Coffee drinker looking for speculaas flavour
You want a crisp, spiced biscuit with your morning coffee, and taste, size and portion are your main considerations.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Nutritional information comparer
You don’t want to rely on the name ‘digestive’, but would rather compare the sugar, fibre and other nutritional values on specific packs.
Buyer for whom allergens are a deciding factor
You need up-to-date ingredient and allergen information to decide whether a particular biscuit meets your requirements.
What should you look for when choosing?
Classic speculaas
Choose this: if a spiced, crisp biscuit with your coffee is what matters most to you.
Bear in mind: the plain speculaas products discussed contain wheat; nutritional values vary by product.
Plain digestive
Choose this: if you want a biscuit whose sugar and fibre content you can compare with speculaas.
Bear in mind: the plain digestives discussed contain wheat; the name alone doesn’t tell you everything about their nutritional value.
Gluten-free digestive
Choose this: if you need a biscuit specifically labelled gluten-free, rather than a plain digestive.
Bear in mind: this isn’t speculaas, and gluten-free doesn’t mean free from other allergens.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and size | Check the product type and stated portion. Albert Heijn lists a 13 g portion for AH Bakkers speculaas. | I mainly want a spiced, crisp biscuit with my morning coffee, in a portion that suits the occasion; this flavour preference comes first for around 44% of consumers. |
| Sugar and fibre | Compare sugar and fibre per 100 g, then check the portion and other nutritional information on the pack. | When choosing between speculaas and a digestive, I want to know how the nutritional values of the specific packs differ; around 33% of consumers prioritise this label comparison. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients list and allergen information; check that the specific product is labelled gluten-free if required. | If I need to avoid wheat or another allergen, the biscuit must meet my requirements; for around 23% of consumers, this check is the main consideration. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘digestive’ means it’s more nutritious
Albert Heijn lists 16 g of sugars and 3.2 g of fibre per 100 g for AH Digestive, compared with 33 g of sugars and 1.5 g of fibre for AH Bakkers speculaas. These figures show the differences between these particular products; they don’t apply to every digestive or speculaas.
Before choosing, also compare the energy, saturated fat, salt and stated portion on the pack.
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Overlooking allergens because it’s only a biscuit
The plain speculaas and digestives discussed contain wheat. Other ingredients or warnings may also be relevant, depending on the product.
Before buying, check the ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack you intend to use.
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Confusing filled speculaas biscuits with plain speculaas
A filled butter speculaas biscuit is a different type of product. Jumbo lists ingredients including egg, milk, wheat, almonds and soya for its butter-filled speculaas biscuits.
Check the product type before comparing the nutritional values or allergens on two packs.
Brands to consider
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Bakeries presents Biscoff as a biscuit to enjoy with coffee; the variant discussed comes in a 250 g pack.
- An option if you’re looking for a crisp speculoos biscuit to enjoy with coffee.
- The variant discussed contains wheat and soya; check the label if allergens are a deciding factor for you.
Albert Heijn
AH Bakkers speculaas and AH Digestive are two separate products you can compare for flavour and label information.
- Albert Heijn lists 33 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Bakkers speculaas and 16 g for AH Digestive.
- Both products discussed contain wheat; the nutritional values given don’t apply to the entire range.
Jumbo
Jumbo lists products such as Echte Bakkers Speculaas, which you can assess individually.
- The product information gives a portion size of 13 g.
- This speculaas contains wheat and may contain nuts.
Sondey
Lidl lists Sondey Speculoos koekjes as a product available in store.
- A product name to look for on the pack if you want to compare speculoos biscuits.
- Check the ingredients, nutritional information and current availability in store.
Biscotto
ALDI lists Biscotto Digestive Biscuits in a 400 g pack containing around 27 biscuits.
- The pack information is useful if the number of biscuits matters for your coffee breaks.
- Check the current pack and availability before comparing this product with speculaas.
Biscuits for your morning coffee on Joybuy
These products include two types of speculaas for anyone looking for a spiced flavour, and a plain digestive for anyone who also wants to compare the label. For all three, check the specific pack and any allergen information.
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Lotus Biscoff speculoos biscuits 250 g
For anyone looking for a crisp speculoos biscuit to enjoy with their morning coffee.
This variant contains wheat and soya. If you have allergies, check the current pack.
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McVities Digestive Original 400 g
For anyone who wants to compare a plain digestive with speculaas and check the nutritional information on both packs.
This product contains wheat and may contain milk. If you have allergies, check the current label.
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g'woon almond speculaas 400 g
For anyone considering almond speculaas with their morning coffee.
Check the current ingredients and allergen information. Only compare nutritional values once the pack clearly states whether they apply per 100 g or per portion.
Frequently asked questions
Is a digestive automatically a better choice than speculaas?
No, the name ‘digestive’ doesn’t settle that. Albert Heijn lists 16 g of sugars and 3.2 g of fibre per 100 g for AH Digestive, compared with 33 g of sugars and 1.5 g of fibre for AH Bakkers speculaas. Also compare the other nutritional information and portion sizes of the products you’re actually considering.
Can I choose plain speculaas or digestives if I need to eat gluten-free?
Don’t assume based on the product type: the plain speculaas and digestives discussed contain wheat. Jumbo does explicitly label Schär Digestive Landtaler as gluten-free, but also lists soya and the possible presence of lupin and egg. So check all relevant information on the current label.
Where can I find allergen information for packaged biscuits?
Read the ingredients list and allergen information on the pack. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that allergens which must be declared should be clearly distinguishable on the label. Also check for any ‘may contain’ warnings on the product you choose.
How should I store speculaas or digestives after opening?
Follow the storage instructions on the specific pack and seal it well after opening. Albert Heijn recommends storing AH Bakkers speculaas in a sealed tin; the product information for McVitie's Digestives Original says to store in a dry place, preferably somewhere cool.