Home bakers looking for a decorative finish
Want to add almonds, almond paste or a coarse topping to your tart? Albert Heijn distinguishes between almond speculaas topped with flaked almonds and filled speculaas made with almond paste.
Which type is right for you?
Bakers adding speculaas to a dessert
For a spreadable layer, consider speculoos spread; for distinct pieces, chop up biscuits. Lotus Bakeries describes Biscoff spread as a dessert ingredient, while Lidl uses chopped speculoos in a muffin recipe.
Home bakers who need to check ingredients
If your recipe or an allergy limits your options, check the packaging of the exact product. The almond speculaas and filled speculaas described by Albert Heijn have different ingredients.
What should you look for when choosing?
Almond or filled speculaas
Choose this for: a visible almond topping or a filled layer.
Bear in mind: flaked almonds and almond paste create different textures. Check the allergens for your chosen product, too.
Speculaas biscuits
Choose this for: crumbs, a base or distinct pieces in your mixture.
Bear in mind: biscuit pieces won’t make a smooth layer. Store them somewhere dry if you want to crumble them later.
Speculoos spread
Choose this for: a spreadable speculoos element in a filling or dessert layer.
Bear in mind: crunchy varieties contain pieces, so choose a smooth one if you’d rather not have them.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Decorative finish | Compare almond speculaas with filled speculaas. Albert Heijn lists 7,1% flaked almonds in its Almond Speculaas and 46% almond paste in its Filled Speculaas with Almond Paste. | If I want the almonds or a filled layer to be visible, I don’t want to pick an ordinary biscuit without checking. Around 31% of consumers put this finish first. |
| Spreadable texture | Choose deliberately between smooth and crunchy speculoos spread. Lotus Bakeries describes both Biscoff spread varieties as dessert ingredients. | If I want a filling I can spread, I look for spread rather than loose biscuits. Around 23% of consumers prioritise this texture. |
| Crumbs and pieces | Decide whether you want to chop or crumble the biscuits, or use them as a decorative topping. Store any leftovers somewhere dry in a tightly sealed container. | I want to be able to add pieces to my cake or crumbs to my tart. This biscuit texture is the main priority for around 23% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients list and allergen information on the packaging of the exact product, even if you’ve already looked at its details online. | If an ingredient doesn’t suit my recipe or allergy, the packaging tells me which speculaas I can use. Around 23% of consumers put these checks first. |
Common mistakes
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Confusing almond speculaas with filled speculaas
The Almond Speculaas described by Albert Heijn contains 7,1% flaked almonds; its Filled Speculaas with Almond Paste contains 46% almond paste. They’re different options for a topping or layer.
Before you buy, decide whether you want almond pieces in a biscuit or a layer of filled speculaas.
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Relying on the product name alone if you have allergies
Ingredients vary between products. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergens which must be declared should be clearly distinguished in the ingredients list.
Check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging of the product you’re actually using.
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Buying spread when you want biscuit pieces
Speculoos spread is smooth and spreadable, while chopped biscuits give you distinct pieces. For example, Lidl uses chopped speculoos in muffin mixture.
Choose biscuits for pieces or crumbs; choose spread when you want a spreadable dessert ingredient.
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Not sealing opened biscuits properly
Biscuits that have gone soft are less suitable if you want dry crumbs or a crisp decoration.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends storing speculaas in a cool, dry, dark place in a tightly sealed container.
Brands to consider
Lotus Biscoff
Biscuits and speculoos spread in the same product range, for anyone choosing between pieces and a spreadable ingredient for a dessert.
- Lotus Bakeries describes a smooth and a crunchy spread variety as dessert ingredients.
- The crunchy variety contains pieces, so check which texture your recipe needs.
Albert Heijn
A range of speculaas options, including almond speculaas and filled speculaas with almond paste.
- Product information distinguishes between 7,1% flaked almonds in AH Almond Speculaas and 46% almond paste in AH Filled Speculaas with Almond Paste.
- Check the ingredients and allergens on the current packaging for each product.
Jumbo
Own-brand speculoos spread in regular and crunchy varieties, alongside Lotus Biscoff spread.
- The range gives you the choice of spread with or without crunchy pieces.
- Don’t assume own-brand and Lotus products have the same ingredients, flavour or baking results.
ALDI
Sam Speculoos Pasta in Creamy and Crunchy varieties, plus Biscotto Bakers’ Speculaas as a separate biscuit option.
- ALDI lists Biscotto Bakers’ Speculaas in a 600 g pack containing 48 biscuits.
- Check your local store’s range before setting out to buy a particular variety.
Lidl
Bakers’ speculaas biscuits; a Lidl recipe uses chopped speculoos in muffins.
- The muffin recipe shows how to mix chopped biscuits into your batter.
- Lidl lists its 600 g Bakers’ Speculaas as an in-store-only item.
Speculaas and speculoos spread at Joybuy
These products include biscuits for crumbs or pieces, almond speculaas for a visible addition, and speculoos spread for a spreadable dessert ingredient. Choose the type that suits your recipe, and check the packaging if ingredients or allergens are important to you.
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Lotus Biscoff Spread, 400 g
A spreadable option for a dessert layer or filling. Joybuy’s product information for this Lotus Biscoff spread lists 58% speculoos; check the current packaging for ingredients and allergens.
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g'woon Almond Speculaas, 400 g
Almond speculaas biscuits to consider as a visible addition to a dessert. Compare the ingredients and allergens on the packaging with your recipe’s requirements.
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Lotus Biscoff Crunchy, 700 g
A speculoos spread to consider if you want a spreadable dessert ingredient with biscuit pieces. Lotus Bakeries distinguishes the crunchy spread from its smooth variety; choose the smooth one if pieces won’t work in your layer.
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Lotus Biscoff Speculoos Cookie, 250 g
Biscuits to chop or crumble when you want pieces or a crumb layer rather than spread. Before using them, decide what size of crumb works best for your recipe.
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De Ruiter Bakers Speculaas, 450 g
Bakers’ speculaas biscuits to consider as part of a tart or cake recipe. Check the ingredients, allergens and biscuit texture on the packaging to make sure they suit your needs.
Frequently asked questions
Which speculaas should you use for crumbs in a tart or cake?
Use speculaas biscuits that you can chop or crumble if you want pieces or crumbs. Lidl adds chopped speculoos to muffin mixture; for a spreadable layer, speculoos spread is a different option.
What’s the difference between almond speculaas and filled speculaas?
Almond speculaas and filled speculaas have different almond components. Albert Heijn lists 7,1% flaked almonds in its Almond Speculaas and 46% almond paste in its Filled Speculaas with Almond Paste. Choose based on the biscuit texture or filled layer you want to use.
Where can you check the allergens in speculaas?
Check the ingredients list and allergen information on the packaging of the exact product. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergens which must be declared should be clearly distinguished from the other ingredients on the label. When you buy, don’t rely solely on older information online.
How should you store opened speculaas for your next baking session?
Store opened speculaas in a cool, dry, dark place in a tightly sealed container, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. This is especially important if you plan to use the biscuits later as dry crumbs or decoration.