Last Updated on April 14, 2022
These Belgian Spice Cookies are a great recipe for the holidays. They’re easy to make, vegan, store and freeze very well, and they pair perfectly with your coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
Most of us know these cookies as Speculoos or Biscoff.
We love this popular biscuit because of it’s crisp and crumbly texture, caramel flavor, and the warm spices.
So much so that these cookies are available just about everywhere and can be found even as a spread!
Not to mention all the different desserts you can make that will taste like these popular biscuits, such as cakes, brownies, doughnuts, and even fudge!
So what are Belgian Spice Cookies?
These spiced biscuits are a simple cookie that are traditionally served during Christmas.
They’re very plain looking, but certainly not plain in taste!
With a light buttery taste and a slight crumbly texture that compliments the warming spices of fall.
A simple cookie that really doesn’t need the decoration of sweet frosting, but can be decorated with slivered almonds.
The shape of these cookies should be simple, cut with straight edges or use a pastry wheel.
Classic is always best in my book, I love the elegant and simple look of these rectangular cookies, but a variety of shapes might be more interesting to others, such as a square, a circle or the windmill cookie press.
Where did these Spice Cookies come from?
As you can see by my name on the post, these cookies originated in Belgian and also the Netherlands.
But there are so many different varieties that vary in texture and taste found throughout Europe.
These cookies are known by many different names, Speculoos, Speculaas, Dutch Windmill Cookies, Spekulatius (German), and of course, the cookie that has become popular in the United States, Biscoff.
Ingredients for these Belgian Spice Cookies
- Flour– I used an all-purpose flour in this recipe.
- Baking soda and Baking Powder– The reason for using both in this recipe is to help with the browning and the flavor of these cookies.
- Sugar– Brown sugar is the best option for this recipe, it will give these cookies a deep caramel or toffee flavor.
- Spices– The distinct spices used in these cookies are cinnamon, cardamom, salt, and cloves.
- Vegan Margarine– Any vegan margarine will work, I used the Organic Earth Balance Buttery Spread.
- Egg Substitute– I used a powdered egg substitute, but any egg substitute will work in this recipe.
How to make these cookies
In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, then set aside.
Next, in a small bowl, mix the egg substitute together following the package directions, set aside to thicken.
Place brown sugar and the vegan margarine into a food processor.
Add the egg substitute to the food processor and pulse, scraping down the sides as needed.
Continue by adding the flour mixture and pulse, process until no dry flour remains but the mixture remains crumbly, scraping the sides down as needed.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and knead gently until smooth.
Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Tip: The cookie dough will be rolled out onto the parchment paper and then baked on it.
Place one of the parchment sheets onto the counter and place the dough onto the paper.
Use the second piece of parchment paper and place it on top of the dough.
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin.
Try to keep the dough in the shape of a rectangle, cutting down the sides as you roll out the dough.
Continue rolling out the dough evenly to about 1/4 inch thickness.
Transfer the dough onto a baking sheet and place into the refrigerator for no less than 1 1/2 hours.
After 1 1/2 hours
Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator, and preheat the oven to 300°F.
Transfer the chilled dough to the counter and gently peel off the top parchment paper.
Place the peeled off layer of parchment paper onto a a baking sheet. This is where you will place the cookies once cut.
With a pizza cutter or a pastry wheel, cut lengthwise strips about 1 1/4 inches wide.
Next cut each strip crosswise about 3 inches long.
Transfer the cookies to the parchment lined sheets, spacing the cookies at least 1/2 inch apart.
Place one baking sheet in the oven at a time for 15 minutes, rotate the baking sheet, and bake for another 15 minutes.
The cookies will bake for a total of 30 to 32 minutes for each sheet, and will be light and evenly browned.
Remove from the oven and let the cookies completely cool on the baking sheet.
Store in a air tight container, at room temperature for up to 3 weeks, or freeze to enjoy at a later day.
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Belgian Spice Cookies
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cup Flour
- 4 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cardamom
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 8 Tbsp Vegan Margarine
- 1 Egg Substitute-equal to one egg
Instructions
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, then set aside.
- Next, in a small bowl, mix the egg substitute together following the package directions, set aside to thicken.
- Place brown sugar and the vegan margarine into a food processor.
- Add the egg substitute to the food processor and pulse, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Continue by adding the flour mixture and pulse, process until no dry flour remains but the mixture remains crumbly, scraping the sides down as needed.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl and knead gently until smooth.
- Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, this paper will also be used to roll out the dough.
- Place one of the parchment sheets on to the counter, place the dough onto the paper.
- Take the second parchment sheet and place it on top of the dough.
- Roll out the dough with a rolling pin.
- Try to keep the dough in the shape of a rectangle, cutting down the sides as you roll out the dough.
- Continue rolling out the dough evenly to about 3/8 inch thickness.
- Transfer the dough onto a baking sheet and place into the refrigerator for no less than 90 minutes.
- After 90 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator, and preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Transfer the chilled dough to the counter and gently peel off the top parchment paper.
- Place the peeled off layer of parchment paper onto a a baking sheet. This is where you will place the cookies once cut.
- With a pizza cutter or a pastry wheel, cut lengthwise strips about 1 1/4 inches wide.
- Next cut each strip crosswise about 3 inches long.
- Transfer the cookies to the parchment lined sheets, spacing the cookies at least 1/2 inch apart.
- Place one baking sheet in the oven at a time for 15 minutes, rotate the baking sheet, and bake for another 15 minutes.
- The cookies will bake for a total of 30 to 32 minutes, and will be light and evenly browned.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies completely cool on the baking sheet.
- Store in a air tight container, at room temperature for up to 3 weeks, or freeze to enjoy at a later day.
