Gift-givers who want to check the sugar content
You’re looking for a biscuit whose ‘sugar-free’ claim you can verify against the nutritional information per 100 g. The sweeteners used and any warnings on the packaging matter too.
Who might these options suit?
Home bakers making breakfast for Mother’s Day
You want to make biscuits yourself with no added sugar, and the personal touch matters to you. Just bear in mind that ingredients such as dates may still contribute sugars.
Hosts planning a coffee break with guests
Before serving, you check the ingredients and allergens in your chosen biscuits, including any ‘may contain’ warnings.
What should you look for when choosing?
Packaged sugar-free biscuits
A good fit if: you want biscuits ready to serve with breakfast or coffee on Mother’s Day, and want to check the sugar claim on the label.
The trade-off: ‘Sugar-free’ alone tells you nothing about the energy content or whether the ingredients are suitable for your guests. Check the polyols and allergens too.
Baking your own with no added sugar
A good fit if: a fresh, personal biscuit matters more to you than choosing something strictly sugar-free.
The trade-off: baking takes time, and ingredients such as dates may still contain sugars. Albert Heijn’s biscuit recipe lists 6 g of sugars per serving.
| What matters | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly sugar-free | Check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g. Under the EU rules for the ‘sugar-free’ claim published by EUR-Lex, the limit is no more than 0.5 g per 100 g. | If I specifically want to give a sugar-free biscuit, the figure on the label must confirm that it fits the bill. This is the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Making your own | Check the ingredients and nutritional information per serving, and set aside time for baking too. | A homemade biscuit makes Mother’s Day breakfast feel more personal to me, even if the ingredients still contain sugars. This gesture matters most to around 27% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the allergen information, any ‘may contain’ warnings and warnings about polyols on the packaging you’ve chosen. | When I’m serving several guests, I want to know first which ingredients might be relevant to them. This check is the top priority for around 20% of consumers. |
| Ready to serve | Compare the number of biscuits, portion size and storage instructions on the packaging. | For a coffee break, I want biscuits I can serve without baking first, with enough portions for my guests. This is the main consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘no added sugar’ means ‘sugar-free’
Biscuits containing fruit or dates may still contain sugars. For example, Albert Heijn’s recipe for biscuits with no added sugar lists 6 g of sugars per serving.
If you need a strictly sugar-free option, check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g rather than relying on the recipe title or the front of the pack.
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Looking only at sugars
A sugar-free claim doesn’t tell you how much energy, carbohydrate or saturated fat a biscuit contains. For example, Albert Heijn lists 465 kcal per 100 g for AH Digestive 0% sugar.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and the portion you plan to serve.
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Overlooking polyols and warnings
Albert Heijn’s product pages for AH Digestive 0% sugar and several Céréal biscuits list polyols and warn that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Check the ingredients list and warnings for the option you’ve chosen, especially when serving others.
Brands to consider
Céréal
Céréal offers biscuit varieties with no sugars, including speculoos and almond, chocolate-chip and coconut flavours.
- Albert Heijn and Jumbo product pages list between 0 and 0.4 g of sugars per 100 g for these specific varieties.
- Ingredients and allergens vary by variety. The product pages consulted list polyols; check the warning about excessive consumption too.
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn offers a packaged biscuit, AH Digestive 0% sugar, as well as a recipe for biscuits with no added sugar.
- According to its product page, AH Digestive 0% sugar contains 0.3 g of sugars per 100 g, and this variety is vegan and lactose-free.
- The digestive biscuit contains wheat and polyols. The homemade recipe lists 6 g of sugars per serving, so it isn’t a strictly sugar-free alternative.
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Bakeries presents Biscoff as a biscuit to enjoy with coffee, making it worth considering if that familiar coffee break is your priority.
- The brand is a familiar choice if you’re mainly looking for a biscuit to enjoy with coffee or tea.
- The brand name alone doesn’t tell you whether a product is sugar-free. Check the nutritional information for the specific variety before choosing it as a lower-sugar option.
Joybuy products
Related products coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
When can a biscuit be called ‘sugar-free’?
Under the EU rules for nutrition claims published by EUR-Lex, a product can be labelled ‘sugar-free’ if it contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. Check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g in the nutrition table, rather than relying only on the wording on the front of the pack.
Does ‘no added sugar’ mean the same as ‘sugar-free’?
No. Ingredients can still contain sugars even when no sugar has been added. Albert Heijn’s biscuit recipe uses dates and lists 6 g of sugars per serving, so it’s not the right choice if you’re looking for a strictly sugar-free biscuit.
Why do some sugar-free biscuits carry a warning about excessive consumption?
Albert Heijn’s product pages for AH Digestive 0% sugar and several Céréal varieties list polyols and warn that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Read the warning and ingredients on the specific pack you plan to serve.
Should I check allergens in sugar-free biscuits too?
Yes. A sugar claim tells you nothing about allergens. According to Albert Heijn’s product page, the Céréal speculoos variety contains wheat, almonds, soya, egg, barley and milk, among other ingredients. AH Digestive 0% sugar contains wheat. Always check the packaging of the variety you’ve chosen for your guests, including any ‘may contain’ warnings.