If you want to call a homemade spritz biscuit sugar-free, the finished product must contain no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g under the EU regulation on nutrition and health claims; simply leaving out granulated sugar isn’t enough. If having a recognisable piped spritz biscuit matters more to you than making that claim, start with a suitable recipe and, if you adapt it, consider both the dough and the sugar content of the finished biscuit.
You want to know whether the baked biscuit meets the threshold for the ‘sugar-free’ claim. According to EUR-Lex, this is based on the total sugar content of the finished product: no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g, even if you don’t add granulated sugar.
You want to keep the recognisable shape of a piped spritz biscuit, but the strict claim isn’t your priority. Albert Heijn Allerhande describes spritz biscuits as being made from piped dough and recommends a sturdy piping bag for its firm dough. So if you adapt a recipe, you’ll also need to consider how easy the dough is to work with.
You’re considering a ready-made biscuit and want to check the ingredients, carbohydrates, polyols and allergens as well as the sugars. The Céréal biscuits listed by Jumbo are examples of biscuits with no sugars, but they aren’t spritz biscuits.
First decide whether ‘sugar-free’ is a requirement, or whether you mainly want less sugar and a recognisable spritz shape. That will help you decide which recipes and ready-made biscuits are worth comparing.
| What to consider | What to check when buying or baking | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Being able to call it sugar-free | Check the ‘of which sugars’ value per 100 g. According to EUR-Lex, the ‘sugar-free’ claim applies when the finished product contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. | I want to be able to call my baked spritz biscuit sugar-free, even if some ingredients naturally contain sugar. For around 50% of consumers, this strict threshold comes first. |
| Dough that can be piped into spritz biscuits | For a piped spritz biscuit, choose a recipe with guidance on making the dough firm and using a piping bag. If you replace the sugar, consider how the biscuit turns out after baking, too. | If I use less sugar, I still want to be able to pipe the dough into a recognisable spritz shape. This is the main concern for around 33% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | For ready-made biscuits, read the ingredients and allergen information, as well as the sugars, carbohydrates and any polyols per 100 g and per serving. | When choosing a packaged alternative, I want to know which sweeteners and allergens it contains, not just what the front of the pack claims. Around 17% of consumers prioritise checking the label. |
Ingredients can naturally contain sugars, even if no sugar has been added. The Diabetes Fonds makes the same distinction when it comes to recipes with no added sugars.
If you want to call the finished product sugar-free, check its total sugar content per 100 g against the threshold in the EU regulation. Don’t just look at the list of added ingredients.
A percentage reduction doesn’t tell you how much sugar the biscuit contains in the end. PLUS describes Elvee chocolate spritz biscuits as having ‘30% less sugar’, while the product information also lists 28 g of sugars per 100 g.
If the sugar-free threshold is decisive for your choice, compare the absolute ‘of which sugars’ value per 100 g.
A biscuit that is low in sugars may still contain polyols, other carbohydrates and allergens. For example, Jumbo lists maltitol in the Céréal varieties reviewed.
Check the current ingredients list and nutritional information for the variety you’ve chosen. Also check the allergen information if it’s relevant to you.
Albert Heijn lists Verkade Nobo plain spritz biscuits as a standard spritz biscuit. They’re a useful reference if you want to compare this type of biscuit with ones that carry a sugar claim.
Jumbo lists Céréal biscuits with no sugars in coconut and speculoos-almond flavours. They can be used to compare ready-made biscuits, but they aren’t spritz biscuits.
PLUS lists Elvee chocolate spritz biscuits with the claim ‘30% less sugar’. They’re an option if you’re looking for a relative reduction in sugar, but not if you need a sugar-free spritz biscuit.
When the finished product contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g, it meets the threshold for the ‘sugar-free’ claim under the EU regulation on nutrition and health claims. Simply leaving granulated sugar out of a recipe doesn’t prove this: naturally occurring sugars count, too.
No, the two terms don’t mean the same thing. The Diabetes Fonds points out that ingredients in a recipe with no added sugars may still naturally contain sugars. For a sugar-free claim, it’s the sugar content of the finished product that counts.
No. The nutritional information for the Céréal biscuits listed by Jumbo includes other carbohydrates and polyols as well as sugars. So compare the values per 100 g and per serving for the variety you want to buy, and don’t mistake these biscuits for spritz biscuits.
Check the ingredients list and any information about possible traces on the current packaging of the specific product. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains the requirement to list allergens on food labels; a sugar claim doesn’t tell you anything about the allergens in a biscuit.
