Choose traditional muisjes if aniseed flavour and sprinkles are your priority: the De Ruijter Gestampte muisjes reviewed here are sugar-coated aniseed seeds, not chocolate. If Fairtrade cocoa is essential, check the claim on the exact chocolate sprinkles or chocolate bar you’re considering. Chocolate sprinkles aren’t muisjes, and a chocolate bar isn’t a substitute for sprinkles. Check the ingredients and allergen information for your chosen variety, too.
If you want to top beschuit, cupcakes or a homemade Valentine’s Day dessert, you’re probably looking for the familiar shape and aniseed flavour of muisjes. That’s a different choice from chocolate carrying a Fairtrade cocoa claim.
What matters is exactly what the claim covers on the chocolate product you choose. Chocolate sprinkles can be used as a topping, but they don’t replace the flavour of aniseed muisjes.
If you’d rather give a bar than decorate something yourself, check the Fairtrade statement, ingredients and allergen information for the specific variety. The packaging and size will also help you decide whether it’s right for your planned gift.
First decide whether you want sprinkles or a bar to give as a gift. If you’re choosing sprinkles, consider whether you’d prefer the aniseed flavour of muisjes or a verifiable Fairtrade cocoa claim.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade cocoa | Read the claim on the exact pack. Does Fairtrade apply to the cocoa as an ingredient, or to the whole product? According to Milieu Centraal, a Fairtrade logo with a white background may identify a certified ingredient only. | If Fairtrade cocoa is my main reason for choosing a product, I want to know what the claim applies to before I buy chocolate. Around 42% of consumers put this check first. |
| Muisjes as sprinkles | Check the ingredients and decide whether you want sugar-coated aniseed seeds or chocolate sprinkles. | For beschuit or cupcakes I’m decorating myself, I specifically want the look and aniseed flavour of muisjes. Around 33% of consumers say this use as a topping matters most. |
| Chocolate to give as a gift | For the bar you choose, check the size, Fairtrade statement, ingredients and allergen information. | If I don’t want to decorate anything myself, I’m looking for a chocolate bar I can give as it is. Around 25% of consumers put this gift option first. |
The De Ruijter Gestampte muisjes reviewed here are sugar-coated aniseed seeds. Chocolate sprinkles have a different flavour and aren’t a traditional muisjes product.
If you’re after aniseed flavour and the familiar shape of muisjes, choose those. If you want Fairtrade cocoa, look for a claim on a specific chocolate product.
According to Milieu Centraal, a Fairtrade logo with a white background may apply to a certified ingredient only.
Read the wording next to the logo. For example, the PLUS chocolate sprinkles reviewed here specifically state Fairtrade Cocoa.
The dark PLUS chocolate sprinkles reviewed here are labelled vegan, but may contain milk and lactose. The milk chocolate variety contains milk and lactose.
If you have an allergy, check the allergen information on the pack of the variety you’re buying. Don’t rely on the product name alone.
The Gestampte muisjes reviewed here are sugar-coated aniseed seeds, suitable for toppings such as beschuit and for decorating.
According to the product pages, the milk and dark chocolate sprinkles reviewed here carry a Fairtrade Cocoa statement.
Tony's Chocolonely suggests its chocolate as a Valentine’s Day gift. For the 50 g dark chocolate bar reviewed here, the brand states that the cocoa and sugar are Fairtrade.
This bar suits anyone choosing chocolate to give or share, rather than muisjes to use as sprinkles. Before buying, read the Fairtrade statement on the current packaging and check that the ingredients and allergens are suitable for the recipient.
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A chocolate bar for anyone who’d rather give chocolate than decorate a treat with muisjes.
Milk chocolate with pecan and caramel; 180 g. Check the Fairtrade claim and allergen information on the current packaging.
No. Albert Heijn describes the De Ruijter Gestampte muisjes reviewed here as sugar-coated aniseed seeds. Don’t assume muisjes are chocolate or carry a Fairtrade cocoa claim without checking the statement on the exact packaging.
No, a statement may apply to just one ingredient. According to Milieu Centraal, a Fairtrade logo with a white background may have this more limited meaning, so read the wording next to the logo on the pack you choose.
No. The dark PLUS chocolate sprinkles reviewed here are labelled vegan, but may contain milk and lactose. If you have a milk allergy, check the allergen information on the packaging of the variety you’re actually buying.
Check the Fairtrade statement, size, ingredients and allergen information for the exact bar. Tony's Chocolonely states that the cocoa and sugar in its 50 g dark chocolate bar reviewed here are Fairtrade; don’t assume the claim applies to a different variety without checking.
