Home bakers making kruidnoten
You need ingredients for kruidnoten dough, not ready-to-eat speculaas biscuits. Recipes from Albert Heijn Allerhande and Van Gilse call for ingredients such as speculaas spices and self-raising flour.
Which size is right for you?
Planning lunchboxes and treats
Individually wrapped portions make it easier to pack or hand out biscuits. For example, Jumbo describes a Lotus Biscoff pack with ten bags, each containing two biscuits.
Sharing biscuits with a group
For home, visitors or the workplace, a pack with a few larger portions may be a good fit. Albert Heijn lists a Lotus Biscoff pack of 3 × 125 g; ALDI also offers filled speculaas in a 2 × 250 g pack. These are different types of biscuit.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, decide whether you need ingredients for kruidnoten or ready-made biscuits to serve alongside them. Then choose a biscuit pack that suits your plans for taking them with you or sharing them.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| The right type of product | Compare your recipe with the label: speculaas spices and baking flour are different from ready-made biscuits. | If I want to bake kruidnoten, I want to come home with dough ingredients rather than a biscuit snack. Getting the right type of product is the top priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Portions to take with you | Check how many bags there are and how many biscuits each one contains. | For a lunchbox or a treat, I want to be able to pack individual portions without dividing the biscuits up myself. Around 30% of consumers prioritise portioning. |
| Sharing portions | Compare the total quantity and the number of sharing packs. Also check the difference between plain and filled speculaas. | When I’m sharing biscuits with a group, I want to have enough without opening the whole pack at once. Around 20% of consumers prioritise having biscuits to share. |
Common mistakes
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Buying speculaas biscuits instead of baking ingredients
A multipack of ready-to-eat biscuits won’t make the dough in a kruidnoten recipe. Albert Heijn Allerhande and Van Gilse list ingredients such as speculaas spices and self-raising flour.
First, get the ingredients for your chosen recipe ready. Only buy a multipack if you also want to serve or hand out biscuits.
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Comparing only the total weight
A pack of individual bags suits a different occasion from a few larger sharing packs or filled speculaas.
As well as the weight, check how many packs you can open individually and what type of biscuit you’re buying.
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Skipping the allergen label
The Lotus Biscoff packs reviewed list wheat and soya. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens must be listed on prepacked food labels.
Before handing out or eating the biscuits, check the allergen information on the current pack, even if you’ve bought the product before.
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Assuming a seasonal pack will always be available
Jumbo stated that a Lotus mini format reviewed was temporarily unavailable. ALDI warns that special-buy items may sell out sooner.
Check stock at the shop where you plan to buy, and consider another suitable size if you need the biscuits for a particular occasion.
Brands and shops to consider
Lotus Biscoff
Jumbo and Albert Heijn list Lotus Biscoff speculoos in both individual portions and larger packs.
- Jumbo lists ten bags with two biscuits in each; Albert Heijn lists a pack of 3 × 125 g.
- The products reviewed list wheat and soya. Check the label on the version you buy.
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn lists various types of speculaas and speculoos, including a Lotus Biscoff pack with three individual packs.
- According to Albert Heijn, the Lotus Biscoff Mega Pack is divided into 3 × 125 g portions.
- Albert Heijn says that ingredient, nutritional and allergen information may change, so check the packaging itself.
Jumbo
Jumbo lists products including a Lotus Biscoff pack with individual bags of biscuits.
- For Lotus Biscoff XL 2P × 10, Jumbo lists ten bags containing two biscuits each.
- A Lotus mini pack reviewed was listed as temporarily unavailable at Jumbo; check current stock.
ALDI
ALDI lists a 2-pack of filled speculaas for sharing at home.
- According to ALDI, the pack contains 2 × 250 g of filled speculaas with almonds and almond paste.
- Filled speculaas is not the same type of product as plain speculoos. ALDI also warns that special-buy items may sell out sooner.
Speculaas biscuits for sharing
These biscuits are suitable for handing out alongside your kruidnoten baking, not for making kruidnoten dough. For baking, check the ingredients in your chosen recipe.
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Hellema Smoeltjes speculaas biscuits, 8 pcs, 200 g
For anyone who wants to hand out speculaas biscuits after baking; these biscuits are no substitute for dough ingredients. The product name lists 8 pcs and 200 g. Check the pack to see how many biscuits are in each individual bag and which allergens are listed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a speculaas multipack to bake kruidnoten?
Not as a replacement for the dough ingredients. Albert Heijn Allerhande and Van Gilse kruidnoten recipes use ingredients such as speculaas spices and self-raising flour; you can serve ready-made biscuits separately.
Which size of speculaas is right for a lunchbox or a treat?
A pack of individual portions is handy if you don’t want to divide them up yourself. Jumbo lists ten bags of two biscuits each for Lotus Biscoff XL 2P × 10; also check the current allergen label before handing them out.
How should I store homemade kruidnoten?
Leave them to cool, then store them in an airtight tin, as Albert Heijn Allerhande recommends in its kruidnoten recipe. The recipe also says you can make the kruidnoten three days ahead.
Which allergen information should I check on speculaas?
Read the allergen information on the packaging of the specific product. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains the mandatory allergen labelling requirements; the Lotus Biscoff multipacks reviewed list wheat and soya, among other allergens.