Who are these choices relevant to?

Shoppers keeping an eye on fibre

You want a bun labelled wholemeal for Christmas breakfast, and compare the fibre per 100 g on the label. A bun’s colour won’t tell you how much fibre it contains.

Home bakers who want to choose the ingredients

For you, baking is part of the Christmas preparations. You want to choose the flour, dried fruit and type of salt yourself, and can set aside time for the dough to prove.

Families planning smaller portions

You’re looking for buns to share or want to store any leftovers. In that case, pack size, storage instructions and the availability of your chosen version all matter.

What should you look for when choosing?

Ready-made wholemeal buns

Choose these if: you want to serve the buns without any baking preparation and the information on the packaging meets your needs.

The trade-off: ingredients and portion size are fixed for the product you choose. Check the current label, even if you’ve bought the bun before.

Bake your own wholemeal currant buns

Choose this if: you want baking to be part of Christmas and would like to decide how much flour and dried fruit to use.

The trade-off: you’ll need to buy the ingredients separately and allow time for preparation, proving and baking.

First decide whether you want to bake or serve the buns straight away. Then compare the wholemeal claim, nutritional information, portions and ingredients of the specific products or recipe for your Christmas breakfast.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Wholemeal and fibre Look for the wholemeal claim and compare the fibre per 100 g on the label. If I’m specifically looking for a wholemeal bun, I don’t want to rely on its brown colour. That’s why around 36% of consumers prioritise the wholemeal claim and fibre content.
Bake it yourself or serve it straight away For a recipe, check the preparation, oven time and waiting time; for a ready-made product, check the packaging. I want to make the currant buns myself and choose my own ingredients, even if that means leaving the dough to prove. For around 29% of consumers, having this control over the recipe matters most.
Portions and availability Check the number of buns, storage instructions and current availability in store. For a shared Christmas breakfast, I want the right-sized portions without having to look for an alternative at the last minute. Around 21% of consumers put portion and stock planning first.
Ingredients and type of salt Read the allergen information and check which type of salt is listed for the product or recipe. When I’m buying for guests with specific dietary requirements, I want to know what’s in the buns before serving them. Checking the ingredients is the top priority for around 14% of consumers.

Common mistakes

  • Confusing brown or multigrain buns with wholemeal

    A brown colour or a mention of seeds doesn’t mean the same thing as a wholemeal claim. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, the grain ingredient in a product labelled wholemeal must consist entirely of wholemeal flour.

    Look for the wholemeal claim on the product. If you also want to compare fibre, check the nutritional information per 100 g.

  • Assuming a product page guarantees availability

    According to Jumbo, the mini wholemeal version we looked at is no longer in its online range; Lidl lists its mini wholemeal raisin buns as available in store only. An ALDI page for mini wholemeal raisin buns related to a limited-time offer.

    Check that the version you want is available shortly before you shop, and have a suitable alternative in mind.

  • Skipping the allergen information because a bun is wholemeal

    The wholemeal claim says nothing about the other ingredients. The Albert Heijn wholemeal raisin and currant buns we looked at list wheat, rye, milk and lactose, among other ingredients, and warn that other allergens may be present.

    Read the current allergen information on the packaging, especially if you’re sharing the buns with guests.

  • Assuming every currant bun contains iodine

    The Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains that baker’s salt is iodised, but bakers aren’t required to use it. So the type of salt may vary between products and recipes.

    Check the label to see which type of salt is listed, or ask your baker. If you’re baking at home, choose the salt for your recipe deliberately.

Brands compared

Always compare the specific currant bun or alternative you’re considering: products within the same range may differ in flour type, ingredients and portion size.

Albert Heijn

Offers both a ready-made wholemeal raisin and currant bun and a recipe for baking your own wholemeal currant buns.

  • The product information for AH Extra-long-lasting raisin and currant buns lists wholemeal wheat and rye buns, 30% raisins, 5% currants, 6.1 g of fibre per 100 g and iodised salt.
  • The product lists wheat, rye, milk and lactose, among other ingredients. Albert Heijn says product information may change, so check the packaging.

Lidl

Offers a mini version that may be worth considering if you want to serve smaller raisin buns.

  • Lidl lists Mini Wholemeal Raisin Buns in a 360 g pack.
  • Lidl lists the product as available in store only. Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information on the packaging.

Jumbo

Shows why you shouldn’t mistake ordinary raisin and currant buns for a wholemeal version.

  • Jumbo describes its ordinary raisin and currant buns as white wheat buns and has listed a separate mini wholemeal version.
  • Jumbo says the Mini Wholemeal Raisin and Currant Buns we looked at, pack of 9, are no longer in its online range.

ALDI

Offers a point of comparison between ordinary raisin and currant buns and a separately listed mini wholemeal version.

  • ALDI describes its ordinary pack of 6 raisin and currant buns as soft wheat buns.
  • The page for Mini Wholemeal Raisin Buns listed a limited-time offer. Check the current range before planning to buy this version.

PLUS

Offers separate wholemeal rolls that you could consider as another part of your Christmas breakfast.

  • PLUS lists 6.3 g of fibre per 100 g for these wholemeal rolls and provides freezing instructions for this specific product.
  • These wholemeal rolls aren’t currant buns; their nutritional information doesn’t tell you anything about the ingredients in PLUS currant buns.

Related products on Joybuy

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

How can I recognise a wholemeal currant bun?

Look for an explicit wholemeal claim on the product. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, the grain ingredient in a product labelled wholemeal must consist entirely of wholemeal flour; a brown colour or the term multigrain won’t tell you this. Compare the fibre content separately using the nutritional information per 100 g.

Does every Dutch currant bun contain iodised salt?

No, you can’t assume that every currant bun does. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, baker’s salt is iodised, but bakers aren’t required to use it. The Albert Heijn wholemeal raisin and currant buns we looked at list iodised salt; for another product, check the label or ask the baker.

Are wholemeal currant buns automatically gluten-free?

No. The Albert Heijn wholemeal raisin and currant buns we looked at list cereals containing gluten, including wheat and rye. If you need to avoid gluten, check the claims and allergen information for the specific product instead of relying on the term wholemeal.

Can I freeze currant buns in advance for Christmas?

Follow the storage instructions for the currant buns you choose. Albert Heijn says its wholemeal raisin and currant buns we looked at can be frozen at home on the day of purchase and should be used within one month. Don’t assume the same instructions apply to another product.

How much time should I allow to bake wholemeal currant buns?

The Allerhande recipe from Albert Heijn for eight wholemeal currant buns gives a preparation time of 20 minutes, an oven time of 15 minutes and a waiting time of 2 hours and 30 minutes. Be sure to allow for that waiting time if you want to serve the buns on Christmas morning.