Gevulde speculaas is one of my favorite Dutch sweet treats, without a doubt. A crisp cookie base flavored with wintry spices and a rich almond filling that resembles frangipane. Today, I’m sharing my recipe for these utterly delicious Dutch almond filled cookies.
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Why this Recipe Works
The slightly crunchy crust, combined with the soft, rich taste of almond paste and the spicy flavor of the gingerbread spices, is truly delicious! You’ll definitely want to try this gevulde speculaas.
Gevulde Speculaas Ingredients
It may seem complicated to make the cookie base and almond filling from scratch, but it’s actually quite easy! You don’t need a lot of ingredients and within an hour you will have a delicious treat.
- Speculaas: for the speculaas cookie dough you will need all-purpose flour, sugar, butter, milk and some gingerbread (or pumpkin spice) spices. This creates a simple dough packed with flavor.
- Almond filling: for the filling we combine almond paste (not almond butter) and eggs. This will be quite similar to frangipane, just a more ‘instant’ version.
How to make Gevulde Speculaas
The layers of this almond filled cookie are really simple to create. You can even make them with your children. You can knead the dough together and maybe even snack on some of it – how delicious! It’s a really fun and easy task.
How do I Store Gevulde Speculaas?
This recipe makes about 20 small or 9 large pieces, like those in the photos. I can tell you that they are pretty big! I imagine that you won’t eat them all in one afternoon. Well, it wouldn’t surprise me, but that’s beside the point 😉.
Gevulde speculaas should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature, where they will keep for about a week. It may even last longer than that, but you can always taste a piece to check if it still tastes good. Due to the amount of sugar, they won’t spoil quickly.
Let’s Get Started!
No more chatting – it’s time to start making this speculaas recipe. I’ve kept the recipe really simple and haven’t made the almond paste myself. But you can if you want to, of course. It’s entirely up to you! You can also use whole almonds or flaked almonds.
Looking for more sweet Dutch recipes? Check out my kletskoppen recipes or this recipe for a Dutch spiced breakfast cake.
FAQ
What spices do I use?
Traditionally, you use ‘speculaas’ spices. Alternatively, you can use pumpkin spice of gingerbread spices.
Can I substitute the almonds?
In this recipe, it is a vital ingredient unfortunately. If you’re baking for someone with an allergy I would advice you to make a different recipe.
How do I store the cookies?
You can keep them for up to a week in an airtight container at room temperature.
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Ingredients
- 500 gram almond paste
- 250 gram self-raising flour
- 150 gram dark brown caster sugar
- 125 gram butter (cold and cut into pieces)
- 15 gram gingerbread spices (or pumpkin spice)
- 4 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp almond flakes
- 2 eggs
- pinch of salt
Equipment
- 20 x 20 cm / 8 x 8 inch square baking tin (or similar)
INSTRUCTIONS (how to make this recipe):
- Put the flour, sugar, butter, spices, milk and salt in a large bowl. Knead by hand or with a hand mixer until you have smooth dough.
- Divide the dough into two equal parts. Wrap in cling film and leave to stiffen in the refrigerator for a while.
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius / 345 Fahrenheit with top and bottom heat.
- Beat two eggs in a small bowl. Crumble the almond paste into a bowl and knead in three quarters of the beaten eggs.
- Roll out the two pieces of speculaas dough on a floured work surface to make two equal-sized slices.
- Place one slice of the speculaas dough in a greased or lined baking tin, or simply on a baking tray. Spread the almond paste mixture over it. Place the second slice of dough on top.
- Brush with the remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with the almond flakes.
- Bake in the oven for approx. 30–35 minutes. Leave to cool for at least half an hour. Enjoy!
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