In early December, the smell of cinnamon and cloves drifting from the oven means St Nicholas is on his way. In Belgium, northern France, the Netherlands and Germany, speculoos are one of those biscuits families bake together before tucking them away in a biscuit tin. Making them yourself is easier than it looks: a shortbread-style dough, brown sugar, well-balanced spices and a night’s rest are all it takes.
For the spices, this recipe uses Pure Tea’s Banana Spéculoos. The blend brings together banana, date and eight spices: nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, cloves, allspice and fennel. No need to line up eight jars on the worktop: the powder delivers the classic speculoos spice profile, with a fruity hint of banana on top. Here’s the step-by-step method for around thirty biscuits.
Speculoos, the St Nicholas biscuit
Speculoos are dry, crunchy biscuits, coloured by brown sugar and fragrant with spices. The tradition is tied to St Nicholas’ Day, celebrated on 6 December in Belgium, northern and eastern France, the Netherlands and parts of Germany. The biscuits were often pressed into carved wooden moulds depicting the saint, animals or windmills.
The biscuit goes by a different name depending on the country: speculaas in the Netherlands, Spekulatius in Germany, speculoos in Belgium and France. Where the word comes from is still debated, and several theories exist side by side. One thing is certain: these spices from faraway lands, expensive for centuries, turned the biscuit into a festive treat. If the story of spiced biscuits interests you, read our article on the history of gingerbread in Europe.
Ingredients for around thirty speculoos
- 250 g plain flour;
- 125 g unsalted butter, softened;
- 120 g dark brown soft sugar (or light brown sugar);
- 1 egg;
- 15 g Pure Tea Banana Spéculoos powder, just under a third of a 50 g pouch;
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda;
- 1 pinch of salt;
- optional: 1 tablespoon of milk if the dough crumbles.
Timing: 20 minutes’ prep, at least 2 hours chilling (ideally overnight), 12 to 15 minutes’ baking per tray. Weigh the powder rather than measuring it by the spoonful: in a biscuit recipe, a few grams make a real difference to the intensity.
Dark brown soft sugar is the traditional sugar for speculoos: it gives the biscuits their amber colour and caramel notes. We use 120 g, a moderate amount for this kind of recipe. Banana Spéculoos powder itself has no added sugar, but the biscuit is still a sweet treat.
Homemade speculoos recipe, step by step
1. Cream the butter and sugar
In a mixing bowl, beat the soft butter with the sugar using a spatula or an electric whisk for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth and slightly creamy. Add the egg and mix again.
2. Add the dry ingredients
In a second bowl, mix the flour, Banana Spéculoos powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Sift if you can: the spices spread more evenly and you avoid little clumps. Tip this mixture onto the butter mixture and work it in without overmixing, until it comes together into a ball. If the dough is still sandy, add the spoonful of milk.
3. Rest the dough
Flatten the ball into a disc, wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Overnight is even better: the dough firms up, rolls out more easily and the spices have time to infuse the butter with their aroma.
4. Roll out and cut
Preheat the oven to 170 °C (160 °C fan). Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper to 3–4 mm thick. Cut rectangles with a knife or use cookie cutters; if you have a speculoos mould, dust it lightly with flour before pressing the dough into it. Place the biscuits on a tray lined with baking paper, leaving a little space between them.
5. Bake and cool
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are nicely golden. The time depends on the thickness and on your oven, so keep an eye on the first tray. Straight out of the oven, the biscuits are still soft. Leave them to cool on a wire rack: they crisp up as they cool.
What do these speculoos taste like?
These speculoos aren’t trying to copy a shop-bought biscuit. The spices come through clearly, but the banana and date in the blend add a rounded fruitiness, a bit like a crunchy banana bread. During baking, the banana note becomes more subtle than in a latte, letting the cinnamon, ginger and cloves shine.
For a bolder flavour, go up to 20 g of powder in your next batch. For a spicier, less fruity biscuit, replace half the Banana Spéculoos with Gingerbread Latte, which pairs date with eight spices and no banana. Our Gingerbread vs Pumpkin vs Speculoos comparison explains how the flavour profiles of these blends differ.
Mistakes that stop speculoos from turning crunchy
Skipping the resting time
Dough that’s still warm sticks to the rolling pin and spreads in the oven. Chilling is the key to neat, even biscuits.
Rolling the dough too thick
Thicker than 5 mm, the centre stays soft. For a proper crunch, aim for 3–4 mm and an even thickness across the whole tray.
Taking the biscuits out too early
Barely coloured edges mean a soft biscuit once cooled. Wait for a lovely golden colour all around the edge.
Leaving them out in the open
Speculoos soak up moisture. Once completely cool, store them in an airtight biscuit tin: they keep for about two weeks.
Variations: vegan, gluten-free and festive ideas
Vegan version: swap the butter for the same weight of plant-based baking block and the egg for 3 tablespoons of plant-based milk. The dough will be a little more fragile, so chilling becomes essential.
Gluten-free version: Banana Spéculoos powder is gluten-free, but wheat flour isn’t. Use a gluten-free flour blend designed for baking and check the label of every ingredient.
As a gift: slip ten or so biscuits into a clear bag tied with a ribbon, along with a pouch of Banana Spéculoos so the treat carries on as a drink. For more seasonal spiced ideas, browse the Fruity Latte collection.
The perfect pairing: speculoos and a spiced latte
Speculoos are made for dunking in a hot drink. With the same powder, make a latte: mix 1 to 2 teaspoons of Banana Spéculoos into a smooth paste with a splash of liquid, then top up with 150–200 ml of milk heated to 65–70 °C at most, without letting it boil. All our tips are in the recipe for homemade speculoos latte, hot or iced.
For a gentler winter treat, Pumpkin Spice Latte also goes beautifully with these biscuits. And if you love the taste of coffee without the caffeine, try a barley coffee alongside your plate of speculoos.
Good to know about Banana Spéculoos powder
Banana Spéculoos is a 100% natural powder with no added sugar, no artificial flavourings, no colourings or preservatives, caffeine-free, vegan, gluten-free and made in France. It comes in a resealable 50 g pouch. The powder is packed in a facility that also handles nuts, milk and gluten. The biscuit recipe above also contains gluten (wheat flour), milk (butter) and egg, so bear this in mind according to your needs.
Homemade speculoos FAQ
Which spices go into homemade speculoos?
Speculoos traditionally combine cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cardamom, coriander, allspice and sometimes fennel. Pure Tea’s Banana Spéculoos brings these eight spices together with banana and date: 15 g is enough for around thirty biscuits.
Why rest speculoos dough?
Chilling firms up the butter, which makes the dough easier to roll out and stops the biscuits spreading in the oven. It also gives the spices time to flavour the dough. Allow at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
How do you make speculoos really crunchy?
Roll the dough out to 3–4 mm, bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 170 °C until the edges are golden, then leave to cool on a wire rack. Store them in an airtight tin.
Can you make speculoos without egg or butter?
Yes: replace the butter with a plant-based baking block and the egg with 3 tablespoons of plant-based milk. The dough is more fragile, so keep it well chilled before rolling it out.
How long do homemade speculoos keep?
About two weeks in an airtight biscuit tin, away from heat and moisture, once the biscuits have cooled completely.
