When shopping for vegan food, don’t assume a Dutch egg cake is vegan just because of its name: the Bolletje and Albert Heijn egg cakes we looked at contain egg, and the AH version also contains milk powder. A biscuit with an explicit vegan label, such as AH Digestive, gives you a clearer indication. However, you’ll be choosing a crunchy digestive rather than a light, airy egg cake, so check the packaging of the exact product every time you buy it.
You’re looking for a biscuit with a clear vegan label or vegan certification. An ingredients list that appears to contain no animal-derived ingredients doesn’t, by itself, give you the same certainty about the exact product.
You want something to enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea, or to take with you, but want to avoid egg and milk as ingredients. A digestive can work as a snack, although it’s a crunchy biscuit rather than a soft egg cake.
Alongside vegan suitability, you’re looking at what biscuits are made of. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g, but check the vegan label and ingredients for each product separately.
A classic Dutch egg cake and a digestive explicitly labelled vegan don’t quite meet the same need: the first has the familiar egg-cake shape, while the second is a clearer choice when vegan suitability is your priority.
When to choose it: Only if the packaging for the exact egg-cake product confirms that it meets your vegan requirements.
Trade-off: The Bolletje Brosse Eierkoek we looked at contains egg and milk; according to Albert Heijn, AH Volkoren eierkoeken contain egg and whole milk powder.
When to choose it: If an explicit vegan label matters more to you than the texture of an egg cake; Albert Heijn labels AH Digestive as vegan.
Trade-off: A digestive is a crunchy biscuit, not a soft egg cake. Check the wheat information too if it’s relevant to your choice.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Vegan suitability | Look for an explicit vegan label or vegan certification, and read the current ingredients and allergen information. | I don’t want to assume from the product name that a biscuit is made without animal-derived ingredients. For around 50% of consumers, vegan reassurance comes first. |
| Type of snack | Decide whether you want a soft Dutch egg cake or would be happy with a crunchy digestive as an alternative. | With coffee or tea, I want a familiar snack, but a biscuit feels different from an egg cake. Around 30% of consumers give this choice between snack types top priority. |
| Wholegrain and fibre | Compare the fibre per 100 g and check vegan suitability separately; wholegrain does not mean vegan. | I want to be able to choose between suitable biscuits based on wholegrain content and fibre too. For around 20% of consumers, this nutritional information is the most important difference. |
Egg is an actual ingredient in the products we looked at. Albert Heijn lists 20% free-range egg and whole milk powder for AH Volkoren eierkoeken; Bolletje lists egg and milk for its Brosse Eierkoek.
Check the ingredients and vegan label of the specific egg cake you want to buy, rather than relying on the category name alone.
The ingredients shown for Jumbo digestives tell you what they’re made of, but the product pages we looked at don’t display an explicit vegan label. According to V-Label, products carrying its vegan certification must also meet criteria for ingredients used during production.
If you want a choice that’s explicitly confirmed as vegan, look for that label or vegan certification on the exact product packaging.
Jumbo lists 5,8 g of fibre per 100 g for Digestive Volkoren. That figure doesn’t tell you whether it’s labelled vegan; the product information also lists wheat.
First check that the product meets your vegan criteria, then compare the nutritional information for biscuits on the same per-100 g basis.
What matters is the information on the exact packaging you’re buying, especially if you want to avoid particular ingredients or allergens.
If you’re buying it again, check the ingredients list and allergen information on the packaging once more.
An example of the classic Dutch egg-cake option.
The own-brand products we looked at show why the exact product name and label matter.
Worth considering if you want to compare different digestive varieties and their nutritional information.
A classic digestive to compare with other biscuits at product level.
Lidl’s own brand offers biscuits, including vegan options according to Lidl.
No, don’t assume they are. The Bolletje Brosse Eierkoek we looked at contains egg and milk, and according to Albert Heijn, AH Volkoren eierkoeken contain 20% free-range egg and whole milk powder. Always check the exact product.
An explicit vegan label or vegan certification on the packaging of the product you choose gives you a clear indication. Also read the ingredients and allergen information; according to V-Label, its vegan certification also covers ingredients used during production.
No, a warning about possible traces is different from milk being listed as an ingredient. Albert Heijn shows this kind of traces warning for Verkade Digestive Original. If you’re choosing a vegan product, check its label and the rest of the packaging information; if you’re avoiding milk, remember to take the allergen warning into account too.
No. Wholegrain content and fibre don’t confirm that a product is vegan or gluten-free. Jumbo lists wheat as an ingredient in Digestive Volkoren and also mentions the possible presence of barley, oats and rye; check the packaging for the features that matter to you.
