Want to serve speculaas biscuits with demonstrably less sugar when having coffee with friends? Compare biscuits of the same type by their sugar content per 100 g. A smaller portion of regular speculaas can help you control how much you serve, but it doesn’t change the sugar content per 100 g. Check the ingredients and allergens before sharing biscuits with your guests.
You want to serve a biscuit with your coffee that contains demonstrably less sugar, so you compare similar products per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends using this basis when reading labels.
You want to serve regular speculaas with coffee and decide in advance how much each person will get. This lets you control the amount served without presenting the biscuits as reduced-sugar.
You ask in advance which ingredients or allergens your guests need to avoid, then check the ingredients list and any warnings on each pack. For biscuits containing sweeteners, you can also check the listed carbohydrates.
Choose this if: you’re specifically looking for a lower sugar content and the packaging provides enough nutritional information to compare similar biscuits.
Bear in mind: less sugar doesn’t mean sugar-free; check the rest of the nutritional information too.
Choose this if: you want to share regular speculaas and mainly want to control how much each guest gets.
Bear in mind: serving a smaller portion doesn’t change the sugar content per 100 g.
Choose this if: you want to choose the ingredients and portion sizes yourself.
Bear in mind: the recipe title alone won’t tell you how much sugar is in a portion; you’ll need to consider the full recipe and the number of portions.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars per 100 g | Compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure for speculaas biscuits of the same type. Read any claim on the front alongside the nutrition table. | I want to choose biscuits with demonstrably less sugar for my guests, not just serve a smaller portion of the same biscuit. This comparison comes first for around 36% of consumers. |
| Taste and portion size | Check the stated portion size and decide how much you want to serve; use the figures per 100 g to compare products. | I want to share regular speculaas with coffee and decide how much each person gets. This is the main consideration for around 29% of consumers. |
| Availability | Check what’s available when you do your shopping and read the nutritional information on the pack you buy. | I want to choose something for several guests without making an extra trip to the shops. That’s why around 21% of consumers prioritise convenience when shopping. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients list and allergen warnings. If the biscuits contain sweeteners, check the listed carbohydrates too if needed. | Before sharing biscuits, I want to know whether they contain anything a guest needs to avoid. This check is the top priority for around 14% of consumers. |
Jumbo’s ‘Speculaas without sugar’ recipe contains 500 g of maple syrup. So the title doesn’t tell you how much sugar is in a portion of the recipe.
Check all the ingredients and work out the nutritional value based on the complete recipe and the number of portions.
The sugar content doesn’t tell you everything about a biscuit’s nutritional value.
For similar biscuits, compare energy, saturated fat, fibre and salt too, then decide how much you want to serve.
For Echte Bakkers Speculaas, Jumbo lists 32,5 g of sugars per 100 g and 4,1 g per stated 13 g portion. A different portion size will change the amount per portion.
Use the values per 100 g to compare products, and the portion values to plan how much to serve.
If someone has a food allergy, the ingredients list may determine whether you can offer them a biscuit. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens are listed on labels.
Ask in advance which allergens are relevant and check the packaging, including any warnings about traces.
Lotus Bakeries presents Biscoff speculoos as a biscuit to enjoy with coffee. Speculoos isn’t necessarily the same type of product as speculaas.
Jumbo lists nutritional values per 100 g for Echte Bakkers Speculaas and also publishes speculaas recipes.
Albert Heijn publishes a recipe for homemade speculaas through Allerhande.
ALDI stocks products including filled speculaas. This is a different type of product from individual speculaas biscuits.
No, a reduced-sugar claim doesn’t mean a biscuit is sugar-free. Check the amount of sugar per 100 g and compare it with a similar product.
Compare speculaas of the same type by their nutritional values per 100 g, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Check energy, saturated fat, fibre and salt as well as sugars; then use the portion size to decide how much to serve.
No, sugar content is just one part of a biscuit’s nutritional value. Compare the other figures on the label too, and consider how much you want to serve with coffee.
Check the ingredients list and any warnings about traces on the pack you plan to serve. Ask guests in advance which allergens they need to avoid; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens are listed on food labels.
