Home baker with a strict sugar-free requirement
You want to check whether the baked taaitaai stays below the limit of 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. Choosing honey or syrup as a sweetener will not also meet the requirement for ‘no added sugars’.
Who is this relevant for?
Baker looking for the classic flavour
You want to keep the aniseed, biscuit or speculaas spices and chewy texture while changing the sweetener. Albert Heijn Allerhande and Jumbo’s classic recipes use honey and brown sugar, so try an adapted dough in a small quantity first.
Baker with an additional dietary requirement
You may also need to take gluten or allergens into account. Assess this information separately from the sugar content: the label for gluten-free Consenza taaitaai lists 29 g of sugars per 100 g, and the ingredients information includes oats, almonds and nuts.
What should you consider when baking?
First, decide whether ‘sugar-free’ is a strict requirement for your baked taaitaai. Then choose a recipe and baking mould that suit the flavour you want and the consistency of the dough.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free claim | Check the sugars per 100 g of the baked taaitaai. The Netherlands Bakery Centre sets a limit of no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g for ‘sugar-free’. | If I want to call my taaitaai sugar-free, I want to be able to assess the sugar content of the baked biscuits. This would be the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Flavour and dough shape | Check which spices the recipe uses and whether the dough is intended for cutting out shapes or baking in moulds. | I want to keep the familiar aniseed flavour and chewy texture, even if I use a different sweetener. For around 29% of consumers, flavour and texture would be the main priority. |
| Other nutritional information | As well as sugars, compare carbohydrates and energy per 100 g; for a portion, check the amount used. | If I’m also keeping an eye on carbohydrates and energy, I don’t want to base my choice on sugar content alone. Around 21% of consumers would weigh up this broader nutritional information first. |
| Gluten and allergens | Read the ingredients and allergen information separately from the nutritional values, and check that the ingredients you choose meet your requirements. | If I have an additional requirement relating to gluten or allergens, I don’t want to assume that a suitable label also tells me anything about sugar or other ingredients. For around 14% of consumers, this additional requirement would be the most important consideration. |
Common mistakes
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Using honey or syrup and calling the result sugar-free
Using a different sweetener does not automatically make baked taaitaai sugar-free. The Netherlands Bakery Centre sets a limit of no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g for this claim; ‘no added sugars’ is a separate requirement, too.
Check the nutritional values of all the ingredients used and the sugar content per 100 g of the actual finished batch before making a claim about the final product.
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Choosing ready-made taaitaai based on the front of the pack
Product information from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS lists 39 g, 38.8 g and 38.594 g of sugars per 100 g respectively for the regular taaitaai products reviewed. These products therefore do not meet the limit for ‘sugar-free’ set by the Netherlands Bakery Centre.
If a strictly sugar-free option is essential to you, check the current nutrition table before buying.
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Expecting adapted dough to cut out like classic dough
Albert Heijn Allerhande and Jumbo describe classic recipes made with honey and sugar. A published low-carb recipe from Fun and healthy food produced dough that was too runny for cutting out figures.
Check the baking method for the recipe you choose. If the dough is not firm enough to cut out, try a small quantity in moulds first.
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Assuming gluten-free means sugar-free or allergen-free
According to Albert Heijn’s product information, gluten-free Consenza taaitaai contains 29 g of sugars per 100 g. The ingredients information also lists oats, almonds and nuts.
Check the gluten-free claim, sugars per 100 g and allergen information separately.
Brands as a reference
Albert Heijn / Allerhande
Allerhande is a useful reference for classic homemade taaitaai; Albert Heijn’s product label helps you compare that style with a ready-made product.
- The Allerhande recipe uses ingredients including aniseed, rye flour, honey and dark brown sugar.
- AH Taai taai lists 39 g of sugars per 100 g, so it does not meet the limit for ‘sugar-free’ set by the Netherlands Bakery Centre.
Jumbo
The Jumbo recipe offers another example of traditional taaitaai made with honey and brown sugar.
- The recipe combines wholemeal wheat flour, wheat flour, speculaas spices and aniseed.
- Jumbo De Originele Taai Taai lists 38.8 g of sugars per 100 g; don’t use this product as a substitute if you want a strictly sugar-free baked result.
Consenza
Consenza is relevant here if you want to assess gluten-free taaitaai alongside your sugar and allergen requirements.
- The Taai taai poppetjes listed by Albert Heijn are labelled gluten-free.
- The product information lists 29 g of sugars per 100 g and includes oats, almonds and nuts. Gluten-free does not mean sugar-free or nut-free in this case.
Joybuy products
Related products coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
When can I call homemade taaitaai sugar-free?
According to the Netherlands Bakery Centre, ‘sugar-free’ means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g of finished product. So check the nutritional values of all the ingredients used and the actual quantity of baked taaitaai. Simply leaving sugar out of the recipe is not enough to describe the finished product this way.
Does ‘no added sugars’ mean the same as sugar-free?
No, the claims have different requirements. ‘No added sugars’ excludes ingredients added for their sweetening properties, such as honey; the finished product may still contain sugars. For ‘sugar-free’, the Netherlands Bakery Centre sets a separate limit of no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g.
Can I use honey or syrup to make sugar-free taaitaai?
Don’t assume a recipe containing honey or syrup will produce sugar-free taaitaai. Check the sugars in the ingredients you choose and in the baked product; honey as a sweetener also does not meet the requirement for ‘no added sugars’.
What if my adapted taaitaai dough is too soft to cut out?
If the recipe you choose produces a runny dough, use moulds rather than trying to force it into cut-out shapes. Fun and healthy food describes a low-carb recipe with almond flour where the dough was too runny for making figures, so it was put into moulds instead. That does not tell you how every adapted recipe will behave.
Is gluten-free taaitaai also sugar-free?
No, a gluten-free claim on its own says nothing about the sugar content. Albert Heijn’s product information lists 29 g of sugars per 100 g for gluten-free Consenza Taai taai poppetjes; check the allergen information separately, too.