Speculoos (Biscoff Cookie Butter) Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

  • Briefly cooking the cookie crumbs in water dissolves their sugar, for an ultra-creamy base.
  • Refined coconut oil is odorless, flavorless, and solid at room temperature, giving the cookie paste a thick and firm consistency, like peanut butter.
  • The volume of water and refined coconut oil dilutes the sweetness of the cookies, but a bit of golden syrup brings the flavor back into balance.

When I think of Belgian cuisine, I'm left with an overwhelming impression of elegance and sophistication—Liège waffles,moules-frites, and blonde ale come to mind.Speculoos, too—those crispy, caramelized cookies made famous by the Biscoff brand.

Speculoos (Biscoff Cookie Butter) Recipe (1)

So I was shocked to discover that cookie butter, a dessert spread made from puréed Biscoff crumbs, isn't a cheap American marketing trend, but rather a true Belgian innovation. What's more, cookie butter is a key ingredient in all sorts of proper pastries as well, used in European bakeries the way ours rely on peanut butter. It makes a lot of sense, if you think about it: cookie butter is everything we love about speculoos in general (or Biscoff in particular) in spreadable form. It's spicy and rich, with a deep caramel flavor and the toastiness of freshly baked cookies, but with a creamy, buttery consistency.

Cookie butter is readily available wherever Biscoff are sold, and you can buy similar versions from brands like Roland and Trader Joe's. But, as with most anything, there's something special about making cookie butter entirely from scratch (and it's a heckuva lot cheaper, too).

If you've been tempted to try a batch of my homemade Biscoff for yourself, cookie butter is also a fun way to use up the scrap pieces left over after rolling and cutting the dough.

Speculoos (Biscoff Cookie Butter) Recipe (2)

Of course, it's totally fine to start off with a package of real Biscoff instead. The recipe works well either way, so don't overthink it.

How to Make Cookie Butter

Regardless of how you go about obtaining the crumbs, mix them with an equal amount of water (by weight) in a stainless steel saucier, along with a drizzle of golden syrup to add back some of the caramel sweetness that would otherwise be lost in dilution.

At first, the mixture will be a little gritty from the brun foncé or toasted sugar in the speculoos. But after a few minutes over medium heat, the sugar will dissolve. (You can rub a pinch between your fingers to check.)

Pour the sauce-like mixture into a tall, narrow container, and allow it to cool until the steam subsides, about five minutes. Add a bit of refined coconut oil (roughly 50% of the mixture by weight), and process with animmersion blenderuntil silky-smooth. While the mixture is still warm and fluid, pour it into a glass jar.

Using an immersion blender emulsifies the crumbs and water into a rich and silky paste, obliterating any lingering crumbs and slightly aerating the mixture as well. By offsetting the natural density of the oil, aeration prevents the cookie butter from feeling greasy on the tongue.

Cover the jar and refrigerate until the mixture is cold and hard, about two hours, then let the cookie butter stand at cool room temperature until glossy and soft.

The Best Temperature for Enjoying Homemade Cookie Butter

Because its consistency is governed by coconut oil, which melts at 75°F (24°C) and grows increasingly hard as it cools below 69°F (21°C), cookie butter has the best consistency when it's between 70 and 74°F (21 and 23°C).

Speculoos (Biscoff Cookie Butter) Recipe (4)

Above that range, the cookie butter will begin to melt, breaking the emulsion and allowing a greasy layer of coconut oil to rise to the top. Below that range, the coconut oil in the cookie butter will be too cold and hard, making the "butter" impossible to spread and resistant to melting on your tongue, where it will sit like a waxy lump. But when it's in the zone, homemade cookie butter will have a consistency like creamy peanut butter—wonderfully thick and spreadably smooth.

Speculoos (Biscoff Cookie Butter) Recipe (5)

You can store and serve homemade cookie butter at room temperature for much of the year, but you'll need to take some precautions when your kitchen gets especially hot or cold. In warmer months, you may need to keep it in the fridge, then allow the cookie butter to soften at room temperature prior to use. In colder months, it may need to be set in a warm place until spreadably soft. But the same is true for the plain ol' butter we spread on toast, so that's not really such a big deal, is it?

Besides, a little mindfulness is a small price to pay for easy access to a cheap, delicious, and totally homemade alternative to pricey store-bought cookie butter. Whether you love it as a dip for fresh apples, a cinnamon-spiced addition toFrench toast, or the secret ingredient in holiday bourbon balls, next time you get a craving for cookie butter, try making it yourself.

October 2017

Recipe Details

Speculoos (Biscoff Cookie Butter)

Prep5 mins

Cook5 mins

Active10 mins

Chilling Time2 hrs

Total2 hrs 10 mins

Serves8 servings

Makes1 heaping cup

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 ounces finely ground speculoos crumbs (about 3/4 cup; 100g), store-bought or homemade

  • 3 1/2 ounces water (about 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon; 100g)

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 ounce golden syrup (about 2 tablespoons; 30g), such as Lyle's (see note)

  • 3 ounces refined coconut oil (about 1/2 cup; 85g), solid but not cold, between 70 and 74°F (21 and 23°C)

Directions

  1. Combine cookie crumbs, water, cinnamon, and golden syrup in a 2-quart stainless steel saucier. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until crumbs have dissolved and mixture feels smooth between your fingertips, about 90 seconds. Remove from heat and transfer to a tall, narrow container, stirring occasionally until the steam subsides, about 5 minutes. Add solid coconut oil and process with an immersion blender until hom*ogeneous and smooth.

