If the recipient wants to bake their own kruidnoten and choose the recipe, give them speculaas spices. For an easier start, a kruidnoten baking mix is a better fit. Ready-to-eat speculaas or kruidnoten are ideal for sharing straight away, but they’re no substitute for baking ingredients. Check what else is needed for each gift, and read the label on the chosen pack.
The main difference is what the recipient wants to do with the gift: make their own recipe, start with a mix or hand something out straight away.
They want to choose the spices themselves and already have the other dough ingredients at home. Individual speculaas spices are a good fit; according to Albert Heijn Allerhande, they can also be used in kruidnoten.
They want to bake kruidnoten together without gathering all the dry ingredients separately. A kruidnoten baking mix could be a good choice, as long as the instructions clearly say which ingredients and baking equipment are still needed.
They’re looking for something that can be eaten straight away. A multipack or larger bag of biscuits suits this purpose, but not someone who specifically wants to make their own dough.
First, decide whether the aim is to bake or eat something straight away. For a baking gift, consider how much freedom the recipient wants to have with the recipe, and what else they’ll need.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started with baking | Check whether you’re buying a spice mix or a kruidnoten baking mix, and which ingredients and baking equipment you’ll still need. | If I’m baking with the recipient, I don’t want to find out when we open the gift that the dough base is missing. An easy start to baking is the priority for around 40% of consumers. |
| Making your own recipe | Check which spices are in the mix and how much it contains. | Anyone who likes making their own dough will want to tailor the spices to their recipe. Around 30% of consumers prioritise this freedom to choose their own recipe. |
| Gift size | Compare the net weight and number of individual portions. Check whether the product is for baking or eating straight away. | For a sharing occasion, I want to be able to hand out biscuits without baking first. Being able to share them is the priority for around 20% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and storage | Read the current label on the chosen pack, including the allergens, best-before date and storage advice. | If the recipient needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to know exactly what’s in the product first. This check is the main factor in choosing for around 10% of consumers. |
Speculaas and kruidnoten are ready to eat, but they don’t provide the ingredients needed to make kruidnoten dough from scratch.
If the recipient wants to bake, choose speculaas spices or a kruidnoten baking mix. Give biscuits as an extra, or if the aim is to enjoy something straight away.
A mix may still require extra ingredients, baking paper and an oven. It may also contain ingredients that someone needs to avoid.
Before buying, read the instructions and the label on that exact pack. If you know the recipient has an allergy, check which product variant is suitable for them.
A small jar of spices, a multipack of biscuits and a large bag of kruidnoten all serve different purposes. The pack size alone won’t tell you whether it’s suitable for baking together.
Choose a size to suit the planned baking or sharing occasion, then check the product type.
A product in a seasonal range may not be available when you want to buy it.
Check that the chosen pack is currently available shortly before buying, and think of an alternative if needed, such as individual speculaas spices for someone with their own recipe.
These brands and shops offer different gift ideas. When comparing products, check what each one is: spices, baking mix and ready-to-eat biscuits all serve different purposes.
A place to look for individual speculaas spices and recipes for making your own kruidnoten.
A place to find out which ingredients you need for kruidnoten and what a baking mix might combine.
Ready-to-eat speculoos biscuits for an edible gift or sharing occasion.
A place to find ready-to-eat kruidnoten if the gift is for sharing with a group straight away.
A place to look for seasonal products, including ready-to-eat speculaas.
No, although people often use the names interchangeably in everyday conversation. Jumbo calls the crunchy, speculaas-style rounds often known as pepernoten kruidnoten. If you want that result, look for a product whose packaging or instructions clearly say that you can use it to bake kruidnoten.
Yes. Check the ingredients and allergens on the current pack of the product you’ve chosen. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that labels must list 14 allergens; ingredients vary from product to product. For example, the Jumbo kruidnoten mix shown contained wheat, while Lotus Bakeries lists wheat flour and soya flour for the Biscoff variant mentioned.
Store speculaas spices in a sealed jar in a dark place, as advised by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Also check the storage advice on the pack you’re giving, so the recipient knows how to put the spices away after baking.
Check the chosen pack shortly before buying, as seasonal ranges can change. Jumbo no longer listed the kruidnoten mix shown as available online, and ALDI marked its kruidnoten pack as available while stocks lasted. If you choose an alternative, check again whether it’s a baking mix or ready-to-eat biscuits.
