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EveryMasala

Sweet and baking blends

Speculaas spice (speculoos)

The Dutch and Belgian biscuit blend of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and white pepper.

Speculaas is a spiced shortcrust biscuit of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, traditionally baked for St Nicholas on 5 and 6 December. The spice blend, called speculaaskruiden, is a mixture of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, white pepper and sometimes mace and cardamom.

What goes in

Cinnamon: 43%43%Clove: 14%14%Nutmeg: 14%14%Ginger: 14%14%White pepper: 7%Cardamom: 7%14parts

Parts by volume of the whole spice. The ring shows each part's share.

Made step by step

Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Ratios and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional-style way.

  1. Step 1: Grind Grind the clove, cardamom and pepper finely.
  2. Step 2: Grind Grate the nutmeg.
  3. Step 3: Blend Mix with cinnamon and ginger.
  4. Step 4: Blend Sift the blend into the flour for dough.
  5. Step 5: Rest Rest the dough overnight so the spices flavour it.
  6. Step 6: Store Keep the extra spice in a jar.
  7. Cinnamon: 43%43%Clove: 14%14%Nutmeg: 14%14%Ginger: 14%14%White pepper: 7%Cardamom: 7%
    Finished Speculaas spice (speculoos), by share.

Trade link

The use of these spices in northern Europe is often linked to Dutch trade with the East Indies. Biscuits were stamped with wooden moulds showing scenes and figures.

Use

Besides biscuits, the blend flavours spreads, cakes, ice cream and speculaas-spiced milk. Brands vary in cinnamon strength.

Where it is used

Speculaas biscuitsSpiced cakeSpreadsIce cream

The spices in it

CinnamonBase.ClovePungent.NutmegRich.GingerThe pungent rhizome of a flowering plant, widely used as a spice and folk medicine.Black pepperThe dried fruit of a climbing vine, the world's most traded spice.CardamomAromatic seeds from spindle-shaped pods used in sweet and savory dishes across Asia and the Middle East.

More on EveryMasala

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Sources and further reading

About this page

Original text and drawings by the EveryMasala desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are an illustrative, traditional-style ratio, not a standard: every family and maker blends differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly digest

Every Monday: seven spices you may not know, what is cooking this week, and one blend explained step by step.