Who is this choice relevant to?

Anyone baking Dutch spiced biscuits at home

You’re looking for ingredients for the dough and want to know whether a currant bun has a part to play. Choose a recipe for the bake you want to make; the bun is better enjoyed alongside it.

Anyone looking for fibre and texture

You’d like a bun made with wholemeal flour, seeds or kernels to enjoy while you bake. Check the ingredients list and compare the nutritional information for the specific varieties, rather than relying on the product name alone.

Anyone who needs to check the label carefully

You’re choosing a packaged bun to eat on the side and need to check allergens, warnings about possible cross-contamination and storage instructions. The packaging of the bun you buy is the best guide.

What should you look for when choosing?

First decide whether you’re looking for ingredients for the dough or a bun to eat on the side. If you’re choosing a bun, compare its ingredients and the information on the packaging.

What to consider What to check before buying Who should consider this?
Dough or bun Check which flour or baking flour the Dutch spiced biscuit recipe you’ve chosen calls for. Only buy a currant bun if you’d also like a bun to eat on the side. If I’m baking from scratch, I want to avoid mistaking an already baked bun for a dough ingredient. For around 40% of consumers making a choice at this time of year, the intended baking result would come first.
Fibre and texture Check that wholemeal wheat flour and the seeds or kernels you want are actually listed in the ingredients; compare fibre per 100 g if needed. If you want a bun with a different composition or a noticeable seed texture, the name ‘currant bun’ alone doesn’t tell you much. For around 30% of these consumers, the ingredients would be the main reason to buy.
Label and storage Check the allergens and any ‘may contain’ statements. Follow the instructions on the packaging you choose for storing or freezing the bun. If I’m buying a bun to eat on the side, I want to know whether its ingredients and storage instructions suit my needs. Around 30% of consumers would make checking the label their first priority.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming every currant bun contains seeds or wholemeal flour

    The standard currant buns described by Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS are white wheat buns with raisins and currants. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says seeds and kernels can be added to bread, but the product name doesn’t confirm that they’re included.

    Look for wholemeal flour and the seeds or kernels you want on the label. A muesli bun is another product type to consider, but check its ingredients too.

  • Using a currant bun as a flour substitute in the dough

    The Albert Heijn Allerhande recipes for Dutch spiced biscuits use flour or baking flour as their dough base. A ready-made currant bun is already baked bread, so it isn’t a proven like-for-like substitute in these recipes.

    Buy the ingredients listed in your chosen recipe for the dough. If you like, serve a currant bun separately while or after you bake.

  • Guessing allergens from the product name alone

    The packaging described lists ingredients including wheat and milk; warnings about possible traces of sesame or nuts vary by product. An ingredients list you saw previously may not match the packaging you’re buying now.

    When you buy the bun and before you eat it, check the current ingredients and allergen information for that specific product.

  • Assuming every currant bun lists the same type of salt

    For the raisin currant buns described, Albert Heijn lists iodised salt, while the Jumbo and PLUS products described list baker’s salt. This doesn’t guarantee the same ingredients in a different variety or pack.

    Check the current ingredients list if the type of salt matters to you.

Brands to consider

These brands offer a range of product types: standard currant buns, a separate muesli bun category and Dutch spiced biscuits to enjoy while you bake. Check each variety against its own packaging.

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn offers the raisin currant buns described here and lists muesli buns as a separate product category.

  • AH Raisin Currant Buns list 30% raisins, 4.2% currants and iodised salt.
  • This product is a soft white wheat bun; the separate muesli bun category doesn’t tell you whether this currant bun contains seeds or kernels.

Jumbo

The standard Jumbo variety described is a white wheat bun with raisins and currants.

  • For this variety, Jumbo lists 29.6% raisins, 6.1% currants and 2.8 g of fibre per 100 g.
  • The ingredients of this standard variety don’t confirm that another Jumbo bun has the same ingredients or nutritional value.

PLUS

PLUS describes, among other products, a standard bag of currant buns and a separate long-life variety.

  • For the standard variety described, PLUS lists 31% raisins, 3.9% currants and 3.3 g of fibre per 100 g.
  • For this standard variety, wheat, rye, milk and lactose are listed as allergen information. Check the allergens and storage instructions again for the variety you choose.

Bolletje

The Bolletje Bakkers Kruidnoten described are a ready-made treat to enjoy while baking, not a currant bun.

  • The ingredients list includes wheat flour, sugar, cinnamon and spices.
  • Information about these Dutch spiced biscuits doesn’t support any claims about seeded currant buns.

Related products at Joybuy

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a currant bun to make Dutch spiced biscuit dough?

Not as a like-for-like substitute for flour or baking flour in the Albert Heijn Allerhande recipes. Those recipes use a separate dough, so choose the specified ingredients and keep a ready-made currant bun to eat on the side.

What’s the difference between pepernoten and kruidnoten?

The crunchy, round biscuits are called kruidnoten; pepernoten are softer, chewy pieces. Albert Heijn Allerhande makes this distinction in its recipes. Choose the recipe that gives you the texture you want.

Does a standard currant bun automatically contain seeds or lots of fibre?

No, the name ‘currant bun’ doesn’t tell you whether it contains seeds, kernels or wholemeal flour. The standard varieties described by Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS are white wheat buns. For a different composition, check the ingredients and compare the fibre per 100 g in the nutritional information.

How can I check whether a currant bun contains iodised salt?

Read the ingredients list on the specific pack. For the raisin currant buns described, Albert Heijn lists ‘iodised salt’; Jumbo and PLUS list ‘baker’s salt’ for their respective varieties. Don’t assume one variety has the same ingredients as another.

Can I freeze packaged currant buns?

Follow the instructions for the variety you buy. For its long-life currant buns described here, PLUS says they can be frozen at home on the day of purchase and should be used within one month. Don’t apply that instruction to other buns without checking the label.