Choose speculoos in a suitable single-portion pack if you mainly want to hand out a biscuit quickly. Choose almond or filled butter speculaas if you want the biscuit itself to be a more prominent part of the dessert. Check the portion size, ingredients and allergens for every variety you choose. For unpackaged sales, allergen information must be available before purchase, according to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
If you want speculaas to be more than a biscuit on the side, visible almonds and an almond paste filling offer two different ways to present it. Albert Heijn lists flaked almonds in its AH Amandelspeculaas; Jumbo describes filled butter speculaas varieties.
A pre-selected single-portion pack can work well as a biscuit to serve alongside a hot drink or a Dutch doughnut. Lotus Bakeries Nederland lists packs of two biscuits and pocket packs among the options for Lotus Biscoff. Check which pack you’re actually buying.
If you buy in different types of biscuits, you’ll need up-to-date product information for each variety. This is particularly important for unpackaged sales: according to the NVWA, customers must be able to get information about allergens present before they buy.
First decide whether the speculaas will be a biscuit to hand out, a garnish or a more substantial part of the dessert. This makes it easier to distinguish between the different product types than simply looking for something ‘luxury’.
Choose this if: you want to hand out a biscuit in a set portion.
Consider: it isn’t a filled biscuit, so check that the pack you choose suits the way you’ll be serving it.
Choose this if: visible almonds would work well in your biscuit presentation or as a garnish.
Consider: if you’re portioning it yourself, take the size of the biscuit and how easily it breaks into account.
Choose this if: you want the filled biscuit to make up a larger part of the dessert.
Consider: portions and allergens vary by recipe, so keep a record of the details for the variety you buy.
Choose this if: you want to offer a separate biscuit with chocolate rather than filled speculaas.
Consider: according to Lotus Bakeries Nederland, its chocolate variety also contains milk. Check the allergens for each product.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Dessert presentation | Check that the biscuit you choose really does contain the almonds, filling or butter you want, and that its shape works for serving. | When serving a dessert alongside a Dutch doughnut, I want the biscuit to add something visually, for example with almonds or a filling. Around 33% of consumers buying for a stall give presentation their highest priority. |
| Portion size and serving | Compare the number of biscuits in each pack and decide whether you can set the portion in advance. | When it’s busy, I want to be able to hand out a biscuit without putting together a new portion each time. For around 25% of these consumers, fast, predictable service comes first. |
| Allergens and sales | Keep up-to-date ingredient and allergen information for every variety you buy. For unpackaged sales, make sure customers can get this information before they buy. | For unpackaged sales, I want to be able to answer questions about allergens accurately. This is the main concern for around 42% of these consumers. |
Regardless of your choice of speculaas, the NVWA says that a food business selling directly to consumers from a market stall must register. Check that you’re registered before you start selling.
A plain speculoos, a biscuit with almonds and filled speculaas don’t necessarily serve the same purpose alongside a Dutch doughnut.
First decide whether you need a biscuit to hand out, a garnish or a more substantial part of the dessert. Then compare products in that category.
Lotus Bakeries Nederland lists wheat and soya in Original Speculoos, while Albert Heijn’s product information for AH Amandelspeculaas also lists almonds, eggs and milk. These details don’t automatically apply to other varieties.
Record the allergens for each product you buy separately. For unpackaged sales, the NVWA says customers must be able to get information about allergens present before they buy.
Jumbo no longer lists a filled speculaas variety it previously offered in its online range. A similar product may also have a different recipe.
Check the variety you’ve chosen every time you buy it. If you switch products, update the ingredient and allergen information too.
An option for individual speculoos biscuits in different pack formats, if a set serving portion suits your stall.
A range of different types of speculaas, including almond speculaas, speculaas chunks and filled speculaas.
An option for filled butter speculaas if you want a filled biscuit to be a dessert in its own right.
Yes, if you run a food business and sell directly to consumers from your stall. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority lists market stalls among the businesses that need to register.
For unpackaged sales, you must tell customers about allergens present before they buy, according to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. Use up-to-date information for the variety you’re selling. For cereals containing gluten and nuts, you must also name the specific type.
Filled speculaas is a good choice if you want to offer the biscuit as a more substantial part of the dessert rather than as a small biscuit to hand out. Decide on the serving portion in advance, and use the current packaging for ingredient, allergen and storage information, as these can vary by variety.
