Recipe
🍰 DESSERT
Speculoos
Thin, crisp caramelized spice biscuits traditionally baked for Saint Nicholas, the coffee companion of the Low Countries.
Belgian · easy · serves 24
prep 20 min · cook 15 min
~133 cal · 1g protein · 19g carbs · 6g fat · 0g fiber · 9g sugars · 4g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Speculoos are the thin, crunchy spiced biscuits of Belgium and the Low Countries, traditionally baked for the feast of Saint Nicholas in early December, often pressed with an image of the saint himself. Today they are enjoyed year-round, most famously as the little biscuit served with a coffee.
Their flavour comes from a warm spice blend led by cinnamon, with nutmeg, clove, ginger, and , and a deep caramel note from brown sugar or candy syrup baked until just short of burnt. Crisp and snappy, they are made for dunking, and have inspired an entire industry of speculoos spread.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian and egg-, nut- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 24
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp speculoos spice (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger)
1 tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt
Instructions
1
Cream the butter with the brown sugar until smooth.
2
Work in the flour, spice, baking soda, and salt to a firm dough, and chill.
✎ Chef’s note
Chill the dough well and roll it thin. Speculoos are meant to be snappy and crisp, not soft, so thin and cold is the way.
3
Roll out thin and cut into shapes, pressing in a mould if you have one.
4
Bake at 350F (180C) until deep golden and firm, about 12 minutes; they crisp as they cool.
Belgian Saint Nicholas tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Flanders. Waterzooi belongs to Ghent, properly a la gantoise, a pale stew of chicken or fish loosened at the end with cream and egg yolk. The frites are double-fried, traditionally in beef fat and traditionally from Bintje potatoes, and Belgium's famous chocolate houses are mostly Brussels, which is a separate region altogether.
🗺️
Belgium. Belgium and France argue about who invented the fried potato and the question is not settled, so the Belgian case is a claim rather than a fact. What is distinctive is the execution: cut thick, fried twice, traditionally in beef tallow, and served upright in a paper cone with a spoonful of mayonnaise on top from a stand rather than a restaurant.
🌍
Europe. Europe has written a great deal of its food into law. A regulation of 1992 created the protected designation of origin and the protected geographical indication, tying a name to a place and a method, and an EU evaluation published in 2021 counted more than three thousand registered names across those schemes, from cheeses and hams down to particular shapes of bread.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Belgium
Carbonnade FlamandeBeef braised in dark Belgian beer with onions and a mustard-slathered slice of bread, sweet-sour, deep, and made for frites.
Belgian WafflesDeep-pocketed waffles, crisp outside and fluffy within, dusted with sugar or topped with fruit.
Moules-FritesA steaming pot of mussels cooked in white wine and shallots, served with a heap of crisp Belgian fries.
Browse all Belgium recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Oven, Rolling pin, Mould or tin.
Storing it: Keep chilled and covered, and enjoy within 2 to 3 days.
Make it a Belgium meal
Carbonnade FlamandeDinner
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Cuisine
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Frequently asked questions
What is Speculoos?
Thin, crisp caramelized spice biscuits traditionally baked for Saint Nicholas, the coffee companion of the Low Countries.
Where does Speculoos come from?
Speculoos is a Belgian dish from Flanders, Belgium.
Can Speculoos be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Speculoos recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Speculoos safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Speculoos take to make?
About 35 minutes total (20 minutes prep, 15 minutes cooking), serving 24.
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