Who might want which type of speculaas?

Coffee guests looking to limit sugar

If sugar is your first priority, compare the sugar content per 100 g and per biscuit. For varieties with sweeteners, read the ingredients list and any warnings too.

Hosts who want to serve traditional speculaas

If you’re looking for a familiar biscuit to share rather than a lower-sugar option, baker’s speculaas is one possibility. Albert Heijn lists 33 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Bakkers speculaas; Jumbo lists 29 g per 100 g for Jumbo Bakkers Speculaas.

Coffee guests who need gluten-free food

First, choose a product that meets your guest’s gluten-free requirements. Then check the sugar content and other allergens separately on the label: gluten-free in itself tells you nothing about these.

What should you look for in speculaas to serve with coffee?

First decide whether lower sugar, a dietary or allergen requirement, or sharing a familiar biscuit matters most. Then check the packaging of the specific variety you want to serve.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Sugar content Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g and work out the amount for the number of biscuits you’ll serve. For a sugar-free variety, check which sweeteners it uses too. I want to serve a biscuit with coffee whose sugar content I can assess, even if it contains sweeteners; keeping sugar as low as possible is the top priority for around 46% of consumers.
Taste and sharing Check the serving size and number of servings in the pack. Keep an eye on the sugar content if reducing sugar is still important to some guests. When I put biscuits out for several guests, a familiar speculaas flavour and ease of sharing matter more than reducing sugar; this is the top priority for around 27% of consumers.
Dietary requirements and allergens Read the current allergen information on the packaging and, for a gluten-free variety, check the sugar content separately. If a guest needs to eat gluten-free or avoid an allergen, I first want to know whether the variety I’ve chosen is suitable for them; dietary and allergen requirements come first for around 27% of consumers.

Common mistakes when choosing

  • Assuming gluten-free means low in sugar

    These two properties address different needs. Jumbo lists 26.9 g of sugars per 100 g for Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Speculaas.

    Check for a gluten-free label if you need one, and read the sugar content for that specific variety as well.

  • Looking only for ‘sugar-free’

    A sugar-free biscuit may contain sweeteners. Low Carb Club’s product listing says that Rabeko Suikervrije Speculaasjes contains maltitol and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.

    Read the ingredients and warnings before serving these biscuits to several guests.

  • Treating an online product description as the definitive label

    Ingredients and nutritional information can vary between varieties or change when a recipe is updated. Albert Heijn therefore asks buyers to check the packaging.

    When buying, check the variety name and read the current nutritional information and allergen details on the pack.

  • Assuming ‘less sugar’ based on two unrelated biscuits

    According to the European Commission, a claim about a reduced content is a comparative nutrition claim with conditions that must be met. A difference between the sugar figures for two individual products doesn’t prove that a product meets those conditions.

    Check which claim actually appears on the packaging and compare similar products on the same basis, such as per 100 g.

Brands and product ranges to compare

Céréal

Albert Heijn lists Céréal Speculoos stukjes amandel zonder suikers in its range of biscuits for sugar-conscious shoppers.

  • The product name makes it easy to find the variety to check if sugar is your first priority.
  • Check the nutritional information, ingredients and allergens on the label before deciding whether this variety is right for your guests.

Rabeko

Low Carb Club lists Rabeko Suikervrije Speculaasjes as speculaas biscuits containing polyols.

  • The product listing gives 0.03 g of sugars per 10 g biscuit, so you can assess the amount per biscuit.
  • The listing mentions maltitol and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect; read the warning before serving the product.

Albert Heijn

AH Bakkers speculaas is a traditional variety sold in a 600 g pack.

  • The pack gives you the option of sharing speculaas with several guests.
  • Albert Heijn lists 33 g of sugars per 100 g and wheat as an allergen. Don’t assume this variety is a lower-sugar option.

Jumbo

Jumbo lists both traditional Bakkers Speculaas and a separate gluten-free speculaas variety.

  • Looking at the separate products lets you decide whether sharing or a gluten-free requirement takes priority.
  • According to Jumbo, Bakkers Speculaas contains 29 g of sugars per 100 g; Lekker Vrij van Gluten Speculaas contains 26.9 g of sugars per 100 g and egg. Gluten-free doesn’t mean low in sugar here.

Lotus Biscoff

Lotus Bakeries says Biscoff goes well with coffee and presents it as a biscuit for the occasion.

  • It’s a product range to consider if you’re mainly looking for a biscuit to serve with coffee.
  • Check a specific pack separately if your aim is to reduce sugar; serving it with coffee tells you nothing about its sugar content.

Joybuy products on this topic

Related products will be available soon.

Frequently asked questions

Does ‘less sugar’ mean the same as ‘sugar-free’?

No. ‘Less sugar’ is a comparative nutrition claim, while ‘sugar-free’ is a different claim. According to the European Commission, a claim that a nutrient content has been reduced generally requires a reduction of at least 30% compared with a similar product. Check the exact claim and nutritional information on the packaging of the variety you choose.

Is sugar-free speculaas also low in carbohydrates?

Not necessarily: the amount of sugar doesn’t tell you how many total carbohydrates a biscuit contains. Low Carb Club’s product listing gives Rabeko Suikervrije Speculaasjes as containing 0.03 g of sugars, but also 6.02 g of total carbohydrates per biscuit. Compare the relevant figures in the nutritional information and check the stated serving size.

Does gluten-free speculaas contain less sugar than regular speculaas?

You can’t tell from the gluten-free label. Jumbo lists 26.9 g of sugars per 100 g for Lekker Vrij van Gluten Speculaas and 29 g per 100 g for Jumbo Bakkers Speculaas. Compare sugar content separately and, if gluten-free is a requirement, check the label on the pack you choose.

Which allergens should I check when serving speculaas to guests?

Check the allergen information for each product individually, not just the name of the biscuit. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority points out that allergen information must appear on the label of prepacked products. The varieties mentioned differ in terms of wheat, egg and warnings about the possible presence of other allergens.