Which approach is right for you?

Sugar-conscious biscuit or crumble shoppers

You’re looking for a ready-made chocolate biscuit to eat or crumble. For the Céréal varieties described by Albert Heijn and Jumbo, it’s important to check polyols and allergens as well as sugars.

Home bakers who want to choose the recipe

You want to make your own dough and choose the ingredients and sweeteners you use. The biscuit recipes from Albert Heijn and Jumbo start with baking ingredients, not a biscuit that has already been baked.

Shoppers with allergen or intolerance requirements

You need to assess sugars and ingredients separately. For example, Jumbo lists a gluten-free and lactose-free Céréal chocolate biscuit with 29 g of sugars per 100 g. These product features don’t automatically mean it’s low in sugar.

What should you look for when choosing?

First decide whether you want a biscuit to eat or crumble, or whether you want to bake dough. For ready-made biscuits, compare similar products per 100 g, as recommended by the Voedingscentrum.

What to consider What to check before buying Who it’s relevant for
Sugars in ready-made biscuits Compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g for similar biscuits. Also check the ingredients for sweeteners and polyols. If I want to eat or crumble a biscuit, I mainly want to know how much sugar it contains without overlooking other ingredients. Reducing sugar is a priority for around 36% of consumers.
Bake your own or use a ready-made biscuit Choose baking ingredients and a suitable dough recipe if you want to bake biscuits; choose a ready-to-eat biscuit if you need a snack or crumble topping. If you want to choose the sweetener and texture yourself, a biscuit that’s already been baked won’t be enough. For around 29% of consumers, having control over the recipe is the top priority.
Allergens and polyols Read the allergen declaration and any ‘may contain’ statement for the exact product. For products containing polyols, check the warning on the packaging too. I want to choose a biscuit that suits the ingredients I need to avoid or take into account; the sugar figure alone won’t tell me enough. For around 21% of consumers, this is the first thing they consider.
Convenience and taste Consider whether a ready-made biscuit suits the way you plan to use it. Check the nutritional information separately if lower sugar is still a requirement. If I need a biscuit or crumb topping in a hurry, I don’t want to prepare and bake dough first. For around 14% of consumers, convenience or their preferred taste is the deciding factor.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming ‘no added sugars’ means ‘sugar-free’

    Albert Heijn’s biscuit recipe with no added sugars uses dates and lists 6 g of sugars per serving. Sugars from ingredients still count towards the nutritional values, even when no sugar has been added.

    For a recipe, check the ingredients and nutritional information. For packaged biscuits, compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g rather than relying only on the wording on the front of the pack.

  • Buying a baked biscuit when you want to make dough

    A packaged biscuit can work as a snack or crumb topping, but it won’t give you the control over the dough and baking process that you’re looking for when baking from scratch.

    Before you shop, decide whether you need a ready-to-eat biscuit or the ingredients for a dough recipe.

  • Overlooking polyols because the sugar figure is low

    Albert Heijn lists 26 g of polyols per 100 g for Céréal Chocolate Chip Cookie with no sugars. The product warning states that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.

    As well as checking the sugar value, read the ingredients and warnings on the packaging.

  • Assuming one nutritional feature means the product has other features too

    A biscuit low in sugars isn’t automatically free from allergens. Conversely, Jumbo lists 29 g of sugars per 100 g for a specific gluten-free and lactose-free Céréal chocolate biscuit.

    Check the sugar value and allergen declaration separately for the variety you’re buying.

Brands and product ranges to consider

Céréal

Albert Heijn describes a Chocolate Chip Cookie with no sugars; Jumbo also lists Choco Delight Puur, which is lower in sugars. These are different varieties, each with its own ingredients and nutritional values.

  • Albert Heijn lists 0 g of sugars and 26 g of polyols per 100 g for the Chocolate Chip Cookie. Jumbo lists 0.5 g of sugars and 24 g of polyols per 100 g for Choco Delight Puur.
  • These figures don’t apply to every Céréal biscuit. Check the allergens and the warning about excessive polyol consumption for each variety.

Verkade

Verkade San Francisco Zero is a biscuit to consider if you’re also looking beyond chocolate biscuits for a variety with no added sugar.

  • Albert Heijn lists 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g and 0% added sugar for San Francisco Zero.
  • The variety described isn’t a chocolate biscuit. Also check this product for wheat, milk, soya and the sweeteners listed.

Lotus Biscoff

Lotus Biscoff with chocolate is a standard chocolate biscuit for anyone mainly looking for a ready-made option.

  • Lotus Bakeries describes the biscuit as crunchy and chocolatey.
  • Lotus Bakeries lists 39.6 g of sugars per 100 g for this product. It’s therefore not a suitable choice if reducing sugar is your main priority. It also contains wheat, milk and soya.

Jumbo

Jumbo lists products including Milk Chocolate Biscuits and Dark Chocolate Biscuits among its standard own-brand options.

  • The varieties offer a choice between milk and dark chocolate.
  • Being part of a chocolate biscuit range doesn’t mean a product is lower in sugar. Compare the nutritional information for the individual product to check.

Biscotto (ALDI)

ALDI Netherlands describes Biscotto Chocolate Biscuits as butter biscuits with dark, white and milk chocolate.

  • The pack described contains 20 biscuits and weighs 250 g.
  • Check the sugars per 100 g on the packaging before choosing this variety if you’re aiming to reduce your sugar intake.

Related products at Joybuy

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Does a homemade biscuit with no added sugars contain no sugars at all?

No. Albert Heijn’s biscuit recipe with no added sugars uses dates and lists 6 g of sugars per serving. So be sure to check both the ingredients and the nutritional information for the recipe.

How do I compare the sugar content of two chocolate biscuits?

For similar biscuits, compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. This gives you a consistent basis when serving sizes differ, as recommended by the Voedingscentrum. Also check the ingredients if you want to take sweeteners or polyols into account.

What should I look for in biscuits containing polyols?

Check the amount of polyols and the warning on the packaging. The Céréal and Verkade varieties described carry a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. A low sugar figure doesn’t change that warning.

Is a chocolate biscuit that’s low in sugar also gluten-free or lactose-free?

Not automatically. The Céréal Chocolate Chip Cookie with no sugars described by Albert Heijn contains wheat and gluten-containing cereals. Jumbo lists a separate gluten-free and lactose-free Céréal variety with 29 g of sugars per 100 g. Check the label of the exact product to confirm both requirements.