If you want to shape and bake your own Christmas biscuits, choose a recipe developed for baking without added refined sugar: according to Laura’s Bakery, sugar also affects colour and texture. For a biscuit to serve straight away or use in a dessert, compare similar products per 100 g and check the ingredients. A low sugar content can go hand in hand with polyols and allergens.
If you want to shape your own Christmas biscuits, use a recipe developed for the ingredients you’ve chosen. According to Laura’s Bakery, sugar affects colour and texture as well as flavour, so simply leaving it out of an existing recipe can change the result.
If you’re using a ready-made biscuit to crumble or serve, first choose a suitable flavour and type of product. Then compare the nutritional values of similar biscuits per 100 g, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
Look beyond the wording on the front of the pack. Product information from Jumbo and Albert Heijn shows that biscuits low in sugars can also contain polyols; check the ingredients and allergens too.
First decide whether you’re making your own dough or using a ready-made biscuit. Then compare the sugar content, ingredients and suitability for the Christmas bake you have planned.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars and claims | Compare similar biscuits by sugar content per 100 g and check which ingredients provide the sweet flavour. | If I choose biscuits because of their sugar content, I want to know exactly what the claim on the pack means. Around 36% of consumers put this check first. |
| Baking results | If you’re baking from scratch, choose a recipe with its own ingredient proportions, temperature and baking time. | For Christmas biscuits I shape myself, the main thing is how the dough behaves in the oven. Around 29% of consumers put the baking result first. |
| Allergens and polyols | Read the current ingredients list, allergen information and any warning about polyols. | When I share biscuits with others, I want to take their known allergies and any sweeteners in the biscuits into account. Around 21% of consumers give this top priority. |
| Type of product | Decide whether you need an individual biscuit, a dessert component or ingredients for home baking. | If I’ve already planned the dessert, I mainly look for a biscuit I can use as intended. This practical consideration is central for around 14% of consumers. |
Albert Heijn says its lower-sugar butter stroopwafels contain 32% less sugar than the regular AH version. The product still contains 23 g of sugars per 100 g.
Decide whether you’re looking for less sugar than in a similar product or a specific sugar content. Then compare the nutritional information per 100 g.
A biscuit low in sugars may contain polyols. Albert Heijn lists 14 g of polyols per 100 g for AH Digestive 0% sugar and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Check the polyol information and warning on the pack, even when the front says ‘0% sugar’.
According to Laura’s Bakery, sugar also affects the colour and texture of baked goods. Simply adapting a standard recipe won’t necessarily give you the Christmas biscuit you want.
Use a recipe developed for your chosen ingredients and follow the proportions and baking instructions provided.
The ingredients and allergens in a biscuit matter when you’re baking or serving it to someone with an allergy. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens must be listed on labels.
Check the current packaging for every product you use, and keep the ingredient information to hand when sharing biscuits.
An option to consider if you’re looking for a ready-made, speculoos-flavoured biscuit with a low sugar content per 100 g.
Offers examples of packaged biscuits with a range of sugar contents, as well as a recipe for homemade biscuits with no added sugars.
An ALDI own-brand option to look at if you’d rather buy a packaged biscuit than follow a specific baking recipe.
This biscuit suits shoppers looking for a ready-made product. Check the current packaging to see whether the flavour and ingredients fit your Christmas plans; don’t assume it’s suitable as an ingredient in a baking recipe.
No image available
A ready-made biscuit for anyone who doesn’t want to make dough. If these values will influence your choice, check the sugars and polyols on the current packaging.
Size: 110 g. The product title mentions lavender, while the description refers to liquorice and bay leaf flavouring; check the packaging if the flavour matters.
No, these terms don’t mean the same thing. Albert Heijn lists 23 g of sugars per 100 g for its lower-sugar butter stroopwafels, while AH Digestive 0% sugar contains 0.3 g of sugars per 100 g according to the product information. So be sure to read the nutritional information and ingredients list too.
Not without considering how it will affect the result. According to Laura’s Bakery, sugar affects colour and texture as well as sweetness. If you’re baking your own biscuits, it’s better to choose a recipe developed for your chosen ingredients and follow the proportions and baking instructions given.
The warning may be related to the polyols in the biscuits. Albert Heijn lists 14 g of polyols per 100 g for AH Digestive 0% sugar and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Read the warning on the packaging when serving these biscuits.
Check the current packaging for every biscuit and ingredient you use. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens are listed on food labels. According to Jumbo, for example, Céréal Speculoos Stukjes Amandel contains ingredients including almonds, wheat, soya, egg, barley and milk.
