Who is this choice relevant to?

Home bakers on a tight shopping budget

You want to know which ingredients you’ll need for one batch. Compare a recipe or mix with what’s in your cupboard to see what you still need to buy and what you’ll have left over.

Bakers who want to keep preparation to a minimum

You want to bake kruidnoten for a Sinterklaas occasion without weighing out lots of individual ingredients. The extra ingredients a mix requires can make all the difference.

Bakers checking ingredients and allergens

You need to be able to check the ingredient and allergen information for your chosen mix or biscuits. Check the individual ingredients too: their composition and warnings about possible traces vary from product to product.

What should you consider when choosing?

First decide whether you want to bake kruidnoten or buy a ready-made product. If you’re baking, compare the additional ingredients you’ll need, the preparation involved and the information on the packaging.

What to consider What to check before buying Who it matters to
Everything you need for one batch For a mix, make a note of any required additions. For individual ingredients, check how much you need and what you already have at home. If I already have baking flour and speculaas spices, I don’t want to buy everything again. Having the full shopping list is the top priority for around 44% of consumers.
Preparation and equipment Check the mix’s additional ingredients and preparation instructions, and make sure you have the required oven, baking tray and baking paper. For an easy baking session, I want to be able to get started quickly. Convenience is the top priority for around 33% of consumers.
Ingredients and allergens Read the current ingredients list and allergen information for the exact product variant, and check the individual ingredients too. If someone needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to know what’s in every component before buying. Checking ingredients is the top priority for around 23% of consumers.

Common mistakes

  • Forgetting what else you need to add to a baking mix

    For its 400 g speculaas mix, Jumbo lists 175 g of butter or margarine and one medium egg in addition to the mix. Flaked almonds for decoration are optional. So simply picking up the pack won’t give you everything you need to make the recipe.

    Make a list of all the ingredients for each recipe and tick off what you already have at home. Check how much of each ingredient you’ll actually use too.

  • Confusing kruidnoten with soft pepernoten

    According to Albert Heijn Allerhande, kruidnoten are small and hard, and flavoured with speculaas spices. Traditional pepernoten are softer and have an aniseed flavour. So a kruidnoten mix won’t automatically make the soft pepernoten you have in mind.

    First decide which kind of biscuit you want, then look for a suitable recipe or a mix that names it specifically.

  • Counting on a seasonal product without a back-up

    ALDI marks the kruidnoten product mentioned here as available while stocks last. Don’t assume that particular pack will be available when you want to bake or buy something ready-made.

    Check stock at your chosen shop and decide in advance which alternative would suit your plans.

    If a product is sold out, you may need to make an extra trip to the shop.

  • Skipping the label or tasting raw dough

    Ingredients and allergens vary from product to product. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also warns that raw egg and flour may contain harmful bacteria.

    Read the packaging for the product you’ve chosen, don’t taste raw biscuit dough and bake according to the instructions.

Brands to consider

Albert Heijn

Worth considering if you want to bake kruidnoten using individual ingredients or are looking at ready-made speculaas.

  • Allerhande has a kruidnoten recipe with ingredients and step-by-step instructions.
  • Albert Heijn says product information may change. Check the current packaging for the speculaas you choose.

Jumbo

Worth checking to see how much work and how many extra ingredients different baking mixes require.

  • The Koopmans kruidnoten mix mentioned by Jumbo only requires water to be added.
  • Jumbo’s speculaas mix also requires butter or margarine and an egg. Don’t assume every mix needs the same additions.

ALDI

Worth considering if ready-made kruidnoten or filled speculaas are also an option.

  • ALDI lists kruidnoten and a pack of two filled speculaas biscuits, each weighing 250 g.
  • The kruidnoten product mentioned is marked as available while stocks last, so check availability.

Lidl

Worth considering if you’d rather pick up ready-made speculaas than bake your own.

  • Lidl lists 600 g of bakers’ speculaas as an in-store product.
  • Check the current range at the shop where you plan to do your shopping.

Lotus Biscoff

A ready-made speculoos biscuit that can also be used as an ingredient in a dessert, rather than a kruidnoten baking mix.

  • Lotus Bakeries lists ingredients including wheat flour and soya flour for Original Speculoos.
  • If you’re checking for allergens, check the information for the specific variant you choose.

Joybuy products for this topic

Related products will be available soon.

Frequently asked questions

Are pepernoten and kruidnoten the same?

No. Albert Heijn Allerhande describes traditional pepernoten as soft and anise-flavoured, while kruidnoten are smaller and harder, and contain speculaas spices. In everyday speech, kruidnoten are sometimes also called pepernoten, so check which kind of biscuit a recipe or mix means.

When should I choose individual ingredients instead of a baking mix?

Individual ingredients are a practical choice if you already have some at home and want to control the quantity or flavour yourself. A mix can save on preparation, but check what else you need to add first: Jumbo’s speculaas mix, for example, also requires butter or margarine and an egg.

What should I check if someone needs to avoid certain ingredients or allergens?

Read the ingredients and allergen information on each specific pack you plan to use, including any warnings about traces. Don’t rely on the product category alone: mixes, individual ingredients and ready-made biscuits can all have different ingredients.

Can you taste kruidnoten dough before it’s baked?

It’s best not to taste raw kruidnoten dough. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says raw egg and flour may contain harmful bacteria, so bake the kruidnoten according to the instructions.