Don’t serve standard spritz biscuits made with wheat flour to someone with coeliac disease: Verkade lists wheat flour in its NoboSprits Original and Milk biscuits. If the spritz shape isn’t essential, you could choose a packaged biscuit labelled gluten-free and check the current packaging for other allergens. If you want the recognisable spritz shape, another option is to bake your own using ingredients explicitly labelled gluten-free, while keeping them away from crumbs from ordinary baking products.
You’ll want to rule out standard spritz biscuits made with wheat flour, check for a clear gluten-free label and avoid any contact with crumbs from ordinary baking products. The Voedingscentrum (Netherlands Nutrition Centre) points to the ‘gluten-free’ label and the Crossed Grain symbol as useful indicators.
An oat, almond or chocolate biscuit could work if you’re happy with a different shape and flavour from a classic spritz biscuit. Compare the type of biscuit itself, not just its gluten-free label.
If the recognisable shape matters, you can bake your own. Choose ingredients explicitly labelled gluten-free, and keep your worktop and utensils free from crumbs from ordinary baking products.
Standard spritz biscuits made with wheat flour aren’t suitable for someone with coeliac disease. After that, choosing between a packaged gluten-free biscuit and baking your own comes down largely to how important the classic spritz shape is to you.
When: Only if nobody at the table needs to eat gluten-free due to coeliac disease and you want to serve a classic spritz biscuit.
The trade-off: Verkade lists wheat flour in its NoboSprits Original and Milk biscuits; these products aren’t suitable for someone with coeliac disease.
When: You want to serve a biscuit without baking and are happy with a different shape or flavour from a spritz biscuit.
The trade-off: An oat or almond biscuit isn’t a classic spritz; check the packaging for other allergens too.
When: The spritz shape matters and you’re happy to spend time baking.
The trade-off: You’ll need to choose your ingredients carefully and prevent crumbs from transferring via your worktop and utensils.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Check the current packaging for the ‘gluten-free’ label or the Crossed Grain symbol. If you’re baking, keep the ingredients and equipment separate from ordinary baking products. | When I’m making breakfast for someone with coeliac disease, I don’t want to risk serving ordinary wheat spritz biscuits or allowing crumbs to come into contact with their food. For around 50% of consumers, being sure a product is gluten-free would be their top concern. |
| Shape and type of biscuit | Check whether the product is an oat, almond or another type of biscuit; bake your own if the spritz shape is essential. | A crunchy biscuit isn’t enough for me if it’s the familiar spritz shape that makes breakfast special. Around 30% of consumers would put shape and the biscuit-eating experience first. |
| Practical shopping | See which type of gluten-free biscuit you can order or pick up, and whether the pack size suits your breakfast. | When I’m sorting out breakfast along with the rest of the shopping, I want to be able to choose a suitable packaged alternative. For around 20% of consumers, convenience would be the main consideration. |
A biscuit’s name doesn’t tell you whether it’s gluten-free. Verkade lists wheat flour in its NoboSprits Original and Milk biscuits.
For someone with coeliac disease, check the current packaging for the ‘gluten-free’ label or the Crossed Grain symbol instead of relying on the biscuit’s name.
Verkade Oaties is an oat biscuit, while AH Gluten-Free Almond Biscuits are almond biscuits. Even a product with ‘Spritsen’ in its name may have a different shape: Hammermühle Spritsen Chocolate is described by a specialist product listing as pig’s-ear-shaped puff pastry.
Before you buy, decide whether a crunchy biscuit will do or whether you specifically want the classic spritz shape. If it’s the latter, you can bake your own.
Gluten-free doesn’t mean free from other allergens. Verkade says its Oaties Milk Chocolate contains milk and soya; Albert Heijn lists almonds and egg, among other ingredients, in its AH Gluten-Free Almond Biscuits.
For each guest, read all the allergen information on the current packaging, as well as checking the gluten-free label.
These product ranges show different types of gluten-free biscuit alternatives; their inclusion here doesn’t indicate whether a particular pack is available.
Worth comparing if you want to look at a gluten-free-labelled biscuit alternative from the same brand as standard spritz biscuits.
A supermarket own-brand range to consider if an almond biscuit would suit breakfast better than a spritz.
A range of different gluten-free biscuits for anyone who isn’t set on the spritz shape.
A supermarket own brand with gluten-free biscuit options to consider alongside your other shopping.
A specialist brand to consider if you’re looking for a gluten-free-labelled product with ‘Spritsen’ in its name.
This oat biscuit with milk chocolate could suit anyone looking for a packaged gluten-free biscuit alternative for a weekend breakfast who doesn’t need the classic spritz shape.
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A packaged biscuit for anyone looking to serve a gluten-free-labelled alternative to spritz biscuits. Verkade describes its Oaties Milk Chocolate as gluten-free and lists gluten-free oats and oat flour; this pack contains 150 g. It isn’t a classic spritz biscuit. Before serving, check the gluten-free label and allergen information on the current packaging, including for milk and soya.
Not if they contain wheat flour: Verkade lists wheat flour in its NoboSprits Original and Milk biscuits. Choose a product with a current gluten-free label for this guest, and prevent it from coming into contact with crumbs from standard spritz biscuits.
Under European Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, a product may be labelled ‘gluten-free’ if it contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kilogram. Check the pack of the biscuit you’re actually serving for this label or the Crossed Grain symbol.
No, an oat biscuit isn’t automatically gluten-free. The Voedingscentrum (Netherlands Nutrition Centre) highlights the importance of a gluten-free label or the Crossed Grain symbol on oat products. So check the current packaging, including for Verkade Oaties, which Verkade says contains gluten-free oats.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging and keep the biscuits separate from ordinary bread and biscuits so no crumbs get on them. Use clean serving utensils too if you’re putting both types on the table.
