Fans of a pronounced cocoa flavour
You want to choose for yourself how strong the chocolate tastes alongside your speculaas with your coffee. A stated cocoa percentage tells you more than the word ‘dark’ alone.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Coffee guests who want to serve one biscuit
You’re looking for a ready-made speculaas biscuit with dark chocolate, without having to put out two products. Check the exact variety and whether it’s available, though: Albert Heijn lists its AH Speculaas Met Pure Chocolade as discontinued.
Shoppers who check ingredients and allergens
You need to be able to check what’s in both the speculaas and the chocolate. Allergen information varies by product and type of chocolate, so read the packaging for the variety you plan to serve.
What should you look for when choosing?
Ready-made speculaas with dark chocolate
Choose this if: you want to serve one biscuit and find a current variety with a label that suits your taste.
The trade-off: if no cocoa percentage is stated, the word ‘dark’ won’t tell you how pronounced the cocoa flavour will be.
Plain speculaas with separate dark chocolate
Choose this if: you want to serve a bar that states its cocoa percentage alongside your speculaas.
The trade-off: you choose and serve two separate products, rather than ready-made chocolate speculaas.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa flavour | Check the type of chocolate and the cocoa percentage of the exact biscuit or bar. According to the Voedingscentrum, dark chocolate contains at least 35% cocoa, so ‘dark’ alone doesn’t tell you whether you’re choosing 70% or 90%. | I want to choose for myself how strong the chocolate tastes alongside my speculaas with my coffee. This control over the cocoa flavour would be the top priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Convenience when serving | Check whether the ready-made variety you want is available. Otherwise, compare how much preparation is needed to serve a pack of plain speculaas with a separate bar. | If I want to offer guests a biscuit straight away, I don’t want to combine two products first. That convenience would be the main consideration for around 30% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the ingredients, allergens and any ‘may contain’ statements on both packs; don’t rely on the words ‘dark’ or ‘speculaas’ alone. | If I have an allergy, I need to know exactly what’s in the biscuit and the chocolate before serving them. This check would be decisive for around 20% of consumers. |
What could you get wrong?
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Assuming ‘dark’ means a high cocoa percentage
According to the Voedingscentrum, dark chocolate contains at least 35% cocoa. The word alone doesn’t tell you the percentage in a specific biscuit or bar.
Check the stated cocoa percentage if you want to choose based on it. You could serve the chocolate separately so you can decide for yourself how it goes with the speculaas.
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Mistaking an existing product page for a current buying option
Albert Heijn lists AH Speculaas Met Pure Chocolade as discontinued. So don’t count on finding that particular biscuit without checking whether it’s currently available first.
Before you shop, look for an available alternative or choose plain speculaas and separate dark chocolate instead.
Choosing a different combination while you’re out shopping can take extra time.
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Assuming the chocolate won’t affect the allergens
Jumbo lists milk, gluten and wheat in its Speculaas Molens met Melkchocolade, with possible traces of nuts and peanuts. For Jumbo Bakkers Speculaas, it lists gluten and wheat, with possible traces of almonds and nuts.
Check the ingredients and allergen information for the exact speculaas and any separate bar, even if you’ve bought a similar product before.
Brands and product ranges to consider
Albert Heijn
A reference point for ready-made speculaas with dark chocolate.
- Albert Heijn lists a 320 g AH Speculaas Met Pure Chocolade.
- That variety is listed as discontinued. If you choose an alternative, check its ingredients, allergens and availability again.
Jumbo
A reference point for plain speculaas and speculaas with milk chocolate.
- Jumbo lists Speculaas Molens, with 30% milk chocolate in the biscuit, as well as Bakkers Speculaas without chocolate.
- Milk chocolate isn’t the dark chocolate option you’re looking for. Check the allergen information on the packaging of both products.
Lotus Biscoff
A familiar speculaas biscuit to consider if you don’t want to choose chocolate separately.
- Lotus Bakeries describes Biscoff as a crisp, caramelised biscuit to enjoy with coffee.
- If you’re looking for a dark chocolate flavour, only choose a specific variety if the packaging states the type of chocolate and, if you want, the cocoa percentage.
Moser Roth
Separate dark chocolate bars to serve with plain speculaas.
- ALDI lists Moser Roth bars with 70% and 85% cocoa.
- These are chocolate bars, not speculaas biscuits. Check the range at the shop where you do your shopping.
Lidl Way To Go
A separate dark chocolate option to pair with plain speculaas.
- Lidl lists a dark variety in its Way To Go chocolate bar range.
- If you’re choosing by cocoa percentage, read the label on the specific bar.
Chocolate to serve separately with speculaas
These Lindt bars are separate dark chocolate options to enjoy with plain speculaas and coffee. They aren’t ready-made chocolate speculaas, so choose a bar based on its stated cocoa percentage and check the packaging and availability before buying.
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Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate, 100 g
A separate bar to serve with plain speculaas if you want to choose a stated cocoa percentage.
70% cocoa; 100 g bar. If you have allergies, check the packaging carefully: allergen information for this product varies.
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Lindt Excellence 90% Cocoa Supreme Dark, 100 g
A separate bar to serve with plain speculaas if you want to choose a different stated cocoa percentage.
90% cocoa; 100 g bar. The product information mentions possible traces of hazelnuts, other nuts, milk and soya; if you have allergies, check the latest label.
Frequently asked questions
Does ‘dark chocolate’ in speculaas automatically mean a high cocoa percentage?
No. According to the Voedingscentrum, dark chocolate contains at least 35% cocoa, but the wording doesn’t tell you the percentage in the chocolate on a specific biscuit. Check the label if you want to choose by cocoa percentage.
Can I choose AH Speculaas Met Pure Chocolade as a ready-made option?
Albert Heijn lists this 320 g variety as discontinued. Look for a currently available alternative and check its type of chocolate and label, or serve plain speculaas with separate dark chocolate.
What should I check if a coffee guest avoids milk or gluten?
Check the packaging of every exact product you plan to serve. Jumbo lists milk, gluten and wheat in its Speculaas Molens met Melkchocolade; its Bakkers Speculaas lists gluten and wheat. Also read any ‘may contain’ information and the label on a separate bar, if you’re serving one.
How should I store speculaas for coffee time?
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging of your chosen variety. Jumbo advises resealing its Speculaas Molens met Melkchocolade after opening and storing them in a dark place; for Jumbo Bakkers Speculaas, the brand recommends storing it in a cool, dry place.