Which approach is right for you?

Home bakers comparing sugar content

Making your own dough lets you choose the sweetening ingredients. For a fair comparison, look beyond the recipe name and check all the ingredients and the nutritional information for comparable finished products.

Bakers who want to start with a mix

A speculaas baking mix saves you weighing out some of the ingredients, but it may already contain sugars. Check which other ingredients you’ll need to add to the mix, too.

Bakers who need to check for allergens

Check the ingredients, highlighted allergens and any ‘may contain’ statements on the current packaging. A gluten-free label says nothing by itself about sugar content or other allergens.

What should you look for when choosing?

First decide whether you want to bake speculaas biscuits that you can roll out and shape, or use biscuits as crumbs in another dish. Then compare the sugars and check any ingredient requirements separately.

Homemade speculaas dough

Choose this: if you want to decide which sweetener to use and how much to add.

Bear in mind: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, sugar also contributes to flavour, texture, volume and colour, so changing the amount may mean adjusting your recipe.

Standard speculaas baking mix

Choose this: if you want a dough base without having to weigh out all the dry ingredients yourself.

Bear in mind: Jumbo lists 24,8 g of sugars per 100 g of its Mix voor Speculaas. A standard mix is therefore not automatically a lower-sugar option.

Ready-made biscuits as crumbs

Choose this: if you want to make a base, topping or dessert layer rather than shape a new batch of speculaas biscuits.

Bear in mind: using speculaas or speculoos biscuits as crumbs won’t replace dough that you can roll out, or automatically reduce the sugars in your recipe.

What to consider What to check when shopping Who is this relevant to?
Sugar content Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g with a similar product. If you’re following a recipe, consider all the ingredients that add sweetness. I want to choose an option with less sugar without relying on a recipe title or a sweet taste. This comparison is the top priority for around 42% of consumers.
Dough or crumbs Check whether you’re buying a baking mix, individual ingredients for dough or ready-made biscuits, and what else you’ll need to add. If I want to cut out biscuit shapes, I need dough that I can roll out. The intended baking method matters most to around 33% of consumers.
Ingredients and allergens Read the current ingredients list, highlighted allergens and any ‘may contain’ statements. Check which sweeteners are used, too. If I need to avoid an ingredient, suitability comes before the convenience of a mix. Around 25% of consumers give this check the highest priority.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming a recipe title tells you its nutritional value

    Jumbo’s recipe ‘Speculaas without sugar’ uses 500 g of maple syrup for four people. The title therefore doesn’t tell you how much sugar is in a portion.

    Read all the ingredients that add sweetness and compare nutritional information on a like-for-like basis before deciding that a recipe or product is a lower-sugar option.

  • Assuming a standard baking mix is a lower-sugar option

    A baking mix makes preparation easier, but that doesn’t mean it contains less sugar than a comparable product.

    Read the mix’s nutrition table and decide whether the convenience is worth the reduced control compared with making your own dough.

    According to the product information, Jumbo Mix voor Speculaas also requires you to add 175 g of butter or margarine and one medium egg.

  • Assuming gluten-free means low-sugar or allergen-free

    Jumbo lists 26,9 g of sugars per 100 g for Lekker Vrij van Gluten Speculaas; the product also contains egg.

    Check the gluten-free label, sugar content and all other allergens separately on the current packaging.

  • Using crumbled biscuits as if they were dough

    Ready-made speculaas biscuits can be used as crumbs in a dessert, but you can’t use them as dough to shape a new batch of biscuits.

    Use homemade dough or a baking mix for shaped biscuits. Choose crumbs when a recipe calls for a base, topping or dessert layer.

Brands and product ranges to consider

Jumbo

Jumbo offers both a speculaas baking mix and ready-made gluten-free speculaas biscuits. They’re different options for baking and serving.

  • For its Mix voor Speculaas, Jumbo lists the ingredients you need to add and 24,8 g of sugars per 100 g of mix.
  • The mix contains wheat. Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Speculaas contains egg and, according to Jumbo, has 26,9 g of sugars per 100 g.

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn’s speculaas range includes different types of product, including own-brand biscuits and Lotus Biscoff.

  • The range can help you decide whether you’re looking for ready-made biscuits rather than ingredients for dough.
  • Albert Heijn notes that product information can change, so check the ingredients, nutritional information and allergens on the current packaging.

Lotus Biscoff

Lotus Biscoff is worth considering if you want to use speculoos biscuits as an ingredient in a dessert.

  • Lotus Bakeries describes its Biscoff biscuits as an ingredient for use in the kitchen.
  • A ready-made speculoos biscuit isn’t a substitute for speculaas dough. The suggested use also doesn’t show that it’s a lower-sugar option.

ALDI

ALDI lists Biscotto Bakkersspeculaas as ready-made biscuits, not as a baking mix.

  • ALDI lists a 600 g pack containing 48 biscuits.
  • If you’re comparing sugar content or allergens, check the nutritional information and ingredients on the current packaging.

Lidl

Lidl offers baker’s speculaas biscuits and uses crumbled speculaas in a dessert recipe.

  • The dessert recipe shows when ready-made biscuits can come in handy as crumbs.
  • Before comparing your chosen product on these points, check its current nutritional information and allergens.

Related Joybuy products

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Does ‘reduced sugar’ mean speculaas is sugar-free?

No. A reduction in sugars doesn’t mean a product is sugar-free. Under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, published on EUR-Lex, the ‘reduced sugars’ claim in the EU requires at least 30% less sugar than a comparable product. The energy value must not be higher, either. Also check the actual ‘of which sugars’ figure on the label.

Can I use a standard speculaas baking mix if I want to reduce sugar?

You can only assess this by comparing the nutritional values with a similar option. Jumbo lists 24,8 g of sugars per 100 g of its Mix voor Speculaas. The preparation instructions also call for butter or margarine and an egg.

Is ‘speculaas without sugar’ enough to tell me how much sugar a recipe contains?

No. Read the full recipe first and assess the ingredients it uses. Jumbo’s recipe with this title contains 500 g of maple syrup for four people, so you can’t tell how much sugar is in each portion from the title alone.

How do I check for allergens in speculaas or a baking mix?

Read the current ingredients list, highlighted allergens and any ‘may contain’ statements on the packaging. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority stresses the importance of accurate allergen information on labels. If you’re using a baking mix, check the ingredients you add yourself, too.

What should I look for if a product contains sweeteners?

Check which sweeteners are listed in the ingredients and compare the nutritional information with a suitable alternative. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre notes that sweeteners must be listed on the label. Products containing more than 10% added polyols must also carry a warning about a possible laxative effect if consumed in excess.