If you’re looking for a strictly sugar-free option for Sunday breakfast, don’t choose the butter canoe cakes covered here: according to product information from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS, they contain 39 g, 36.8 g and 38.9 g of sugars per 100 g respectively. According to Albert Heijn, AH Digestive 0% Sugar is a sugar-free biscuit alternative, with 0.3 g of sugars per 100 g, but it isn’t a canoe cake; the product carries a warning about a possible laxative effect if consumed in excess. If having a canoe cake is your priority, compare portion sizes and allergens without assuming the product is sugar-free.
You want a product that meets the sugar-free claim, not just a biscuit with no added sugars. Based on their sugar content, the canoe cakes covered here from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS don’t fit the bill. A biscuit may be an alternative if its nutrition information lists no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g, the limit for this claim stated by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
You’re looking for something sweet for Sunday, but it doesn’t have to be canoe-shaped. Compare the exact claim, the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g and the ingredients list: ‘no added sugars’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘sugar-free’.
You’re choosing a butter cake with almond paste filling to share at breakfast, even if the examples covered here aren’t sugar-free. Check the serving size and the allergen information for everyone who’ll be eating it.
First decide whether sugar-free is a must or whether you’re mainly after a traditional canoe cake. Then check the nutrition information and ingredients for the specific product.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free or no added sugars | Compare the claim with the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, a sugar-free product can contain no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. | If sugar-free is a must for me, I don’t want to rely on the word ‘zero’ alone. Around 50% of consumers put this first. |
| Canoe cake or biscuit | Check the type of product and compare the sugar content per 100 g; a biscuit alternative isn’t a canoe cake with almond paste filling. | For a sweet Sunday breakfast, I’m happy to consider a biscuit if the canoe shape is less important. This is the main consideration for around 30% of consumers. |
| Portion size and allergens | Check the stated serving size and the allergens on the packaging of the canoe cake you choose. | When I share canoe cakes with others, I want to know how much I’m serving and which ingredients may be relevant to them. Around 20% of consumers put this need first. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, a sugar-free product can contain no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. Jumbo lists 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g for Verkade San Francisco Zero, so ‘no added sugars’ and ‘sugar-free’ aren’t interchangeable.
If sugar-free is a must, check the sugar content per 100 g as well as the claim.
Product information from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS lists 39 g, 36.8 g and 38.9 g of sugars per 100 g respectively for the canoe cakes covered here. These products aren’t suitable if you need a strictly sugar-free option.
If you’re mainly after a canoe cake with almond paste filling, choose that type of product with this in mind. If sugar-free is the deciding factor, check that an alternative has a suitable claim and sugar content.
Product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo lists allergens for their canoe cakes. AH Digestive 0% Sugar and Verkade San Francisco Zero also carry a warning about a possible laxative effect if consumed in excess.
Before serving, check the current ingredients, allergens and any warnings on the packaging.
Albert Heijn offers both a traditional butter canoe cake and a separate sugar-free biscuit alternative.
Jumbo Butter Canoe Cakes are butter cakes with almond paste filling, for anyone looking for the traditional product.
PLUS Butter Canoe Cakes are cakes with almond paste filling, for anyone looking to compare traditional canoe cakes.
According to Lidl, Sondey Canoe Cakes are butter cakes with filling, in a 325 g pack.
According to ALDI, Heerlijck Banket Canoe Cakes are shaped pastry cakes sold in a 330 g pack.
Verkade San Francisco Zero is a biscuit with no added sugars, not a canoe cake.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, a product making a sugar-free claim can contain no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. ‘No added sugars’ means that no sugars, or foods used for their sweetening properties, have been added; the product may still contain sugars.
The butter canoe cakes covered here from these three retailers aren’t sugar-free. Their product information lists 39 g, 36.8 g and 38.9 g of sugars per 100 g respectively, compared with the maximum of 0.5 g per 100 g stated by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre for a sugar-free claim.
No. It’s a biscuit and, according to Jumbo’s product information, contains 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g. The ‘no added sugars’ claim doesn’t make it sugar-free. The product information also lists maltitols and warns of a possible laxative effect if consumed in excess.
Check the sugar content per 100 g, ingredients, allergens and serving size of the specific biscuit. Read any warnings on the packaging too: AH Digestive 0% Sugar and Verkade San Francisco Zero both carry a warning about a possible laxative effect if consumed in excess.
