Many traditional food products appear to be accidentally plant-based, especially when we are talking about biscuits, spreads and sweets in general. While the majority of the vegan community has probably tried Oreos, some may still not know of Lotus and their vegan biscuits.
This Belgian company has been producing traditional biscuits called ‘speculoos’ since 1932, using few ingredients. For this reason, the founder Jan Boone chose the name Lotus, which refers to a flower that symbolises purity. As they state, their classic biscuits are suitable for vegans because, based on their ancient recipe, they are free from dairy products and eggs. A few years ago, they started launching other food products like Lotus spread. Now a new range of sandwich biscuits is available on the UK market.
Are Lotus Biscoff Really Vegan?
The original recipe does not contain any animal-by products, but it includes an ingredient that may be controversial in the vegan community: palm oil. Nevertheless, on WWF’s dedicated website, Lotus is reported to be ‘Well on the path’ in terms of palm oil consumption, as they are member of a sustainable palm oil platform.
Another thing that makes ethical consumers wrinkle their nose could be Lotus packaging: most of the times, these products are individually wrapped in small plastic envelopes. This is due to the fact that they are usually gifted and served with tea or coffee in tea rooms and bars. As a matter of fact, the company has renamed these biscuits Biscoff to recall the word ‘coffee’ and ‘biscuits’. However, it is possible to find the family size pack, in which vegan biscuits are not individually wrapped in plastic, for a more responsible choice.
Their original caramelized biscuits taste incredibly good. They are small and their thin shape makes them a perfect topping for cupcakes and cakes. Originally, they were served as a treat with coffee or a cup of tea. Among all the recipes you can find on their website, Lotus also suggests to use their biscuits to make a crumble for vanilla ice-cream.
What Is The Lotus Spread?
Lotus vegan cream is basically made of Lotus biscuits. It has the same texture of peanut butter and the taste of sweet Lotus Biscoff. This vegan spread has the same ingredients of Lotus biscuits and comes in two different sizes. It makes a great filling for cupcakes, especially if combined with the same biscuits, as suggested by many vegan food bloggers, like The Little Blog of Vegan. It can also be spread on fruit, or simply on a slice of bread for tea. It tastes wonderfully with bananas and ripped coconut.
Is the new range of biscuits totally suitable for vegans?
Lotus new range of sandwich biscuits is not totally vegan, as one of the flavors contains milk. Their new range has three different flavors, two of which are vegan. In particular, the plant-based versions are Biscoff Cream and Vanilla Flavor, while the one with Milk Chocolate contains dairy. Obviously, the ones with Biscoff cream are filled with the spread mentioned above, while the biscuits are very similar to Biscoff, but rounded. Their consistency is buttery and they are caramelized.
With regard to their packaging, unlike Lotus Biscoff, these biscuits are not wrapped individually, as they come in a classic tube pack.
To know more about this vegan-friendly company and their retailers, you can visit their website.