    Speculoos (Biscoff Cookie Butter) Recipe (6)

  2. Transfer to a glass jar (the cookie butter will readily absorb odors from used plastic containers), seal to prevent moisture loss, and refrigerate to re-solidify the coconut oil, about 2 hours. From there, store and serve at cool room temperature as a spread or dessert topping.

    Speculoos (Biscoff Cookie Butter) Recipe (7)

Special Equipment

2-quart stainless steel saucier, flexible spatula, immersion blender, glass jar

Notes

If your grocery doesn't stock golden syrup alongside maple syrup and molasses, plain corn syrup will get the job done. The results won't taste quite as caramelly, but it's not a make-or-break ingredient.

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Speculoos (Biscoff Cookie Butter) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is Biscoff cookie butter the same as speculoos? ›

Spread or paste

Spreads made from crushed Speculoos biscuits went into production by three separate companies and become popular. By 2007, several Belgian companies began marketing a speculoos paste, now available worldwide under various brands and names: as Speculla, Cookie Butter, and Biscoff Spread.

What is a substitute for speculoos cookie butter? ›

With our easy recipe for Cookie Butter (pictured above), you can whip up homemade cookie butter in 20 minutes. Instead of Belgian speculoos, we use a mix of readily available cookies including gingersnaps, graham crackers and shortbread.

What does not enough butter do to cookies? ›

Butter is an emulsifier and it makes cookies tender. It also adds in the crispy-around-the-edges element. Adding too much butter can cause the cookies to be flat and greasy. Adding too little butter can cause the cookies to be tough and crumbly.

What are the ingredients in Biscoff speculoos spread? ›

Ingredients and allergens: Original caramelised biscuits 58% (wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oils (palm oil from sustainable and certified plantations, rapeseed oil), candy sugar syrup, raising agent (sodium hydrogen carbonate), soya flour, salt, cinnamon), rapeseed oil, sugar, emulsifier ( soya lecithin), acid (citric ...

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.

Does Trader Joe's cookie butter taste like Biscoff? ›

It's true that Biscoff's and TJ's versions are not identical. TJ's spread, which topped the store's 2012 list of most popular products, has a slightly granular texture and more of a gingerbread flavor, while the Biscoff spread has a sweeter, richer taste.

Does Biscoff cookie butter need to be refrigerated after opening? ›

You can store and serve homemade cookie butter at room temperature for much of the year, but you'll need to take some precautions when your kitchen gets especially hot or cold. In warmer months, you may need to keep it in the fridge, then allow the cookie butter to soften at room temperature prior to use.

What is speculoos butter made of? ›

Cookie butter (Dutch: speculoospasta, Danish: trøffelmasse) is a food paste made primarily from speculoos cookie crumbs, fat (such as vegetable oil, condensed milk or butter), flour, and sugar. The ingredients are mixed until it becomes spreadable on a sandwich.

How to thin out Biscoff spread? ›

Tip – if using the Biscoff spread you can thin it out a little with some water to get a smoother drizzle.

Is it better to use shortening or butter in cookies? ›

Which One Should I Use in Cookies? Basically, cookies made with butter spread more and are flatter and crisper if baked long enough. However, they are more flavorful than cookies made with shortening. Cookies made with shortening bake up taller and are more tender, but aren't as flavorful.

What happens if I put too much butter in cookies? ›

Too much butter makes cookies turn out just as you'd expect: very buttery. This batch of cookies was cakey in the middle, but also airy throughout, with crispy edges. They were yellow and slightly puffy in the middle, and brown and super thin around the perimeter.

Is Biscoff cookie butter the same as Biscoff spread? ›

I am happy to report they are in fact the same thing. As Lotus Biscoff explains on their website, Biscoff cookie butter was originally invented because Belgian people kept eating the cookies on bread, as if it were already a spread.

What is the difference between Biscoff and Speculoos? ›

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.

Does Biscoff cookie butter expire? ›

When does cookie butter expire? Unopened cookie butter can last up to a year in your pantry, so long as it is stored in a cool, dry place. Once you crack the jar open, cookie butter is generally good for about two to three months.

Why is Lotus Biscoff called speculoos? ›

The word 'Speculoos' supposedly derives from the Latin speculum (mirror): it is the mirror image of the wooden mould in which it has been made. But what once was a Belgian and Dutch speciality saved for Sinterklaas has now become a global sensation with manufacturers shipping the biscuits worldwide.

What is Biscoff cookie butter called? ›

Speculoos (Biscoff Cookie Butter)

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.

Is Lotus a speculoos? ›

Lotus Bakeries NV is a Belgian multinational snack food company founded in 1932. 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).

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