If convenience is your priority for King’s Day, speculaas with dark chocolate is a ready-made option. If a clearly stated high cocoa percentage is essential, choose plain speculaas and a separate chocolate bar that shows its cocoa percentage: Lotus Bakeries states that its biscuits contain 22% chocolate, but that doesn’t tell you how much cocoa is in the chocolate itself. For either option, check the current packaging for ingredients and allergens.
If you want to know how much cocoa the chocolate contains, look for a percentage on the packaging. With a separate bar, you can check this independently of the speculaas; Albert Heijn states that Lindt Excellence 85% contains at least 85% cocoa.
Speculaas biscuits with a chocolate coating mean you don’t need to serve the biscuits and chocolate bar separately. Lotus Bakeries states that its Biscoff dark chocolate variant comes in a pack of 7 × 3 biscuits.
Ingredients vary between biscuits and chocolate. Before buying and serving, check both the allergens present and any warnings that the product may contain other allergens.
For a King’s Day spread, you can serve biscuits with a chocolate coating straight away, or choose speculaas and chocolate separately if a stated cocoa percentage is your priority. A percentage on a separate bar tells you nothing about the cocoa content of the speculaas.
Choose this if: you want to be able to check a specific cocoa percentage; Albert Heijn’s product page states that Lindt Excellence 85% contains at least 85% cocoa.
The trade-off: you serve the chocolate and speculaas separately rather than serving a biscuit with a chocolate coating.
Choose this if: you want to serve a ready-made combination and don’t need a stated high cocoa percentage.
The trade-off: Lotus Bakeries states that its Biscoff variant contains 22% chocolate; this percentage does not describe the cocoa content of the chocolate.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Stated cocoa percentage | Check what percentage is shown on the chocolate and which product it refers to. | For my King’s Day spread, I want a clearly stated cocoa percentage rather than relying on the word ‘dark’ alone. This is the deciding factor for around 45% of consumers. |
| Biscuits ready to serve | Check whether the chocolate is already on the speculaas and which pack you’re buying. | I want to be able to serve biscuits with chocolate straight away, without serving a separate bar. Convenience comes first for around 27% of consumers. |
| Amount to share | Compare the net weight and the number of portions shown on the packaging. | When I’m stocking up for guests, I want to be able to offer plenty of speculaas and know in advance how many biscuits are in the pack. Shareability matters most to around 18% of consumers. |
| Allergens | Read the ingredients and ‘may contain’ warnings on the current packaging for both the biscuits and the chocolate. | When allergens matter to my guests, I want to be able to check both packs before putting anything on the table. This check is the top priority for around 10% of consumers. |
Lotus Bakeries states that its Biscoff dark chocolate variant contains 22% chocolate. That’s the proportion of chocolate in the biscuit, not the percentage of cocoa in the chocolate.
If you want a specific cocoa percentage, check that it’s stated for the chocolate itself. A separately labelled chocolate bar is another option.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. The details on both packs are especially important if you’re serving biscuits and separate chocolate together.
Read the current labels before serving, and leave the packaging out for guests who want to check the information themselves.
Albert Heijn’s product page for AH Speculaas with dark chocolate says ‘Discontinued’. Don’t count on finding this particular variant for King’s Day without checking first.
See what’s actually available to buy, or consider plain speculaas with a separate bar of dark chocolate instead.
Jumbo says that Bakkers Speculaas may contain almonds and nuts. For the Lindt bar mentioned, Albert Heijn lists the possible presence of nuts, milk, soya and sesame, among other allergens.
Check the warnings on both current packs and keep the products separate when serving.
Lotus Bakeries describes a Biscoff speculaas biscuit with dark chocolate for anyone who wants to serve a biscuit with a chocolate coating.
Albert Heijn has product pages for AH Speculaas with dark chocolate and for a separate Lindt Excellence bar with a stated cocoa percentage.
Jumbo Bakkers Speculaas is a plain speculaas biscuit in a 600 g pack, which you can serve alongside chocolate.
No. ‘Dark’ on its own doesn’t tell you the cocoa percentage of the chocolate on the biscuit. Lotus Bakeries states that its Biscoff variant contains 22% chocolate; if a particular cocoa percentage matters to you, look for a statement that specifically refers to the chocolate.
At the very least, check the ingredients, allergen information and nutritional information, as well as the date and storage instructions on the packaging. The European Union requires pre-packed foods to provide allergen information and nutritional information; read the label on the product you’re actually serving.
Check both the biscuits and the separate chocolate: Lotus Bakeries lists wheat, milk and soya for its Biscoff dark chocolate variant, while Jumbo lists gluten and wheat for Bakkers Speculaas and warns that it may contain almonds and nuts. The Lindt Excellence 85% bar described by Albert Heijn may contain nuts, milk, soya and sesame, among other allergens; the current packaging should guide your choice.
Only if you confirm that you can buy that specific biscuit. Albert Heijn’s product page says ‘Discontinued’, so choose an option that’s actually available for your shopping list, or keep plain speculaas and separate chocolate as an alternative.
