If you want to bake small, firm kruidnoten at home, use speculaas spice mix in your dough. A speculaas baking mix is intended for speculaas biscuits, so it won’t necessarily work for kruidnoten. If you’re looking for something to add to a dessert, choose the product type you need: biscuits to crumble, filled speculaas to serve, or a spreadable paste for a topping. Always check the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging.
You want to decide for yourself what goes into the dough and how much speculaas spice to use. According to Albert Heijn Allerhande, kruidnoten are smaller and harder than pepernoten and are flavoured with speculaas spices.
You’re after biscuits to crumble or filled speculaas to serve alongside kruidnoten. Decide whether you want a crisp biscuit, almonds or a filling; these product types aren’t interchangeable.
You need to be able to check that your chosen option is suitable for you. Read the ingredients list and allergen information on the packaging of the specific product, especially if it contains wheat, milk or nuts.
First decide whether you’re making dough for kruidnoten or adding ready-made biscuits or a spread to a dessert. Then compare only products whose format and ingredients suit the way you plan to use them.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Baking kruidnoten from scratch | Choose individual speculaas spices for your dough. If you’re buying a baking mix, check what it’s intended for and what you need to add yourself. | If I want to shape small kruidnoten, I want to choose the spices and make the dough myself. This level of control is the top priority for around 42% of consumers. |
| Using speculaas in a dessert | Check whether the biscuit you choose contains butter, almonds or a filling if you’re looking for that particular finish; a ready-made biscuit isn’t a kruidnoten baking mix. | For a dessert, I want to choose a speculaas component that suits the layer or presentation I’m creating. This finishing touch is the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| A component that’s ready to use | Choose biscuits for crumbs or a spread for a smooth topping; check the ingredients of your chosen option too. | I want to add a topping or biscuit component without making new dough. Convenience is the top priority for around 25% of consumers making this choice. |
If you’re after small, firm biscuits flavoured with speculaas spices, you’re looking for kruidnoten. Albert Heijn Allerhande distinguishes them from softer pepernoten, which have a different shape.
Choose a kruidnoten recipe if you want to shape and bake these small biscuits yourself.
Ingredients vary between biscuits, fillings and mixes. For example, Jumbo lists wheat flour and ingredients that you need to add yourself in its speculaas mix.
Always read the current ingredients list and allergen information on the exact packaging you’re buying.
A smooth spread serves a different purpose from biscuits you can crumble, and neither is dough for kruidnoten.
Before you buy, decide whether you need dough, biscuits, filled speculaas or a spreadable topping.
Biscuits and speculoos spread to use as separate dessert components, rather than as raw kruidnoten dough.
Albert Heijn features recipes for kruidnoten and a range of ready-made speculaas products.
Jumbo sells a speculaas baking mix and has recipes for filled speculaas; these are different from baking kruidnoten.
ALDI features filled speculaas with almonds and almond paste, as well as spreadable speculoos options.
Lidl offers FAVORINA pepernoten and kruidnoten as ready-made seasonal biscuits.
These biscuits and spreads are options for adding a speculaas component when serving or making a dessert with kruidnoten. If you want to shape and bake kruidnoten yourself, you’ll need a suitable dough recipe.
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A ready-made speculaas biscuit to serve or crumble, rather than an option when you need kruidnoten dough.
Almond variety; 400 g pack. Check the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging.
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Biscuits to use as a ready-made component or crumble for a dessert; they’re not a substitute for dough for homemade kruidnoten.
250 g pack. Lotus Bakeries says Biscoff biscuits can be used as an ingredient in cooking.
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A spreadable option if you want to finish a dessert with speculoos spread rather than biscuit crumbs.
400 g pack. Don’t use the spread as a substitute for kruidnoten dough.
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A spreadable speculoos component for a topping, rather than loose biscuit crumbs or kruidnoten dough.
Crunchy variety in a 700 g pack. Check the ingredients and allergens on the label.
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A spreadable speculaas option if you’re after a paste rather than biscuits or dough.
400 g pack. Check the instructions for use and current label to make sure it suits your plans.
Kruidnoten are the smaller, harder biscuits flavoured with speculaas spices. Albert Heijn Allerhande distinguishes them from softer pepernoten. So, choose a kruidnoten recipe if you want to bake the small biscuits yourself.
No, not if you want to shape and bake kruidnoten yourself. You can use ready-made biscuits as a crumble or dessert component. A speculaas baking mix is for making fresh dough, but check what type of bake the mix is intended for.
Read the ingredients list and allergen information on the current packaging of the product you’ve chosen. For a baking mix, check the ingredients you still need to add yourself too; the label on another type of speculaas won’t tell you what’s in your product.
Follow the storage advice on your product’s packaging. For its butter speculaas, Albert Heijn recommends storing it in a cool, dark, dry place and keeping it in a sealed tin after opening. Check whether different instructions apply to your product.
