, egg or almond, depending on the variety; Sukrin lists sesame and gluten-free oats for its Cake Mix.
