If you need a quick breakfast and have a strict sugar-free requirement, the regular De Ruijter Muisjes we looked at are not a suitable choice: Jumbo lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g for the blue and white varieties. Reduced-sugar chocolate sprinkles could be an easy-to-use alternative if less sugar is enough, but they are not the same as sugar-free. Check the nutrition information and ingredients. A product called ‘sugar-free mice’ could also be soft sweets rather than a breakfast topping.
You want a product whose ‘sugar-free’ claim is reflected in its nutritional values. According to the Voedingscentrum, a product carrying this claim can contain no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g or 100 ml.
You want something you can sprinkle straight onto bread, rusks or yoghurt, and are open to chocolate sprinkles instead of aniseed sprinkles. If so, compare the sugar content too: ‘less sugar’ does not mean ‘sugar-free’.
You’re looking for the aniseed flavour and crunchy shape of traditional aniseed sprinkles. Bear in mind that the regular varieties we looked at contain sugar. Albert Heijn also lists wheat starch in De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes.
First, decide whether sugar-free is an absolute requirement. If you mainly want a quick, easy-to-sprinkle topping, you can compare aniseed sprinkles and reduced-sugar chocolate sprinkles by product type and nutritional information, without treating them as the same product.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly sugar-free | Check the claim and the amount of sugars per 100 g. According to the Voedingscentrum, a product can contain no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g to be labelled ‘sugar-free’. | I only want to choose toppings that meet my sugar-free requirement, even if that means giving up traditional aniseed sprinkles. This is the top priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Ready to sprinkle | Check whether the product is intended for your breakfast, such as bread, rusks or yoghurt, and compare the nutritional values per 100 g and per portion. | On a busy morning, I want something I can sprinkle on without any preparation, and I’m happy to switch to chocolate sprinkles. For around 30% of consumers, this convenience is the main priority. |
| Aniseed flavour and ingredients | Check the product type and ingredients. For the Gestampte Muisjes we looked at, check for wheat starch; for Céréal Hagelslag puur minder suikers, look out for maltitol and the warning on the packaging. | The aniseed flavour and crunchy shape of traditional aniseed sprinkles matter more to me than switching to a different, lower-sugar topping. This is the top priority for around 20% of consumers. |
Albert Heijn lists 43 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Hagelslag puur minder suiker; the product page for Céréal Hagelslag puur minder suikers lists 7.7 g per 100 g. Both figures exceed the threshold the Voedingscentrum gives for the ‘sugar-free’ claim.
If sugar-free is an absolute requirement for you, check the nutritional values per 100 g rather than relying on a comparison with another product.
Lekker Droppie describes Suikerbakkerij Joris’s ‘Suikervrije Muisjes’ as soft, sugar-free sweets. So the name alone doesn’t mean you can sprinkle them like traditional aniseed sprinkles.
Before buying, check the product category, texture, ingredients and nutrition information if you’re looking for a topping for bread or yoghurt.
Albert Heijn lists wheat starch in De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes. Céréal Hagelslag puur minder suikers contains maltitol and carries a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Check the ingredients, allergen information and any warnings on the packaging of the variety you choose.
Traditional aniseed sprinkles are sugar-coated aniseed seeds used as a topping.
AH Hagelslag puur minder suiker is chocolate sprinkles, a different type of topping from aniseed sprinkles.
Céréal Hagelslag puur minder suikers is chocolate sprinkles sweetened with a sweetener, not a variety of traditional aniseed sprinkles.
According to the Voedingscentrum, a product carrying the ‘sugar-free’ nutrition claim can contain no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g or 100 ml. Compare this threshold with the nutrition information on the packaging, not just the product name.
The blue and white De Ruijter Muisjes we looked at are not: Jumbo lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g. Albert Heijn lists sugar as an ingredient in De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes. Always check the label if you’re considering a different variety.
No, the terms don’t mean the same thing. Albert Heijn lists 43 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Hagelslag puur minder suiker and 7.7 g per 100 g for Céréal Hagelslag puur minder suikers. Both are chocolate sprinkles, not aniseed sprinkles.
Yes, if chocolate sprinkles work for your breakfast instead of aniseed sprinkles. Check whether the specific product is intended for bread, rusks or yoghurt, and read the nutritional values, ingredients and any warnings.
Not necessarily. Lekker Droppie describes Suikerbakkerij Joris’s ‘Suikervrije Muisjes’ as soft, sugar-free sweets. Check the product type and nutrition information before choosing them as a breakfast topping.
