Choose individual biscuits if you want something ready to serve over New Year, or speculoos spread if you’d like to enjoy the flavour as a topping; making your own gives you control over the ingredients. Whichever you choose, check the sugars per 100 g, portion size, sweeteners and allergens. A product with no sugars is not automatically right for every breakfast.
If you fancy speculaas with breakfast or a coffee, compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g and check which sweetening ingredients have been used. A recipe title or general description won’t tell you the same thing.
If you don’t want to bake, individual biscuits are easier to count than a portion of spread is to measure out. For ready-made products, check that the ingredients are suitable for everyone you’re serving.
A product with no sugars may still contain wheat, nuts, milk, egg or soya. Check the latest allergen information, and look out for polyols if you’re sensitive to them or plan to have more than one portion.
First decide whether you want individual biscuits, a spread or something homemade. Then compare the ingredients and nutrition information of products suited to that use.
Best for: a biscuit that’s ready to serve, with the number of biscuits easy to control.
Consider: According to Albert Heijn, Céréal Speculoos almond pieces with no sugars contain 0.4 g of sugars and 29 g of polyols per 100 g. Check the other nutritional values and allergens too.
Best for: anyone looking for speculoos flavour as a spread or topping, rather than as an individual biscuit.
Consider: you measure out the portion yourself. For a spread with no sugars, check which sweeteners it contains too.
Best for: anyone who wants to choose the ingredients and amount of sweetener themselves.
Consider: a recipe title doesn’t tell you how much sugar it contains. Read the full ingredients list before you start.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars and ingredients | Check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g and read the ingredients list. Don’t rely on a product or recipe title alone. | If I want to serve something with no sugars, I want to know what it actually contains. This is the top priority for around 45% of consumers making this choice. |
| Nutrition and portion size | Compare energy and fat per 100 g, and decide how many biscuits or how much spread you plan to use. | At breakfast or with a coffee, I want to choose an amount that works with the rest of what I’m having. Around 33% of consumers put this consideration first. |
| Allergens and polyols | Read the allergen information and check for polyols and any warnings about excessive consumption. Check separately whether a product is gluten-free. | If I need to consider certain ingredients or my tolerance to polyols, a claim about sugars isn’t enough. This is the main concern for around 22% of consumers. |
Jumbo’s ‘Speculaas without sugar’ recipe lists 500 g of maple syrup for four people. So the title alone doesn’t make it a no-sugar option.
If you’re baking, read all the ingredients and decide for yourself which sweetener and how much you want to use.
According to Albert Heijn, Céréal Speculoos almond pieces with no sugars contain 0.4 g of sugars, but also 404 kcal and 20 g of fat per 100 g. These figures tell you different things about the product.
Look beyond the sugars to the rest of the nutrition information and the amount you’re serving.
Céréal biscuits contain wheat, almonds, soya, egg and milk, among other ingredients. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that large amounts of polyols can cause digestive problems.
Check the current packaging, even if you’ve bought the product before or are putting it out for several people.
Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Speculaas is a separate gluten-free product and lists 26.9 g of sugars per 100 g. The Céréal biscuits with no sugars, on the other hand, contain wheat.
Check the specific product label against each requirement separately.
Céréal makes individual speculoos biscuits with no sugars for anyone looking for something ready to serve.
Damhert offers speculoos spread with no sugars for anyone looking for a spread rather than biscuits.
Jumbo is a useful example of the difference between a gluten-free product and a recipe with an appealing title.
Lotus Biscoff is a reference point for regular speculoos spread; Albert Heijn lists the crunchy spread in its range.
No. The claim refers only to sugars. Check the portion size and the rest of the nutrition information too: according to Albert Heijn, Céréal Speculoos almond pieces with no sugars contain 404 kcal and 20 g of fat per 100 g.
Compare the claim with the ‘of which sugars’ figure and the ingredients list on the current packaging. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that nutrition claims must be accurate; the European Commission explains which nutrition information is generally shown on prepacked foods.
Check which polyols the product contains and follow the warnings on the packaging, especially if you plan to have more than one portion. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that large amounts of polyols can cause digestive problems; the Céréal biscuits list 29 g of polyols per 100 g.
Not necessarily: Céréal Speculoos almond pieces with no sugars contain wheat. Check gluten status separately; Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Speculaas is a different product and lists 26.9 g of sugars per 100 g.
