Home bakers making their own batter
You’ll need the ingredients for your oliebollen recipe first. Choose a speculaas biscuit or chocolate box separately, for example to serve alongside your oliebollen.
Which choice is right for you?
Hosts looking for something to share
You’re looking for a speculaas or chocolate product to put on the table or give as an edible gift. In that case, the product format and how easy it is to share matter more than whether it’s suitable for batter.
Shoppers who need to check allergens
Before serving, you want to know which ingredients and possible traces are listed on the packaging of the exact product, so your guests can check the information for themselves.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether you need something for the batter, to serve, or for a separate chocolate recipe. Then check the packaging of the product you’ve chosen.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Its role in baking | Compare the ingredients in your oliebollen recipe with your shopping list. Only choose chocolate for a planned recipe if the product information confirms it’s suitable for that use. | If I’m making the batter myself, I don’t want to get home with a treat when I still need ingredients for the recipe. For around 42% of consumers, suitability for baking comes first. |
| Serving or giving as a gift | Compare the product format and quantity, and check that it’s right for the occasion: a speculaas biscuit is different from a chocolate box. | For guests, I’m looking for something I can put out alongside the oliebollen or give them to take home. Around 33% of consumers prioritise serving or gifting. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the label on the exact product, including any information about possible traces. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority lists 14 allergens that must be declared on labels. | If a guest needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to be able to check the packaging before serving anything. For around 25% of consumers, this is their top priority. |
Common mistakes
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Mistaking a gift product for a batter ingredient
A chocolate box won’t provide the milk, yeast, flour, egg and oil required for an oliebollen recipe.
Start by making a shopping list based on your recipe. Then choose something separately to put on the table or give as a gift.
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Choosing based on the word ‘speculaas’ alone
A speculaas biscuit and chocolate with pieces of speculaas are different products. The name alone won’t tell you whether a product is suitable for the recipe you have in mind.
Check the product format and intended use before you choose.
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Leaving the label check until after serving
Ingredients and possible traces can affect what a guest is able to eat. So don’t rely on a brand name in general or an old product image.
Read the packaging of the exact product before serving, and keep it handy in case guests have questions.
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Frying oliebollen until they’re too dark
Even with the right ingredients, frying takes care. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises frying oliebollen until golden brown, and no longer than necessary.
Follow your recipe and keep an eye on the oil temperature while frying.
Brands to consider
Verkade
Verkade offers both speculaas chocolate as a treat and cooking chocolate for recipes.
- Verkade describes Hart Melk Speculaas 135 g as milk chocolate with pieces of speculaas.
- According to Verkade’s own product description, its Kookchocolade 71% melts faster than ordinary chocolate. This doesn’t tell you how well the chocolate heart melts.
Jumbo
Jumbo is worth considering for chocolate gifts and speculaas-related products.
- The range includes various types of chocolate gifts.
- Check the packaging, ingredients and current product information for each item you’re considering. A range overview won’t tell you which variety is right for your needs.
g'woon
g'woon is worth considering if you’re looking for a standard speculaas biscuit to enjoy with coffee or oliebollen.
- G'woon Bakkers Speculaas 600 g is a biscuit product, not a chocolate box.
- For a chocolate recipe, choose a product whose intended use suits your recipe, rather than treating an ordinary speculaas biscuit as an interchangeable ingredient.
Speculaas to serve alongside oliebollen
These speculaas biscuits are suitable for serving alongside oliebollen. They’re not chocolate boxes and won’t replace the ingredients for oliebollen batter.
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Hellema Smoeltjes Speculaas Cookies, 8 biscuits, 200 g
A speculaas biscuit to serve alongside oliebollen, not to use in the batter.
The pack contains 8 biscuits and weighs 200 g. Check the allergen information on the packaging of this variety before serving.
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De Ruiter Bakers Speculaas, 450 g
A speculaas biscuit to serve alongside oliebollen; it’s not cooking chocolate or a base for oliebollen batter.
The pack weighs 450 g. Read the allergen information on the exact packaging before serving.
Frequently asked questions
Can a speculaas chocolate box be used as the base for oliebollen batter?
Not as a standard substitute for the batter ingredients. An Albert Heijn Allerhande recipe uses milk, yeast, flour, egg and sunflower oil, among other ingredients. Choose a chocolate box as a treat to serve alongside, unless your own recipe specifically calls for that product.
Which chocolate should I choose if I want to melt it?
Choose chocolate whose intended use suits your recipe for the separate dish you’re making. Verkade presents its Kookchocolade 71% as a product for melting. Follow your recipe and the instructions on the packaging.
Where can I check allergens in speculaas and chocolate?
Read the label on the exact packaging, including the ingredients and any information about traces. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, 14 allergens must be declared on labels, so don’t rely on the product name alone.