Homemade Biscoff Biscuits (Speculoos Cookies) Recipe - The Gourmet Larder (2024)

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These homemade Biscoff biscuits (AKA Belgian Speculoos cookies) are spiced with a mix of aromatic warm spices, filling your home with the most amazing baking smells while they bake. Totally addictive and simple to make, you’ll be wanting to bake them again and again!


Speculoos biscuits are well known for being versatile, being incorporated into other desserts and bakes, such as cheesecakes, buttercreams and mousses. And you might ask why to bake them if they are so easy to buy, the answer is they taste so much better and they are so simple to make!

ORIGIN OF LOTUS BISCOFF!

Biscoff is actually a product made by Lotus bakeries in Belgium, famous for their speculoos biscuitsand biscuit-based products. Biscoff is short for biscuit with coffee. These cookies are often found today when served with coffee at restaurants.

This recipe is almost a perfect copy of the original Biscoff, but it does depend on having some specific ingredient types. These biscuits will still taste fantastic if you don’t have those ingredients at hand, but they will not be exactly the same as the original.

If youdecide to give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment below and rate it – it’s really helpful to me and the other readers. And don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #thegourmetlarder onInstagram. I love seeing what you come up with! 🙂

CONTENTS

  • RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS
  • INGREDIENTS
  • SUBSTITUTIONS
  • WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE?
  • NUTRITION
  • STORAGE AND FREEZING
  • TOOLS YOU’LL NEED
  • RECIPE TIPS
  • RECIPE
  • HOW DID IT TURNED OUT FOR YOU!
  • PIN FOR LATER!

RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS

  • EASE: incredibly easy to make and you only need to use one bowl.
  • FREE-FROM: check my substitutions section for gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar options.
  • GREAT FOR: making other desserts, a treat, picnics, or friends and family visiting. They also make a nice addition to homemade gift boxes!
  • TASTE & TEXTURE: a crisp buttery almost caramelised biscuit filled with aromatic spices.
  • SERVING: they are delicious on their own or dipped in your afternoon coffee. They are also brilliant used in recipes like these Millionaire’s Biscoff Bars!
  • QUANTITY: 30 cookies
  • TIME: 39 minutes, includes 15 minutes chilling.

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    © THE GOURMET LARDER. All images and content are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe, please do so using the share buttons provided. Please do not republish the recipe or its content in full instead, include a link to this post for the recipe. Further information can be found in my FAQ’s.

    INGREDIENTS

    For this recipe all you need are these ingredients:

    • Butter – adds structure and flavour. I use salted butter for most of my baking as it intensifies the flavours, but feel free to use unsalted if you prefer. Make sure it’s at room temperature before using.
    • Brown sugar – gives the biscuits their crunch, crispy edges and a more flavourful taste. To get these to be as close to the original Biscoff you need to use Belgian brown sugar which comes from beets not cane sugar.
    • Egg – this recipe uses only half an egg to bind and give flavour.
    • Spices– to get those unique flavours we use ground Ceylon cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves and ground cardamon.
    • Baking powder – is a raising agent that helps to create a light biscuit.
    • Plain (all-purpose) flour – builds structure.

    TIP: I highly recommend adding a good pinch of fine salt to your biscuit doughs. In a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory way, salt intensifies the mouths’ ability to taste sweetness. It is the sodium that sends signals to move glucose into the sweet taste receptor cells, thus triggering the cells to register sweetness. The result is that salt not only alerts our ‘salt sensitivity’, but also triggers our ‘sweet sensitive’ taste buds.



    SUBSTITUTIONS

    While I am making recommendations for alternative ingredients, I haven’t necessarily tried them. If you try making any adaptions, I would love to know how you get on and share it with the other readers.

    VEGAN OPTIONS

    • Egg – replace the egg with 2 teaspoons of water. The biscuits will be a little crunchier but still taste great.

    GLUTEN-FREE OPTION

    WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE?

    • Spices – try adding more spices, such as anise or white pepper.

