How to Make Homemade Speculaas Spice Mix (and 5 Ways to Use It)
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Fragrant Speculaas Spice Mix is a popular component of Christmas in Europe.
It only takes a couple minutes to make a batch and there are SO many delicious ways to use it throughout the holiday. Give it a try this season!
Contents
- 1 ? About This Recipe
- 2 ? What You Need to Make This Recipe
- 3 Don’t Have Time to Make Homemade Speculaas Spice Mix?
- 4 5 Ways to Use Speculaas Spice
- 5 1. Upgrade Your Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 6 2. Sugar Roasted Almonds
- 7 3. Spice Up Your Hot Chocolate, Latte or Mocha
- 8 4. Waffles, Pancakes & French Toast
- 9 5. Speculaas Spice Ice Cream
- 10 ? New to International Baking & Dessert Making?
- 11 How to Make Speculaas Spice Mix
- 12 Homemade Speculaas Spice Mix
- 13 Speculaas Spice Ice Cream Recipe
? About This Recipe
When I think of Christmas in Europe, I think of fragrant Speculaas Spice Mix (called Speculoos in Belgium and Spekulatius in Germany).
Traditionally, you’ll find speculaas spice in Dutch Windmill Cookies, Biscoff Cookies, Cookie Butter Spread, and German Spekulatius Spice Cookies or Dutch Speculaas Spice Cookies.
But you can use Speculaas Spice Mix in so many other things!
If you’re tired of pumpkin spice and want something more than cinnamon, try Speculaas Spice Mix.
Today I’m first going to show you how to make Dutch Speculaas Spice Mix.
Then I share 5 easy ways to use it to “spice up” your holiday (yes, I went there, please don’t stop reading).
I’ve also got an easy, no churn, single-serve Speculaas Spice Ice Cream recipe at the very bottom of this article.
Yes, ice cream!
I’ve always enjoyed cinnamon ice cream so I decided to sub Speculaas Spice for cinnamon and I loved it.
This ice cream is delicious on its own but would also be an excellent addition to apple pie, crepes, and other seasonal treats.
Definitely give it a try!
By the way, I’ve got several no churn, single serve ice cream recipes right here. Use these recipes to make portion-controlled summer ice cream in delicious international flavors!
? What You Need to Make This Recipe
It couldn’t be easier! Spoon each spice into a bowl, mix, and you’re ready to go.
The exact measurements for each spice are in the recipe card at the bottom of this article.
The spices you need are:
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- cloves
- aniseed
- white pepper
- coriander
- ginger
- cardamom
- mace
I found all of the spices at my local grocery store except mace. I had to go to a specialty cooking store for that.
If you can’t find mace locally, click here to order mace on Amazon.
Store your spice mix in a jar with a tight lid.
I make a jar of Speculaas Spice mix in the fall so I can use a teaspoon here and tablespoon there all winter long. It smells so good and ads a delicious flavor to so many things!
Don’t Have Time to Make Homemade Speculaas Spice Mix?
No worries, you can add some to your next Amazon order!
- You can get a small amount to try it out here.
- Or a medium amount here.
- Or go for a larger amount here!
Speculaas Spice Mix also makes a Delicious Holiday, Birthday, Teacher or Host/ess gift!
- Cute jars and lids (I love these magnetic shaker tins and these spice jars)
- Festive labels, washi tape (this is super cute)
- One batch of Speculaas Spice Mix – see below
Make your gift even better by adding a cute teaspoon for measuring out the spice!
No time to make Dutch Speculaas spice mix? Gift a box of Dutch Stroopwafels instead (yum).
5 Ways to Use Speculaas Spice
You can add speculaas spice to so many things! In addition to these Dutch Speculaas Spice Cookies, here a few of my favorites:
1. Upgrade Your Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
I made Speculaas Spice Chocolate Chip cookies for a holiday party and they flew off the plate! Just a little spice mix to added an unexpected but delicious holiday flavor.
All you need to do is make your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and add a couple teaspoons of Speculaas Spice to the batter.
