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Coffee Speculoos Cookie Bars — Cookiemas Day 11

♪ On the eleventh day of Cookiemas, I made for you to eat:

coffee speculoos, furikake mac nut, 9 vanillekipferl, 8 ate’s cookies, 7 madeleines, 6 almond cookies,

Shrimp paste PB!

4 Alfajores, calamansi crinkles, ube coconuts

and a choc chip walnut cookie ♪

This is one more of my well-known cookies from the time I used to sell them.

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These bars feature the warm, caramelized spice of speculoos — the same flavors found in popular Biscoff cookies and spreads. Instead of shaping them as classic cookies, I baked the dough in a pan and finished the bars with a speculoos topping for extra crunch and sweetness.

I stirred crushed speculoos cookies into speculoos butter to give the topping a crunchy texture that contrasts nicely with the tender bar beneath. These are richly flavored, so pair them with a bold, bitter coffee to balance the sweetness.

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Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups (270g) all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup (133g) granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons instant coffee
  • speculoos butter to spread on top
  • speculoos cookies for garnish

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, melt the butter. Stir in the vanilla extract and instant coffee until combined. Mix gently to avoid incorporating too much air.

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2. Transfer the butter mixture to a large bowl. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and stir to combine. Add the eggs and beat until smooth and well incorporated.

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3. Add the dry ingredients — flour, baking soda, corn starch, and salt — to the wet mixture. Mix until a cohesive cookie dough forms.

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4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a square baking dish with parchment paper and press the dough evenly into the pan with a spatula.

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5. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with no raw dough attached.

6. Remove the pan from the oven and let the bars cool completely. In a small bowl, stir together speculoos butter and crushed speculoos cookies until evenly combined. Spread the mixture over the cooled bars, then slice and serve.

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Recipe

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Coffee Speculoos Cookie Bar

Prep: 15 mins  
Cook: 30 mins  
Total: 45 mins  
Servings: 16

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ cups (270g) all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
  • ⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons instant coffee
  • Speculoos butter, to spread on top
  • Speculoos cookies, crushed for garnish

Method

  1. Melt the butter in a medium bowl. Stir in the vanilla and instant coffee until combined.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter mixture with brown and granulated sugars. Add the eggs and beat until smooth.
  3. Fold in the flour, baking soda, corn starch, and salt until a dough forms.
  4. Press the dough into a parchment-lined square baking dish and smooth the top.
  5. Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Cool completely. Mix speculoos butter with crushed speculoos cookies, spread over the cooled bars, slice, and serve.