    If you experiment, I would love to know how you get on and share it with the other readers.

    NUTRITION

    Serving: one Biscoff biscuit(10g)

    Nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on factors such as precision of measurements, brands, ingredient freshness, or the source of nutrition data.

    I strive to keep the information as accurate as possible but make no warranties regarding its accuracy.

    I encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

    Homemade Biscoff Biscuits (Speculoos Cookies) Recipe - The Gourmet Larder (3)

    STORAGE AND FREEZING

    Biscoff taste best fresh out of the oven, but they will keep for up to a week stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

    Freezing the baked biscuits – cool the biscuits completely after baking and place them in a freezer bag or airtight container. They will last up to 1 month. When you are ready to serve, allow the cookies to reach room temperature.

    Homemade Biscoff Biscuits (Speculoos Cookies) Recipe - The Gourmet Larder (4)
    Homemade Biscoff Biscuits (Speculoos Cookies) Recipe - The Gourmet Larder (5)

    © THE GOURMET LARDER. All images and content are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe, please do so using the share buttons provided. Please do not republish the recipe or its content in full instead, include a link to this post for the recipe. Further information can be found in my FAQ’s.

    TOOLS YOU’LL NEED

    Here is some kitchen equipment that I use and recommend for this recipe.

    I like the sturdiness of this bowl and its 4 litre capacity means I can use it for mixing just about everything in the kitchen. It is also microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe.

    These different size mixing bowls are really useful depending on the amount of food you are preparing. They also have airtight lids that fit snugly to seal and keep food fresh, so this set can be used as dry storage bowls with lids on. The plastic lid of the largest bowl has a removable centre. Where one of 3 graters can be used.

    I do own a plastic mixing bowl but I am personally not a big fan of them. These 3 bowls are on the smaller size but good for the odd cake making.

    I love this rolling pin, its variable guide rings make rolling out biscuit doughs, pizzas, or flat breads so much easier!

    I love using these baking mats. They stop everything sticking to the baking tray and are really easy to clean.

    This tray is ideal for smaller bakes. sometimes I don’t always want to use my main baking tray that came with my oven as it is so big. This one is just the right size and I can use the silicone baking mat on it.

    The Gourmet Larder is an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    TIP: I highly recommend using metric measurements and a digital kitchen scale, rather than cup measurements. If you have ever ended up with dry, dense or crumbly baked goods, it might be because of inaccurate volume measurements, not all measuring cups are made equally. All my recipes on this blog are carefully developed so that you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success, using metric measurements. It is also a lot easier, less messy and you will get far better, consistent results. 🙂
    If you are interested in understanding conversions, here you will find the best conversion chart.

    RECIPE TIPS

    Use room temperature ingredients – this is really important; it makes it easier to work with and allows the ingredients to emulsify properly.

    Avoid over baking the biscuits – by keeping an eye on them towards the end of the baking time.All ovens are different and Biscoff are fairly thin and can easily get too dark or burn.

    The dough should be sticky – avoid adding more flour to the recipe unless it’s really necessary. In method one for rolling out the dough we use parchment paper and allow time for the dough to rest in the freezer/fridge to firm up. In method two more flour is used to roll out the pastry but expect the biscuits to be harder.

    Stay in touch with me through social media onFacebook,Pinterest, Twitter and Instagramfor all of the latest updates!

    Homemade Biscoff Biscuits (Speculoos Cookies) Recipe - The Gourmet Larder (6)

    Homemade Biscoff biscuits (AKA Belgian Speculoos cookies)

    Preparation:13 minutes minutes

    Baking:12 minutes minutes

    Chilling:15 minutes minutes

    Total:40 minutes minutes

    Servings: 25 biscuits

    These homemade Biscoff biscuits (AKA Belgian Speculoos cookies) are gently spiced with a mix of aromatic warm spices, filling your home with the most amazing baking smells while they bake. Totally addictive and simple to make, you'll be wanting to bake them again and again!

