If you want to choose exactly what goes into your biscuits, start with porridge oats or oat flakes whose only listed ingredient is oats. Compare the sugars per 100 g of the dry product; anything else you add to the mixture counts too. Fine flakes are an option if you’re looking for a less coarse texture, but if you have coeliac disease, a suitable gluten-free label on the packaging takes priority over the flake size you want.
Starting with oats as the only ingredient means you can choose the rest yourself. Then look at the whole recipe: the other ingredients you add also affect how much sugar the finished biscuit contains.
If coarse flakes don’t give you the texture you’re after, extra-fine flakes are worth considering. Flake size doesn’t tell you how much sugar the product contains, so check the nutritional information for that.
If you have coeliac disease, having only oats on the ingredients list isn’t enough. According to the Voedingscentrum, you can identify suitable gluten-free products by the ‘gluten-free’ label or the Crossed Grain symbol; check the packaging of the product you buy.
For biscuits for children, start with the ingredients and nutritional information per 100 g. Then choose the flake size that suits your recipe. If eating gluten-free is essential, check that the product is suitable before choosing based on texture.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| How sweet the recipe is | Read the ingredients list and compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g of dry porridge oats. Also consider what you add to the mixture yourself. | If I want to control how sweet biscuits for children are, I look for a base with no ingredients other than oats. For around 45% of consumers, this is the most important thing to check when buying. |
| Flake texture | If you want a less coarse base, check whether the packaging says fine or extra-fine flakes. | My child prefers not to have obviously coarse flakes in biscuits, so I pay attention to the form of the oats. Around 36% of consumers give texture the highest priority. |
| Allergens and gluten-free suitability | Read the allergen information. If you have coeliac disease, check whether the packaging says ‘gluten-free’ or carries the Crossed Grain symbol. | If a child has coeliac disease, the oats you choose need to be suitable for a gluten-free diet. For around 19% of consumers, this is the top priority. |
A pack that lists oats as its only ingredient gives you control over the base, not the nutritional value of the whole biscuit. The Voedingscentrum recommends comparing products on the same basis, for example per 100 g. When baking, remember to consider the other ingredients in your recipe separately.
A prepared biscuit or breakfast product may contain ingredients other than the oats you’re looking for to use in your own recipe. The front of the pack doesn’t always tell you what else is inside.
Read the full ingredients list and nutritional information per 100 g before comparing products.
The nutritional values for a prepared serving may also reflect the milk used and the serving size. That isn’t a like-for-like comparison with dry oats per 100 g.
First, compare the dry products on the same basis. Then factor in the other ingredients in your biscuit recipe.
The product information consulted for Quaker and Brinta mentions that other gluten-containing cereals may be present. A short ingredients list doesn’t override this warning.
If eating gluten-free is essential, check the packaging for a ‘gluten-free’ label or the Crossed Grain symbol. Also take care to prevent gluten-free ingredients from coming into contact with other ingredients while baking.
These brands offer different types of porridge oats that may suit your baking plans. Assess the pack you choose for its ingredients, texture and allergen information, rather than relying on the brand name alone.
Quaker offers both a standard pack of porridge oats and individual portions of Oats Express Naturel. A portion pack can be handy when you’re measuring ingredients with children.
Brinta Porridge Oats are worth considering if you’re looking for extra-fine flakes for biscuits.
ALDI Netherlands lists Golden Bridge Fine Wholegrain Porridge Oats in a 500 g pack.
These porridge oats may work well as a base for homemade biscuits: a fine-flake variety, a portion pack and a pack of wholegrain porridge oats. Check the current packaging for each product if its ingredients or allergens are important for your recipe.
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An option if you’re looking for a less coarse oat texture for biscuits for children. The product information describes the oats as 100% extra-fine oat flakes.
If you need a gluten-free option, check the packaging for a suitable label; the product information says that wheat and rye may be present.
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A portion pack can make measuring ingredients easier when you’re baking with children. For your recipe, check the ingredients and nutritional information for this particular product rather than using the portion size as a guide to its sugar content.
If you need a gluten-free option, check the packaging for a suitable label; wheat and barley may be present in this product.
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A base that lets you choose the other ingredients in your biscuit recipe yourself. The product information for this pack lists 100% wholegrain porridge oats.
According to the product information, the pack may contain barley and wheat. If you need a gluten-free option, check the packaging for a suitable label.
Start with a product whose ingredients list contains only oats or oat flakes. Then compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g of dry porridge oats. The other ingredients you add while baking also contribute to the biscuit’s nutritional value.
No, this label doesn’t mean the product contains no naturally occurring sugars. Check ‘of which sugars’ in the nutrition table and read the ingredients list to see what you’re using as the base for your recipe.
Don’t assume ordinary porridge oats are suitable. The Voedingscentrum warns that they may be contaminated with gluten and recommends choosing a product labelled ‘gluten-free’ or carrying the Crossed Grain symbol. Check the packaging and take care to avoid cross-contamination when baking.
Fine flakes are an option if you want less coarse oats in your biscuit, but the texture you’re after also depends on the recipe. Brinta describes its oat flakes as extra fine; choose the flake type that suits the texture you want to create.
Ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change. Albert Heijn also points this out in its online product information. So check the packaging of the product you actually use, especially if an allergen or gluten-free suitability is important.