TIP: I recommend tasting the batter or even baking a cookie or two to make sure you’ve added enough spice before you bake the entire batch.
I’ve also added Speculaas Spice to my Christmas palmier cookie recipe and wow, also delicious!
2. Sugar Roasted Almonds
Instead of using 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in my German Gebrannte Mandeln (cinnamon roasted almonds) recipe, try using 1 teaspoon of Speculaas Spice!
These are the almonds you’ll find at Christmas markets and they’re really quite easy to make at home on your stove. I’ve brought them to holiday parties and they’ve always been a big hit.
They’re also perfect for holiday charcuterie or snack trays.
3. Spice Up Your Hot Chocolate, Latte or Mocha
Tired of cinnamon or pumpkin spice on your hot chocolate, latte or mocha?
I’m not really a pumpkin spice kind of person but I do make a lot of Speculaas Spice Lattes in the winter!
Add a dash of Speculaas Spice instead! It’ll give your favorite warm winter drink a new depth of flavor.
If you like your drinks sweetened up a bit, try maple syrup or for golden syrup for a light buttery caramel flavor. Both are delicious compliments to this spice mix.
4. Waffles, Pancakes & French Toast
Add a teaspoon or two of Speculaas Spice Mix to your favorite homemade waffle or pancake batter or to French Toast.
OMG, so good! A little bit of spice makes this breakfast treat taste like Christmas.
If you’re looking for a healthier, protein filled pancake that tastes delicious, try my Easy German Quark Pancakes and add then a little spice mix to the batter.
5. Speculaas Spice Ice Cream
My quick and easy, single-serve, no churn Speculaas Spice Ice Cream recipe below (scroll down past the spice mix recipe) is seriously delicious, no matter the time of year!
All you need is a jar and a spoon – no ice cream maker needed.
Enjoy it right from the jar or use it as a topping for apple pie and other holiday desserts.
? New to International Baking & Dessert Making?
Click here to download my FREE 9-Page Starter Kit so you can begin making delicious treats from Europe and beyond with confidence and ease! Or start with my 25 European Favorites cookbook. It’s filled with easy and delicious recipes that are perfect for beginners.
How to Make Speculaas Spice Mix
Homemade Speculaas Spice Mix
Ingredients
- 5 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground aniseed
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ground mace
Instructions
- Mix spices together in a bowl.
- Use right away or store in an airtight jar.
- This recipe makes about 6 tablespoons of spice mix.
Speculaas Spice Ice Cream Recipe
This quick and easy ice cream recipe featuring Dutch speculaas spice mix is seriously delicious, no matter the time of year!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup [120 ml] heavy cream
- 1 TBSP brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp speculaas spice mix
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Pour all ingredients into a small jar that has a lid. (I typically use an 8oz jam jar.)
- Stir until brown sugar has dissolved and ingredients are well combined. Taste the ice cream; if you want it sweeter or to have a stronger speculaas spice flavor, add additional brown sugar or spice mix to taste.
- Add the lid and then shake the jar several times until the cream has thickened. (I usually shake it 20-25 times.)
- Place jar in freezer for 1-2 hours.
- When you're ready to eat the ice cream, take the jar out of the freezer and let it warm up for a few minutes.
- Sprinkle a bit of speculaas spice mix on the top of the ice cream (optional).
If I were making a plain cake and wanted it to be flavoured with speculaas spice, how much would I need for a standard ring cake mould?
That’s a good question! Have you made a similar cake with added cinnamon? If so, I’d add the same amount of speculaas spice. If not, I’d try a couple teaspoons or even a tablespoon (or two), depending on how strong you want the flavor to be. Whenever I add speculaas spice to something I’m baking I add a teaspoon at a time and taste it, then add more, so if at all possible, I’d add a couple teaspoons and then bake a cupcake-sized portion to test the spice level. Let me know how it turns out!! (Now I really want to go make a speculaas spice cake with cream cheese icing.) 🙂
yummy i had it in my gingerbread less ginger more spice!