For filling lots of individual advent calendar compartments, individually portioned speculoos biscuits are practical. For a few special days, you could choose a variety with chocolate, butter or almonds. With a larger pack of baker's speculaas, you can portion the biscuits yourself, while a baking kit lets you create your own shapes but requires preparation. Whatever you choose, check that the ingredients and allergens are suitable for the recipient.
If you want to fill several compartments without portioning the biscuits yourself, check how many portions are in each pack. Lotus Bakeries Nederland lists 7 × 3 pieces for its dark chocolate speculoos and 8 × 2 pieces for Original Pocket Pack. Also check that the portions will fit in your compartments.
For one or a few special days in the calendar, you could consider a biscuit with chocolate, butter or almonds. The product descriptions from Lotus Bakeries Nederland and Albert Heijn can help you tell these varieties apart, but they don’t indicate whether each biscuit is individually wrapped or suitable for every recipient.
If you’re filling a calendar for someone with a specific allergy or dietary requirement, check each exact flavour separately. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list different allergens for the varieties covered here; even gluten-free speculaas may contain other relevant allergens.
First, work out which ingredients are suitable for the recipient. Then choose between the convenience of individual portions, a particular flavour or ingredient, and the time you’re willing to spend baking.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portions and presentation | Count the individual portions and compare their size with your advent calendar compartments. | I want to fill lots of compartments without breaking or rewrapping biscuits. For an estimated 31% of consumers, how the portions are divided matters most. |
| Flavour and ingredients | Check the exact variety to see whether chocolate, butter or almonds have been added, and read the ingredients list. | For a few days in the calendar, I’m specifically looking for a biscuit with a different ingredient from the classic variety. That’s the priority for an estimated 31% of consumers. |
| Allergens and dietary requirements | Check the ingredients and warnings for each variety, including products labelled gluten-free. | If the recipient needs to avoid certain ingredients, I need to know whether this particular biscuit is suitable. For an estimated 23% of consumers, suitability is the main concern. |
| Baking your own | Compare the stated yield with the number of compartments and check the ingredients needed and the preparation instructions. | I want to make my own shapes and decorate the biscuits, even if it takes some preparation. For an estimated 15% of consumers, this is the top priority. |
Chocolate, butter and almonds can add allergens to a biscuit. Albert Heijn lists milk, almonds and wheat among the ingredients in its Roomboter speculaas molens, as well as warnings about other allergens.
Check the ingredients and warnings for the exact variety for each recipient, not just the flavour name.
A pack’s weight doesn’t tell you how many individual portions you can hand out. Lotus Bakeries Nederland gives the number of pieces per unit for its portion packs; with a large pack, you’ll need to plan how to divide it yourself.
First count the compartments you want to fill. If you don’t want to portion the biscuits yourself, choose a pack that clearly states the number of portions.
Portioning the biscuits yourself can also take extra time and require additional packaging.
Jumbo lists egg in its Lekker Vrij van Gluten Speculaas, along with warnings about nuts, milk and sesame, among other things.
As well as checking the gluten-free label, review all the ingredients and warnings that are relevant to the recipient.
The Koopmans speculaas biscuit kit is designed for baking biscuits. According to the product information, the dough must not be eaten raw and needs to be thoroughly cooked.
Plan to bake before filling the calendar, and compare the stated yield of around 16–18 biscuits with the number of treats you need.
These examples show different ways to fill an advent calendar: with individually portioned packs, biscuits you portion yourself, or a baking kit.
Speculoos in a range of portion packs, including Original Pocket Pack and a dark chocolate variety.
Butter speculaas windmills for anyone looking for biscuits made with butter and almonds.
A 600 g pack of baker’s speculaas and a separate gluten-free speculaas variety to compare against different requirements.
A 450 g pack of Bakers Speculaas for anyone who wants to portion biscuits for the calendar themselves.
A speculaas biscuit kit for anyone who wants to cut out their own shapes and bake them.
These products offer three ways to include biscuits in your calendar: almond speculaas to portion yourself, mini speculaas in an eight-piece pack, and baker’s speculaas to portion yourself. Before you buy, compare the number of biscuits with your calendar layout.
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An option if you want to portion almond speculaas yourself for individual days in the calendar.
The pack contains 400 g. Check how many biscuits it contains and whether they’ll fit in your compartments.
Check the current pack for information about wheat, milk, egg, soya and nuts.
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The mini size may suit small advent calendar compartments; check the dimensions before filling your calendar.
The product name states 8 pieces and 200 g. Check the pack to see how the biscuits are portioned and which allergens are relevant to the recipient.
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A good choice for a calendar day when you want baker’s speculaas and prefer to portion the biscuits yourself.
The pack contains 450 g. Check how many biscuits it contains and reseal the pack after opening to keep the rest fresh.
Check the current pack for information about wheat and possible nuts.
Yes. Check the exact variety for each recipient. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that 14 allergens must be listed on food labels. Read the ingredients and any relevant warnings on the current pack.
Not necessarily. Jumbo lists egg in its Lekker Vrij van Gluten Speculaas, along with warnings about almonds, hazelnuts, milk and walnuts, among other things. Check the label for the specific allergens the recipient needs to avoid.
Follow the storage instructions on the pack you choose, and seal it well after opening. Albert Heijn advises storing its Bakkers speculaas in a sealed tin after opening; check the instructions on the pack for other varieties.
Use online information to shortlist products, but check the current packaging before handing out the biscuits. Ondernemersplein explains which mandatory label information must also be available online; you should still check the ingredients and allergens on the product you receive.
