For New Year’s Eve, choose a speculoos mix if you want to serve sweet pancakes for dessert. A complete mix is a better choice if you want to buy fewer extra ingredients; with a plain or wholemeal mix, you can choose the flavour yourself with your toppings. A festive flavour doesn’t automatically make a mix a limited edition: check the packaging for that claim and make sure your preferred variety is available just before you buy.
Want to serve sweet pancakes on New Year’s Eve without creating your own speculoos flavour? Koopmans Speculoos contains speculoos pieces. Koopmans says one pack makes around eight pancakes; according to Albert Heijn, you’ll need to add milk and an egg.
If you’re feeding a group, both the ingredients you’ll need and the number of pancakes per pack matter. According to Albert Heijn, Koopmans Pannenkoeken Compleet only requires you to add water to the mix; you’ll still need cooking fat and a pan for frying.
If your guests need to avoid certain ingredients or you’re looking for a particular type of grain, check the label before choosing. For example, a gluten-free claim doesn’t mean a mix is also free from milk, egg or lupin: these allergens are listed for the Consenza mix on Albert Heijn’s product page.
First, decide what matters most for your gathering: a sweet flavour, suitable ingredients, minimal preparation or the freedom to add your own toppings. Then compare what you’ll need and how many pancakes each pack makes.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Festive flavour | Check that the flavour works for a sweet dessert and how many pancakes the pack makes. | I want to serve pancakes with a distinct speculoos flavour after dinner, without adding that flavour myself. Around 36% of consumers would put a sweet flavour at the top of their shopping priorities. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients, allergen information and any ‘may contain’ statements on the current packaging. | If guests avoid certain ingredients, I first need to know whether everyone can eat the same mix. Around 29% of consumers would put checking the ingredients first. |
| Ease of preparation and quantity | Compare what you need to add and how many pancakes you can make from one pack. | When I’m hosting and cooking at the same time, I don’t want to find I still need to get milk or eggs. Convenience would be the main reason for choosing a mix for around 21% of consumers. |
| Freedom to add your own toppings | Choose a base flavour that works with the sweet or savoury toppings you have in mind. | I want to choose the finishing touches myself for guests with different tastes, rather than pick one strong flavour. That freedom would matter most to around 14% of consumers. |
A speculoos mix could be a good fit for a New Year’s Eve dessert, but the flavour alone doesn’t mean it’s a special edition or only available for a limited time.
Only rely on those claims if they appear on the current packaging or official product page. Otherwise, choose based on flavour, ingredients required and availability.
A complete mix may only need water added, while other varieties require milk and eggs. The number of pancakes per pack also varies.
Read the preparation instructions before you shop and buy enough packs for your group.
Remember to allow for cooking fat and any toppings you want to add yourself.
According to Albert Heijn, the Consenza mix described as gluten-free also lists egg, milk and lupin.
Check the full allergen information on the specific pack, not just the claim on the front.
A product listing doesn’t mean a variety is available at the shop you’ve selected. For example, PLUS says on its Koopmans Speculoos page that the product isn’t available at the selected PLUS store.
Check availability at your chosen shop or in your delivery area shortly before New Year’s Eve, and decide which alternative mix you’d use.
Its range includes a Speculoos flavour, a complete mix and a shaker bottle. The right choice depends mainly on the flavour you want and what you’d like to add yourself.
Offers plain and wholemeal mixes as a base for toppings of your choice.
ALDI’s own-label range includes a multigrain pancake mix.
Lidl’s own-label range includes an original pancake mix for anyone who wants to add their own toppings.
The pancake mix listed by Albert Heijn is labelled gluten-free and wheat-free.
These Koopmans mixes give you a Complete, Original or Wholegrains base to customise your pancakes for New Year’s Eve. Choose according to how you want to prepare them, and check the ingredients on the specific pack.
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This Complete variety is worth considering if you’re catering for a smaller group and want to keep extra ingredients to a minimum. Check the packaging to see exactly what you need to add to this mix.
Pack size: 210 g.
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The Original variety is a good fit if you want to choose sweet or savoury toppings for your guests. Before buying, read the preparation instructions and allergen information on the pack.
Pack size: 400 g.
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If you want to serve a Wholegrains base with your own toppings, you could compare this variety with the Original mix. Check the label for the grains used, allergens and ingredients required.
Pack size: 400 g.
According to Albert Heijn, add 550 ml of milk and one egg to the Koopmans Speculoos mix. You’ll also need butter or oil to fry the pancakes; check the pack for the preparation instructions for the one you buy.
No. Albert Heijn says Koopmans Pannenkoeken Compleet batter isn’t intended to be eaten raw and must be heated thoroughly.
Read the label on the pack you’re going to use, including any ‘may contain’ statements. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergens must be clearly listed on the labels of prepacked foods.
Check whether the warning applies to your exact product and batch, and follow the instructions given. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority publishes safety warnings; check for updates from the manufacturer or shop too.