    Print Pin

    INGREDIENTS LIST

    • 75 g butter
    • 100 g light brown sugar (preferably Belgian sugar which comes frombeets not cane sugar)
    • ½ medium egg (only half the egg = 30g )
    • 2 tsp ground cinnamon (ceylon)
    • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
    • ¼ tsp ground cloves
    • ¼ tsp ground cardamom
    • ¼ pinch fine sea salt
    • ½ tsp baking powder
    • 125 g plain flour (all-purpose)

    Preparation

    • In a food processor or large mixing bowl, mix the sugar with the butter until creamy and smooth.

    • Add the egg and mix again, then add the remaining ingredients and mix until the dough comes together. Avoid over mixing as it will cause the dough to become tough. Form a ball with the dough.

    • Rolling: You can use one of two methods for rolling the dough out. Method one is using 2 sheets of parchment paper, the second is using flour on your kitchen worksurface. The latter is easier but means that your dough absorbs more flour and the biscuits become slightly harder.

    • Rolling method one: Draw a 24 x 24 cm (10" x 10") square on a sheet of parchment paper. Mark every 3 cm along one side, and then mark every 6 cm along the other. Flip over so the pencil side isn't touching the dough.

      Tip the dough onto the sheet of parchment and flatten slightly. Place another sheet of parchment over the top of the dough. Now roll the dough out to fit the square using a rolling pin.

      Place in the freezer for 15 minutes or the fridge for 45 minutes. This will help the dough firm up so that it is easier to work with and cut out.

    • Rolling method two: Form a ball with your dough and place it onto a clean worksurface, dusted with flower. Dust the top of the dough and a rolling pin with some flour, then roll the dough into a rectangular shape, to a thickness of 4 mm (3/16"). If necessary, use an offset spatula to slide under the dough to loosen it from the work surface.

    • Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / 350°F / Gas 4. Line a baking tray with baking/parchment paper or a silicone mat.

    • Cutting: With a fluted pastry wheel, cut the dough into rectangles, using the markings you made earlier or cutting the dough into 3 x 6 cm strips. Transfer to your prepared baking tray, leaving 2 cm (1") between each piece to account for spread.

    • Baking: Place the tray in the centre of the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the biscuits are lightly browned at the edges.

    • Leave for 5 minutes on the tray, then transfer them to a wire rack and leave them to cool.

    Notes & Tips

    This recipe is almost a perfect copy of the original Biscoff, but does depend on having some specific ingredient types. These biscuits will still taste fantastic if you don’t have those ingredients at hand, but they will not be exactly the same as the original.

    Homemade Biscoff Biscuits (Speculoos Cookies) Recipe - The Gourmet Larder (7)

    KEYWORDS biscuit and cookie recipes, christmas recipes, easy recipe

    Homemade Biscoff Biscuits (Speculoos Cookies) Recipe - The Gourmet Larder (8)

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    PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW IT TURNED OUT FOR YOU!

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    Homemade Biscoff Biscuits (Speculoos Cookies) Recipe - The Gourmet Larder (2024)

    FAQs

    What is the difference between Biscoff cookies and speculoos cookies? ›

    In summary. In the world of spiced cookies, Biscoff and Speculaas hold a notable place, each with their own unique characteristics. Speculaas offers a distinct cinnamony spice blend with a crisp texture, while Biscoff delights with a caramelized sweetness and a crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth sensation.

    How to make speculoos biscuits? ›

    Method
    1. Mix the flour, sugar, a pinch of salt, the baking powder and spice in a bowl. Add 50ml of milk and the butter. ...
    2. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line 2-3 baking sheets with baking parchment. ...
    3. Trim any almonds sticking out of the edges of the speculoos to neaten them. Store in an airtight container.
    Dec 4, 2022

    What are the ingredients in Biscoff cookies? ›

    Ingredients. Wheat Flour, Sugar, Vegetable Oils (Contains one or more of Soybean Oil, Sunflower Oil, Canola Oil, Palm Oil), Brown Sugar Syrup, Sodium Bicarbonate (Leavening), Soy Flour, Salt, Cinnamon. * The allergen is not present in the recipe of this product but is present in the company where this product is made.

