Who is this relevant to?

Home baker making kruidnoten

You’re making your own dough and looking for the spice mix your recipe calls for. A packaged speculaas biscuit serves a different purpose from speculaas spice mix.

Baker using biscuits as a topping

You want to crumble speculaas biscuits over a bake or dessert. Individual portions are especially handy when you don’t plan to use all the biscuits at once.

Sharing individual treats

You want to offer biscuits to a group, one at a time. In that case, the number of portions and confirmation that each biscuit is individually wrapped both matter.

What should you look for when choosing?

First decide whether you’re baking kruidnoten or looking for ready-to-eat biscuits to serve or crumble. For kruidnoten dough, Albert Heijn Allerhande specifies speculaas spice mix. A wrapper around a biscuit doesn’t change its role in the recipe.

What to consider What to check before buying Who it matters to
Base for kruidnoten dough Check whether your recipe calls for speculaas spice mix, and buy a spice mix rather than ready-to-eat biscuits. If I’m making kruidnoten from scratch, I want to control the spiced flavour through the dough. For around 50% of consumers, getting the dough base right comes first.
Biscuits as a topping Check that the biscuits really are individually wrapped and how many you’ll need for the topping. I only want to crumble some of them and keep the rest unopened. This portioning is the most important factor for around 30% of consumers.
Individual portions for a group Compare the number of biscuits in each pack and confirm that every biscuit has its own wrapper. When handing them out, I want to know whether there’s an individual biscuit for everyone. Around 20% of consumers prioritise this convenience.

Common mistakes

  • Buying ready-to-eat biscuits when the recipe calls for speculaas spice mix

    Biscuits don’t serve the same purpose as a measured spice mix in kruidnoten dough. The Albert Heijn Allerhande kruidnoten recipe uses speculaas spice mix.

    Use the spice mix in the dough, and keep biscuits to serve alongside your bake or use as a topping.

  • Treating pepernoten and kruidnoten as the same bake

    According to Albert Heijn Allerhande, pepernoten are softer and flavoured with anise, while kruidnoten are smaller and harder and contain speculaas spice mix.

    First decide which type of bake you mean, then follow a recipe for that particular product.

  • Assuming every pack of speculaas biscuits contains individual wrappers

    A pack containing several biscuits isn’t automatically individually wrapped. The number of biscuits alone also tells you nothing about how they’re packaged inside.

    Look for a clear statement such as ‘individually wrapped’ on the exact product packaging, and check the number of individual portions.

  • Guessing allergens from the brand name or product photo

    Ingredients vary from product to product. For example, CandyXL’s listing for a box of 300 Lotus biscuits names wheat and soya.

    Before using them, read the current label on the pack you’re buying. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergen information must appear on the labels of pre-packed foods.

Brands and shops to explore

Lotus Biscoff

A relevant choice if you want to serve speculaas biscuits individually or crumble them later.

  • CandyXL lists a box of 300 Lotus biscuits that are individually wrapped.
  • A speculaas biscuit isn’t a substitute for speculaas spice mix in kruidnoten dough. Check the ingredients on the pack you choose, too.

Albert Heijn

Its range includes various types of speculaas, while Allerhande also offers recipes for pepernoten and kruidnoten.

  • Allerhande distinguishes between soft, anise-flavoured pepernoten and smaller, harder kruidnoten made with speculaas spice mix.
  • For a specific biscuit product, check whether the pack contains individual wrappers.

Jumbo

Stocks Lotus Biscoff in a range of pack sizes.

  • Jumbo lists, among other options, an XL pack of 2 × 10 and a Lotus Original Speculoos pack of 300 biscuits.
  • Check whether each biscuit is individually wrapped in the pack size you choose; the stated quantity doesn’t confirm this.

ALDI

Offers seasonal speculaas products, including filled speculaas.

  • The Sinterklaas range gives you a starting point if you want to compare different speculaas products.
  • Filled speculaas isn’t the same as an individually wrapped speculaas biscuit. Check the packaging of the product you choose.

Lidl

Its range includes products such as baker’s speculaas.

  • The product name helps you identify a type of speculaas if you’re looking for biscuits to serve alongside your bake.
  • Check the label for the packaging format, ingredients and allergens in the version you choose.

Speculaas biscuits at Joybuy

This selection features ready-to-eat speculaas biscuits to serve alongside a bake or crumble over the top, not speculaas spice mix for kruidnoten dough. If you want each biscuit to be individually wrapped, check how the biscuits are packaged inside the pack.

Hellema Smoeltjes Speculaas Cookies, 8 pcs, 200 g

Hellema Smoeltjes Speculaas Cookies, 8 pcs, 200 g

A good option if you want to serve speculaas biscuits alongside homemade kruidnoten or use them as a crumb topping. Before buying, check whether each biscuit has its own wrapper and how many biscuits are in each bag. For kruidnoten dough, use the spice mix your recipe calls for.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Can I use packaged speculaas biscuits to bake kruidnoten?

Biscuits aren’t a direct substitute in kruidnoten dough that calls for speculaas spice mix. The Albert Heijn Allerhande kruidnoten recipe uses speculaas spice mix in the dough; you can crumble biscuits separately to use as a topping.

Are pepernoten and kruidnoten the same?

No. According to Albert Heijn Allerhande, pepernoten are softer and flavoured with anise, while kruidnoten are smaller and harder and contain speculaas spice mix. Choose the recipe that matches the bake you want to make.

How can I check allergens in packaged speculaas?

Read the label on the exact pack you’re using. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergen information must appear on the labels of pre-packed foods. Don’t guess the ingredients from the brand name or product photo alone.

Do individually wrapped biscuits automatically stay fresh for longer?

An individual wrapper on its own doesn’t tell you how long a biscuit will keep. Check the best-before date, the condition of the packaging and the storage instructions on the label. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains that the best-before date relates to the quality of the product in a sealed pack.