Who is this relevant for?

Anyone serving rusks on Sinterklaas evening

You want to serve a crunchy treat and choose the flavour and quantity to suit the guests and the preparation involved.

Anyone who needs to check ingredients and allergens

You want to read the labels on both the rusks and the chocolate sprinkles before serving. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights the importance of food label information for people with food allergies.

Anyone thinking about using leftovers after the celebrations

You want to consider portion size, nutritional information and how much will be left over when making your choice. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises not eating chocolate sprinkles too much or too often.

What should you consider when choosing?

First, check whether your shopping list calls for rusks or medium-sliced bread. Then decide whether you want to add the topping yourself or prefer a ready-made product.

Separate rusks and chocolate sprinkles

Choose this if: you want to decide how much chocolate sprinkle topping to add to each rusk.

The trade-off: you’ll need to buy two products and top the rusks yourself.

Ready-made rusks with chocolate sprinkles

Choose this if: you want to spend less time preparing, and the combination suits the people who’ll be eating it.

The trade-off: with a ready-made product, the flavour and amount of topping are already decided. Check the pack before you buy.

Medium-sliced bread

Choose this if: ‘medium sliced’ on your list means sliced bread.

The trade-off: bread is a different base from the round, dry rusks described by ALDI Netherlands.

What to consider What to check Who it matters to
The right base Check whether you need round rusks, ready-topped rusks or medium-sliced bread. If I’m expecting crunchy rusks, I don’t want to serve sliced bread; around 33% of consumers prioritise the product base.
Ingredients and allergens For separate products, read both labels, including information about allergens and any cross-contamination warnings. If I have a food allergy, I want to know what both items contain before serving; for around 25% of consumers, the ingredients are the top priority.
Flavour and portion size Count the people who’ll be eating, then compare the type of topping, net weight and any portion information. For one evening’s celebrations, I want a flavour and quantity that suit my guests, without too much left over; around 25% of consumers put portion size and flavour first.
Nutritional information and leftovers Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion, and consider whether you’ll use any leftover sprinkles later. If there are sprinkles left after the celebrations, I want to take future use into account too; around 17% of consumers put this consideration first.

Common mistakes

  • Confusing rusks with medium-sliced bread

    ALDI Netherlands describes rusks as a round, dry type of bread. The term ‘medium sliced’ doesn’t make them sliced bread.

    Check which base is meant before you buy, then choose your topping.

  • Checking the allergens on only one pack

    Separate rusks and chocolate sprinkles each have their own ingredients. For example, Albert Heijn lists soya and milk fat in De Ruijter Chocoladehagel puur; this doesn’t tell you about any other variety or the rusks you’ve chosen.

    Read both current labels and, if it matters to the person eating them, check for cross-contamination warnings too.

  • Choosing a large pack without planning how much you need

    A pack containing more portions than you’ll use on Sinterklaas evening will leave you with sprinkles to store or use later.

    Count the people who’ll be eating and decide how many rusks you want to top before choosing a pack size.

  • Assuming a product contains iodine based on its name

    According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread baked with iodised baker’s salt is an important source of iodine in the Netherlands. The words ‘rusks’ and ‘medium sliced’ don’t tell you which salt was used in a particular product.

    For packaged products, check the ingredients list. For unpackaged bread, ask which salt was used.

Brands to consider

De Ruijter

Chocolate sprinkles in a range of varieties, including smaller portion packs.

  • Albert Heijn lists De Ruijter Chocoladehagel puur in a 390 g pack.
  • The soya and milk fat listed for this dark chocolate variety are specific to that product; check the label of the variety you choose.

Venz

A chocolate sprinkle brand with dark and milk varieties among its Albert Heijn range.

  • Choosing between dark and milk chocolate gives you a useful starting point for finding the flavour you want.
  • Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information on the pack of the variety you choose.

Jumbo

A supermarket own brand with separate chocolate sprinkle products and a product called Jumbo Beschuit met Hagelslag Melk.

  • This gives you the choice between adding the topping yourself and buying a ready-made product.
  • For the ready-made product, check the ingredients, allergens and pack contents before you buy.

AH

Albert Heijn’s own brand, with products including AH Hagelslag mix and AH Beschuit naturel, sold separately.

  • The two types of product let you choose the rusks and topping separately.
  • Albert Heijn notes that product information can change, so check the current packaging.

Kiekeboe

ALDI’s own brand, with milk and dark chocolate sprinkles among its products; fruit sprinkles are a separate type of topping.

  • ALDI Netherlands lists 600 g packs of both milk and dark chocolate sprinkles.
  • Choose a pack size to suit your plans and check the label of the variety you choose.

Products on Joybuy

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Are rusks with chocolate sprinkles the same as medium-sliced bread with chocolate sprinkles?

No. Rusks are a round, dry type of bread, while medium-sliced bread is a different type of product. Check which base is intended for Sinterklaas evening before choosing a topping or pack.

Do rusks or bread always contain iodine from baker’s salt?

Don’t assume so from the product name. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre identifies bread baked with iodised baker’s salt as an important source of iodine in the Netherlands. For packaged products, check the ingredients list; for unpackaged bread, ask which salt was used.

Which allergens should I check in rusks with chocolate sprinkles?

Check the ingredients and allergens for both the rusks and the chocolate sprinkles, as well as any cross-contamination warnings. For example, Albert Heijn lists soya and milk fat in De Ruijter Chocoladehagel puur, but ingredients can vary between products. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre therefore advises checking the label.

How do I choose how much chocolate sprinkle topping I need for one evening’s celebrations?

Start with the number of people who’ll be eating and how many rusks you want to top, then choose a suitable pack size. Consider whether you’ll use any leftovers after Sinterklaas evening.

What should I consider if the chocolate sprinkles will also be eaten after Sinterklaas evening?

Look at the portion size and nutritional information for the variety you choose. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises not eating chocolate sprinkles too much or too often because of their calories, sugars and saturated fats. That means you may want to think about the quantity differently for a celebration than for everyday use.