    What are the ingredients in Biscoff speculoos spread? ›

    - Ingredients: Original caramelised biscuits (wheat flour, sugars (sugar, brown sugar, sugar syrup), vegetable oils (palm oil, canola oil, sodium carbonate, soy flour, salt cinnamon), canola oil, sugar, soy lecithin, citric acid.

    Why are Biscoff biscuits so expensive? ›

    Lotus Bakeries stresses that the price increases over the past two years were always aligned with actual costs, and were unavoidable due to unprecedented increases for raw materials, packaging, transport and wages, among others.

    What is the closest biscuit to Biscoff? ›

    If you want to replace Biscoff cookies biscuits, try other spiced speculoos biscuits or other biscuits that have caramel taste or brown sugar in the ingredient.

    What is the new name for speculoos? ›

    But while it's been known as speculoos in Belgium since its invention, when Lotus took the brand to international markets in the 1990s, it abandoned its native name. Instead, it gave it the name Biscoff — a portmanteau of “biscuit” and “coffee” — easier to say for an international audience.

    Are homemade biscuits better with butter or shortening? ›

    The butter version rises the highest — look at those flaky layers! The shortening biscuit is slightly shorter and a bit drier, too. Butter contains a bit of water, which helps create steam and gives baked goods a boost.

    What is speculoos in English? ›

    Noun. speculoos (countable and uncountable, plural speculoos) A type of spiced shortcrust biscuit. In particular, the Belgian version of this biscuit, as contrasted with a Dutch speculaas or German Spekulatius. A type of spread made with the biscuit.

    Why are Biscoff cookies so addictive? ›

    “The mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves makes it quite a tasty treat, and because they are so small it's very easy to eat more than a few of the smaller versions easily.” Because of its association with flying, the Biscoff cookie can also lock into the sensory memory.

    What country is Biscoff made in? ›

    Historically Biscoff was produced (and continues to be produced) in Lembeke, Belgium.

    What is the main Flavour of Biscoff cookies? ›

    Biscoff Cookies tastes like a sweet and delectable biscuit with hints of cinnamon, buttery richness, and caramel notes. They are thin and crispy, with a delightful caramelization on the surface. Biscoff Spread is a great accompaniment that can be enjoyed on toast or as a standalone snack.

    What is the difference between Biscoff and speculoos cookies? ›

    Speculoos, the cookie family to which Biscoff belong, are often described as a type of gingerbread, but that's a little misleading. Aside from their use of caramel sugar, speculoos don't have quite the same bite; their spice blend tends toward aroma rather than heat.

    What are the ingredients in Lotus original speculoos? ›

    Original Speculoos 58% (wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oils (palm*, turnip), candy syrup, raising agent (sodium hydrogen carbonate), soy flour, salt, cinnamon), rapeseed oil, sugar, emulsifier (lecithins (soy )), food acid (citric acid) .

    What are the ingredients in Royal speculoos biscuits? ›

    Ingredients - WHEAT flour, sugar, vegetable oils and fats (palm, colza), candy syrup, raising agent (sodium bicarbonate), salt, cinnamon.

    Why is speculoos called Biscoff? ›

    But while it's been known as speculoos in Belgium since its invention, when Lotus took the brand to international markets in the 1990s, it abandoned its native name. Instead, it gave it the name Biscoff — a portmanteau of “biscuit” and “coffee” — easier to say for an international audience.

    What is another name for Biscoff cookies? ›

    Based in Lembeke, Kaprijke, the company's best known product is Speculoos (known as Biscoff in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia). Other Lotus brands include nākd, TREK, BEAR, Kiddylicious, Peter's Yard, Dinosaurus, Peijnenburg and Annas.

    Why are speculoos cookies so good? ›

    While speculoos, and its slightly spicy flavor (ingredients include cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, and ginger), tickles many a Belgian adult's nostalgic tendencies, the shortbread biscuit is more than ever a thing of the present.

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