Speculoos: Are you keeping up with the trend?

With the explosion of Lotus Biscoff across confectionery and bakery items, the distinct spiced shortcrust flavour of Speculoos is proving to be increasingly popular.  These days, the caramelised biscuit can be found in a variety of forms, including spreads, sauces, crumbles, ice cream, and more, having progressed from its humble beginnings on coffee saucers to the tops of rich cheesecakes and being whipped into light mousses.

Let’s take a dive into what Speculoos is and why the nation has become increasingly hooked on the moreish flavour.

What is Speculoos?

Speculoos is a Belgian spiced shortbread biscuit that was originally developed in the 20th century and traditionally made as an alternative to Dutch speculaas and uses a mix of spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, and pepper for its distinct warm taste. The unique flavour of the Speculoos biscuits also comes from the Belgian brown sugar called ‘vergeoise brune’ which is made from sugar beets. The biscuits are light brown in colour with a crunchy texture. Chopped nuts such as almonds and walnuts can also be included for added texture and flavour. 

The spiced gingerbread shortcrust biscuits are traditionally made and eaten on St. Nicholas Day and throughout the Christmas holiday season. The Speculoos biscuits are often decorated with different images relating to St Nicholas and his stories.

Why do we love it so much?

With its warm, distinct flavour, Speculoos is loved because of its unique and familiar taste. According to Innova*, familiar flavour (47%) and comforting taste (34%) were among the top factors which most influence flavour choice in food beverages for consumers. Additionally, brown flavours accounted for over 45% of total sweet bakery launches in sweet bakery in 2021, driving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) greater than the category growth of 2.6%**.

It has also made its way into a wide range of products, including chocolate bars (both milk and white),  ice cream, potted and cream desserts, as well as Speculoos spreads (both smooth and crunchy). It can also be used in hot drinks like coffee and hot chocolate. 

With its light crunch and subtle sweetness, Speculoos continues to delight consumer taste palettes around the world, especially leading up to the festive Christmas season.

How did Speculoos rise to fame?

The spiced caramel flavour has been growing steadily in popularity over recent years and Speculoos has been increasingly incorporated into many types of food. More recently, Speculoos was used frequently in home baking through the Covid-19 lockdown, where bakers made creations using Speculoos biscuits and spreads to flaunt on Instagram and TikTok. 

Interest over time has grown in the UK over the last eight years, as illustrated in the Google Trends data below.

Examples of how you can use Speculoos

Waffles

Use Speculoos spread and biscuits to create a tasty, spiced taste to waffles.

Biscuits

Maison Danboy has created a simple Speculoos biscuit with a chocolate layer. 

Cakes

Cinnamon Square has made a three-layer cake using Speculoos.

Doughnuts

French bakery Denise Donuts uses Speculoos in their doughnut range.

Ice Cream

You can use Speculoos as an ice cream flavour, much like how Vegan Treats has done.

Cheesecakes

Cheesecakes are an easy way to incorporate Speculoos as shown by Jon Watts.

How can Bakels help you create tasty Speculoos products?

Our range includes a versatile selection of Speculoos ingredients, allowing bakers to get creative and produce even more ways to showcase the moreish flavour of the moment. The Speculoos Crème Cake Mix requires only the addition of egg, water and vegetable oil, to produce loaf cakes, muffins and much more. The finishing ingredients of Speculoos Spread and Speculoos Crumbles deliver a delicious mix of interesting textures, a flavour factor sought after by 39% of consumers**.

The ingredients are also all suitable for Vegan applications. Why not create Insta-worthy Speculoos Doughnuts for instance, suitable for those adopting a Vegan lifestyle.

Data:* Innova – Flavour Insider: Seasonal and Limited Edition Flavours 2022. **Innova – Flavour Insider: Emerging Flavours in Sweet Packaged Foods 2022.