Choose speculoos for cycling based on when you’ll eat it and the portion size: a small, plain biscuit is better suited to a leisurely ride, while filled or almond varieties are more of a treat to enjoy away from a strenuous ride. For a long, intensive ride, plan your carbohydrates and drinks separately. Also check the nutritional information per portion, how well you tolerate it and the allergens in the speculoos you choose.
You want to know how many carbohydrates you’ll actually eat on the way and what you’ll drink. For endurance exercise lasting 1 to 2.5 hours, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that 30–60 g of rapidly absorbed carbohydrates per hour may help. A biscuit doesn’t automatically count as a full portion towards that plan.
For a shorter or more leisurely ride, you might simply want something tasty to enjoy during a break or when you get home. In that case, flavour, filling and how much you want to eat may matter more than how suitable it is as fuel during exercise.
A name such as almond speculoos or a gluten-free label doesn’t tell you which other ingredients may be relevant. Check the current packaging of the exact variety you’re buying, even if you’ve eaten it before.
First decide whether you’re looking for something to eat on the way or a treat to enjoy away from your ride. Then consider the portion, when you’ll eat it and the ingredients.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrates and drinks on a long ride | Check the carbohydrates per portion and how many portions you’ll take; plan your drinks separately. | If I’m cycling for a long time or at high intensity, I want to work out how a biscuit fits into my ride plan without forgetting to plan my drinks. This may be the main priority for around 40% of consumers. |
| Flavour and when you’ll enjoy it | Consider whether you want a filling or almonds, and whether the pack size suits the occasion. | After a leisurely ride, I’m more likely to want a piece of filled speculoos to enjoy at my own pace than a snack I can grab on the bike. Around 30% of consumers may care most about this occasion. |
| Portion and when you’ll eat before setting off | Compare the portion size and the stated fat and fibre per 100 g; take into account what you personally tolerate well. | If I’m setting off soon after eating, I want to avoid a new, large portion making me feel uncomfortable on the bike. Tolerance may be the first consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information for the variety you’ve chosen, including any relevant warnings. | If I need to avoid an ingredient, the flavour name or a single claim on the front of the pack isn’t enough. This check may be the deciding factor for around 10% of consumers. |
The carbohydrates in a biscuit alone don’t tell you how much you’ll consume during the ride. Speculoos doesn’t provide your drinks either.
For a long, intensive ride, first decide how many carbohydrates and how much to drink you want to take with you. Only count a biscuit towards your plan once you know how much of it you’ll eat.
A large portion or a product high in fat or fibre may make you feel uncomfortable if you’re sensitive to these during exercise. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also notes that eating a large meal just before exercise may cause stomach problems.
Try a new filled, almond or multigrain variety in a small portion first, on a normal training day.
A label such as gluten-free or almond doesn’t tell you all the ingredients and allergens in a product.
Read all the information on the packaging of the variety you actually want to eat.
Ingredients and nutritional information can change. Albert Heijn notes in its product information that the details on the packaging may differ.
Check the label on the pack you’ve bought before eating it, especially if an ingredient or nutritional value is an important part of your choice.
Offers classic speculoos, Pocket Packs containing two biscuits and a six-grain variety. This makes the brand worth considering if you want to take a small portion with you or compare the nutritional information for two varieties.
Its range includes filled speculoos with almond paste and a separate filled speculoos biscuit labelled gluten-free. Choose based on the specific variety, not just the brand.
The varieties mentioned range from Bakkers Speculaas to speculoos chunks with almonds. The difference matters most if you’re weighing up a plain biscuit against a variety containing nuts.
The filled speculoos with almonds and almond paste is available in a 2 × 250 g pack. This size is better suited to sharing or storing than to taking a pre-measured biscuit with you.
These two options suit different occasions: Lotus Biscoff as a plain speculoos biscuit you can take in a portion, and g'woon Almond Speculaas as a treat to enjoy away from an intensive ride. If you’re eating it on the way, decide for yourself how much to have and how it fits into your ride plan.
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A plain speculoos biscuit for anyone who wants to take a small sweet snack along for a leisurely ride.
For Original Speculoos, Lotus Bakeries lists 72,6 g of carbohydrates, 19 g of fat and 1,3 g of fibre per 100 g. The pack contains 250 g; check how many biscuits make up your portion before counting it towards your ride plan.
If you avoid wheat or soya, check the current packaging. The biscuits don’t replace drinks or separate carbohydrate planning for a long, intensive ride.
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Almond speculoos for anyone looking for a treat to enjoy away from strenuous cycling.
The pack contains 400 g. If you want to include the speculoos in a ride plan, check the label for the nutritional values per 100 g or per portion.
Check the current allergen information if milk, eggs, wheat, soya or nuts are relevant to you. Don’t assume it’s a pre-measured portion to take with you.
No. Speculoos alone doesn’t make a complete plan for carbohydrates and drinks during a long, intensive ride. For endurance exercise lasting 1 to 2.5 hours, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that 30–60 g of rapidly absorbed carbohydrates per hour may help. If you want to take biscuits with you, check how many carbohydrates your portion contains and plan your drinks separately.
Pay particular attention to the amount, timing and what you personally tolerate well. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends having a meal around 2–3 hours before exercise and notes that a large meal just before setting off may cause stomach problems. Also be mindful of varieties high in fat or fibre if these tend to trouble you during exercise.
Filled speculoos isn’t automatically a handy portion to have during a strenuous ride; consider the size and how well you tolerate it. Albert Heijn lists 19 g of fat per 100 g for its filled speculoos with almond paste. If you’re mainly after the filling and flavour, enjoying it at a leisurely pace away from your ride may suit you better.
Read the current ingredients and allergen information for the exact variety you’re buying. Plain speculoos may contain wheat, while varieties with fillings or almonds may contain other ingredients. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority provides information about how allergens are listed on labels; always check the packaging itself.
No. A gluten-free label doesn’t mean that other allergens are absent. Albert Heijn also labels its gluten-free filled speculoos biscuit as lactose-free, but lists other allergens in the product information. So, check all the information on the current packaging for any ingredients you need to avoid.
