Bakers making soft pepernoten
If you want to make block-shaped pepernoten, you’ll need a firm dough that you can slice. Allerhande’s recipe calls for slabs around 1½ cm thick, which you then cut into strips and cubes.
Which baking method is right for you?
Bakers making crunchy kruidnoten
Looking for the small, round snack that’s often also called pepernoten? Choose a kruidnoten recipe or mix. According to Koopmans, you only need to add water to its Kruidnotenmix.
Bakers checking ingredients for allergens
Check the ingredients and warnings on the specific pack, or check every individual ingredient in your recipe. Koopmans Kruidnotenmix contains wheat, egg and milk; Allerhande’s gluten-free kruidnoten recipe uses almond flour.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether you want to make soft pepernoten cubes, round kruidnoten or pancakes. Then compare the method and the ingredients you’ll need for your choice.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Type of dough and shape | For round kruidnoten, look for a kruidnoten mix or recipe. For soft pepernoten, choose ingredients for dough that can be sliced; thickly sliced slabs aren’t a feature of pancake mix. | If I want soft cubes rather than round kruidnoten, the dough needs to be sliceable. For around 45% of consumers, getting the right shape comes first. |
| Ease of preparation | Check what you need to add yourself and whether you have enough mix for the amount you plan to make. Koopmans says you only need to add water to its Kruidnotenmix, which makes enough for two baking trays. | If I want to bake kruidnoten quickly, the amount of preparation involved is what matters most. For around 33% of consumers, convenience is the deciding factor. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current label and any warnings. For a recipe, check each individual ingredient too: a gluten-free version made with almond flour isn’t automatically suitable if you need to avoid almonds. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, I check the whole pack or the complete recipe before I start baking. For around 22% of consumers, checking the ingredients is the first consideration. |
Common mistakes
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Confusing speculoos flavour with pepernoten dough
Pancake mix with speculoos flavour is still intended for pancake batter. For example, the Koopmans Speculoos pancake mix described by Jumbo calls for milk and egg to make pancakes.
First decide what you want to bake, then look for the mix or recipe ingredients to suit.
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Mixing up pepernoten and kruidnoten
Allerhande describes crunchy, round kruidnoten and soft pepernoten as different bakes. Going by the name alone could lead to a different shape and method from the one you had in mind.
Look for kruidnoten if you want round little balls, or follow a pepernoten recipe if you want to cut soft cubes.
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Assuming a mix’s allergens from its name
Koopmans Kruidnotenmix contains wheat, egg and milk. Allerhande’s gluten-free kruidnoten recipe contains almond flour.
Read the ingredients and warnings on the specific pack. If you’re making dough from scratch, check every ingredient in the recipe.
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Relying on kruidnoten mix outside the season
Koopmans describes its Kruidnotenmix as a seasonal product. Bear this in mind if you want to use a mix for a particular baking day.
Check in good time whether the mix you want is available, or choose a recipe using individual ingredients in advance.
Brands and recipes to consider
Koopmans
Koopmans makes separate mixes for pancakes and kruidnoten. The product name therefore helps you identify what each mix is intended for.
- According to Koopmans, you only need to add water to Kruidnotenmix, which is designed for oven-baked kruidnoten.
- Koopmans describes this mix as a seasonal product. It contains wheat, egg and milk; Pannenkoeken Origineel is for pancake batter, not sliceable pepernoten dough.
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn’s Allerhande recipes offer separate methods for soft pepernoten, round kruidnoten and a gluten-free version of kruidnoten.
- The pepernoten recipe explains how to cut firm dough into slabs, strips and cubes.
- The gluten-free kruidnoten recipe uses almond flour; check all the ingredients if you need to avoid almonds.
Jumbo
Jumbo describes a Koopmans pancake mix with speculoos flavour. This product information helps you distinguish between the flavour and the type of mix.
- The 320 g version described is intended to make around eight pancakes and calls for 550 ml of milk and one egg.
- Speculoos flavour doesn’t make pancake mix suitable for pepernoten or kruidnoten.
Related products on Joybuy
Related products coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
Are pepernoten and kruidnoten the same?
No, not in Allerhande’s recipes: kruidnoten are small, crunchy, round bakes, while pepernoten are softer pieces. Decide which shape you want before choosing a mix or recipe, even if you use the word pepernoten for both in everyday conversation.
What does ‘thickly sliced’ mean for pepernoten?
It refers to shaping firm dough, not to a type of pancake mix. In Allerhande’s pepernoten recipe, you leave the dough to rest, then cut it into slabs around 1½ cm thick before cutting them into strips and cubes.
Can I use pancake mix instead of pepernoten or kruidnoten dough?
Not as a direct substitute for the methods described: Koopmans Pannenkoeken Origineel is for batter cooked in a frying pan, while Allerhande’s recipes bake pepernoten and kruidnoten from shaped dough. Choose a dough recipe or mix designed for the bake you want to make.
What should I check if I need to avoid certain allergens?
Check the ingredients and warnings on the exact pack, as well as every individual ingredient in a recipe. The Koopmans Kruidnotenmix described contains wheat, egg and milk; Allerhande’s gluten-free kruidnoten version uses almond flour.
How should I store baked pepernoten?
Store pepernoten in a cool, dry, dark place in an airtight container, as advised by the Voedingscentrum. If you’ve bought a packaged product, also follow the storage instructions and use-by information on the pack.