Home baker looking to use speculoos
You’re looking for biscuits to crumble or use as a decoration, or spread to mix into the dough. Lotus Biscoff uses both speculoos biscuits and speculoos spread in its cookie recipe.
Who is each option for?
Shopper looking for something ready to eat
You want a ready-made biscuit or bar rather than an ingredient to bake with. Albert Heijn lists eight portions in its 300 g pack of butter cake bars; Jumbo lists six portions in its 270 g pack.
Shopper checking ingredients and allergens
Your choice depends on the exact variant. Lotus Biscoff Original Speculoos contains wheat and soya, while the chocolate and butter cake variants we looked at have different ingredients and allergens. Always read the label on the product you’re buying.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether the product is for a recipe or something to eat straight away. If you’re baking, choose between biscuit pieces and spread, then check the ingredients of your chosen variant before buying.
Speculoos biscuits
Choose these if: you want to crumble biscuits or use them as a visible topping; Lotus Biscoff uses them as a decoration in one of its own cookie recipes.
Bear in mind: in that recipe, a biscuit has a different role from spread mixed into the dough.
Speculoos spread
Choose this if: you want to mix spread into the dough using a recipe designed for it. Lotus Biscoff offers smooth and crunchy varieties.
Bear in mind: spread won’t automatically replace the visible biscuits used as a decoration.
Ready-made biscuit or bar
Choose this if: you want something to eat straight away, without baking biscuits first.
Bear in mind: a butter cake bar won’t replace speculoos biscuits or speculoos spread without adapting the recipe.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Product function | Compare the product format with the recipe: whole biscuits, crumbs or spread. If you’re eating it straight away, you don’t need a baking ingredient. | If I’m baking biscuits, I don’t want to come home with a bar when my recipe calls for speculoos. Around 36% of consumers prioritise a product’s function. |
| Texture and flavour | Check whether you want visible biscuit pieces or spread to mix into the dough; if you’re choosing spread, check whether it’s smooth or crunchy. | When baking cookies, I want to choose between biscuit pieces and spread in advance, because they have different roles in the recipe. Around 29% of consumers prioritise this difference in texture and flavour. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the ingredients, allergens and any warnings about possible traces on the current packaging of the specific variant. | If an ingredient doesn’t fit my diet or I need to avoid an allergen, I need to be able to check the exact variant. Around 35% of consumers give this their highest priority. |
According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information for prepacked foods appears on the label. The name ‘speculoos’ alone doesn’t tell you which ingredients a variant containing, for example, chocolate might have.
Common mistakes
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Buying a snack bar to use instead of a baking ingredient
Lotus Biscoff’s cookie recipe uses biscuits and speculoos spread separately. A ready-baked butter cake bar won’t automatically serve the same purpose.
Check which product format your recipe calls for before choosing: whole biscuits, crumbs or spread.
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Treating all speculoos products as the same
The Original Speculoos we looked at contains wheat and soya, while the chocolate variant described by Albert Heijn also contains milk. A butter cake bar has a different composition from a speculoos biscuit, too.
Compare the ingredients and allergens of the exact variant, not just the brand or flavour name.
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Relying only on an online ingredients list
An online description may differ from the packaging you receive. If you have an allergy or follow a specific diet, the current ingredients matter.
Check the label again when your order arrives, including any warnings about possible traces of allergens.
Brands to consider
These brands offer examples of different product formats. Always assess a biscuit, spread or bar using the information on its specific packaging; a brand name alone won’t tell you how the product can be used in a recipe.
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Biscoff also presents Original Speculoos as an ingredient for cooking and uses biscuits and spread side by side in one of its own cookie recipes.
- The manufacturer offers smooth and crunchy speculoos spreads for use in desserts.
- The Original Speculoos we looked at contains wheat and soya; check the packaging of your chosen variant.
AH (huismerk)
Albert Heijn sells ready-made butter cake bars made with butter, for eating straight away.
- For the 300 g pack we looked at, Albert Heijn lists eight portions and 29% butter.
- This variant contains ingredients including wheat, milk and egg; check the current packaging for allergen information.
Jumbo (huismerk)
The Jumbo Boterkoek Reepjes we looked at are ready-made biscuit bars, not the speculoos biscuits or spread used in a baking recipe.
- Jumbo lists six portions in the 270 g pack.
- For this variant, Jumbo lists egg, gluten, milk and wheat, with possible traces of nuts and soya.
Sondey
Lidl describes Sondey as a range that includes biscuits, cookies, waffles and bars.
- You can look through the range for the product format you need.
- Lidl’s mention of vegan options doesn’t tell you about the ingredients or suitability of any particular Sondey variant; check its label.
Biscotto
ALDI lists several types of biscuits under Biscotto, including digestive biscuits, tea biscuits and traditional Dutch spiced biscuits.
- The range includes several biscuit formats to consider for a recipe or as a snack.
- Check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging for each specific variant.
Biscuits at Joybuy
These biscuits match two of the choices covered in this article: speculoos biscuits to use in a suitable baking recipe, and ready-made biscuits to eat straight away. They aren’t speculoos spreads or butter cake bars, so if you’re using them in a recipe, always check which product format it calls for.
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Lotus Biscoff Speculoos Cookie, 250 g
A speculoos biscuit for anyone looking to use biscuit crumbs or decorations in a suitable baking recipe; Lotus Biscoff uses biscuits this way in one of its own cookie recipes.
The pack contains 250 g. For allergen information, check the current ingredients list: Lotus Biscoff lists wheat and soya for Original Speculoos.
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Hellema Smoeltjes Speculaas Cookies, 8 stuks, 200 g
A ready-made speculaas biscuit to eat straight away. If you’re baking, don’t assume it can automatically be used in the same way as the biscuits specified in your recipe.
The product name lists eight biscuits and 200 g. Check the packaging if individually wrapped portions are important to you.
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Lu Scholiertje Milk Chocolate Biscuits, 150 g
A biscuit with milk chocolate for anyone looking for a chocolate option to eat straight away; it won’t necessarily work as a substitute for plain speculoos in a recipe.
The product name lists 150 g. If you have allergies, check the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging.
Frequently asked questions
Can a butter cake bar replace speculoos in a cookie recipe?
Not without reassessing the recipe. Lotus Biscoff’s cookie recipe uses speculoos biscuits and speculoos spread in different ways; a ready-made butter cake bar has a different composition and format.
Which allergens should I check on packaged biscuits?
Read the allergen information on the label of the specific pack, including any warnings about possible traces. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority lists gluten-containing cereals, eggs, nuts, soya and milk among the allergens consumers must be informed about.
Is a chocolate speculoos biscuit the same as Original Speculoos?
No, the ingredients may differ. Jumbo describes the Original Speculoos we looked at as suitable for vegans, while the chocolate variant described by Albert Heijn contains milk ingredients. Always check the exact variant on the packaging.
How should I store opened speculoos biscuits?
Follow the storage advice on the packaging. Lotus Biscoff recommends keeping its biscuits in a cool, dry place and sealing them in an airtight container after opening to keep them crunchy.
Is an online product description enough to check the ingredients?
If you have an allergy or follow a specific diet, also check the label on the product you receive. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information for prepacked foods appears on the label; check the ingredients and any warnings on the current packaging.