Who is this choice relevant to?

For fans of dark chocolate

You want to choose the cocoa percentage yourself, rather than relying on the word ‘dark’ in a product name. For example, Albert Heijn states that its separate Delicata Bitter & Intens bar contains 85% cacao.

For an easy sofa snack

You want a chocolate biscuit you can serve with a film or series without having to put anything together yourself. AH Speculaas Met Pure Chocolade is a ready-made option; check the packaging if the cocoa percentage matters to you.

For anyone who needs to check the label

Ingredients or allergens are key to your choice. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority stresses the importance of clear allergen information on the label, while Albert Heijn notes that online product information can change.

What should you look for?

Ready-made biscuit with dark chocolate

Best for: a night in when you want to serve speculaas and chocolate as one biscuit. Albert Heijn lists AH Speculaas Met Pure Chocolade.

The trade-off: the product name doesn’t confirm a specific cocoa percentage, so check the packaging if that’s important to you.

Speculaas with separate dark chocolate

Best for: anyone who wants to choose the cocoa percentage and the balance of biscuit and chocolate. Albert Heijn states that Delicata Bitter & Intens contains 85% cacao.

The trade-off: you’re combining two separate products; the chocolate isn’t part of the speculaas biscuit.

When choosing speculaas for a night in, it comes down to what matters most: control over the chocolate, a ready-made biscuit or certainty about the ingredients.

What to consider What to check before buying Who it matters to
Cocoa percentage Check the percentage stated for the chocolate; don’t assume ‘dark’ means a specific percentage. I want to put together a speculaas snack and choose the chocolate to have with it. Around 45% of consumers prioritise being able to control the cocoa percentage.
Easy snacking Check whether the speculaas and chocolate come as one ready-made product or as two separate products. When I’m watching a film, I want to serve a biscuit without having to put anything together myself. For around 33% of consumers, convenience matters most.
Ingredients and allergens Read the current packaging, including the allergen information and any warnings. If an ingredient or allergen affects my choice, I want to check the packaging before eating the snack. Around 22% of consumers prioritise checking the label.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming ‘dark chocolate’ means a specific high cocoa percentage

    Albert Heijn sells a product called AH Speculaas Met Pure Chocolade. Unless the percentage is stated on the label, you can’t assume the chocolate’s cocoa content is the same as that of a separate bar marked 85% cacao.

    Check the packaging if the percentage will determine your choice, or pair speculaas with a separate bar that states its percentage.

  • Choosing speculaas with milk chocolate when you want dark chocolate

    Jumbo states that Verkade Speculaas Melkchocolade 135 g contains at least 29% cocoa solids in its milk chocolate. This is a different type of chocolate from Delicata’s separate 85% cacao dark chocolate bar; the percentages also refer to different products.

    Check both the type of chocolate and the percentage on the product you actually want to eat.

  • Relying only on an online ingredients list

    Albert Heijn says that ingredient, nutritional and allergen information can change. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority stresses that allergens must be clearly stated on the label of pre-packed food.

    Before eating, check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging, especially if you need to avoid an allergen.

Relevant brands and shops

Albert Heijn

Offers a ready-made speculaas option with dark chocolate, as well as the separate Delicata Bitter & Intens 85% cacao chocolate bar.

  • The separate bar states its cocoa percentage, so you can choose your chocolate to have with plain speculaas.
  • Check the packaging to see what cocoa percentage is in AH Speculaas Met Pure Chocolade.

Jumbo

Lists its own baker’s speculaas and also sells Verkade Speculaas Melkchocolade.

  • The product information for the Verkade option states that its milk chocolate contains at least 29% cocoa solids.
  • That percentage refers to milk chocolate, not a ready-made speculaas option with dark chocolate.

Verkade

Verkade Speculaas Melkchocolade 135 g is a ready-made biscuit with milk chocolate, listed by Jumbo.

  • The type of chocolate and the minimum of 29% cocoa solids in the milk chocolate are stated.
  • It isn’t a dark chocolate option for anyone specifically looking for that type of chocolate.

Lotus Biscoff

A biscuit option to pair with your choice of dark chocolate. Lotus Bakeries describes Biscoff as crunchy and caramelised.

  • When pairing it with separate chocolate, you can choose the cocoa percentage yourself.
  • In its 2025 collaboration with Côte d’Or, Lotus Bakeries featured milk and white chocolate with Biscoff pieces; this doesn’t tell you anything about a dark chocolate option.

Lidl

Lists baker’s speculaas and offers a dark chocolate option in its Way To Go chocolate bar range.

  • These are separate product types that you can enjoy together if you like.
  • Check the label of your chosen chocolate bar for its cocoa percentage; the speculaas mentioned isn’t confirmed as a biscuit with dark chocolate.

Joybuy products

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Does ‘speculaas with dark chocolate’ mean the chocolate has a high cocoa percentage?

No, the product name doesn’t indicate a specific cocoa percentage. Check the biscuit’s packaging if the percentage matters to you, or pair speculaas with a separate bar that states its percentage, such as Albert Heijn’s Delicata Bitter & Intens 85% cacao.

When should I choose separate dark chocolate to have with speculaas?

Choose this combination if you want to decide the cocoa percentage of the chocolate yourself. You can also choose the balance of biscuit and chocolate, but they’ll remain two separate products rather than one ready-made biscuit.

Is speculaas with milk chocolate the same as a dark chocolate option?

No, it’s a different type of chocolate. Jumbo states that Verkade Speculaas Melkchocolade contains at least 29% cocoa solids in its milk chocolate; don’t treat this as the percentage for a dark chocolate option.

Can I rely on online product information alone for allergen details?

Check the packaging before eating the product, too. Albert Heijn warns that online ingredient and allergen information can change, and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority stresses the importance of clear allergen information on the label.