The Story:
One of my best friends had been telling me FOREVER to make a speculoos cupcake. But I just kept making excuses because i hate the name of it. Spe-cu-loos. Weird, unappetizing, sorta nerdy.
But at the grand opening of Trader Joes in Salt Lake City the other week, I decided I would give it a shot. TJ’s calls it “Cookie Butter” so I guess their head honchos are on the same pay as me with the whole-who would ever eat something with such a terrible name- thing. I went home, tasted with a spoon, and that’s how I continued to eat the entire rest of the jar. I never spread it on anything, it just went from jar to spoon to mouth.
Speculoos Pecan Cupcakes
Ingredients
Pecan Cake:
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 C. oil
- 1/2 C. eggnog or buttermilk
- 1/3 C. buttermilk or milk
- 1/3 C. sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Speculoos Buttercream:
- 3/4 C. butter softened
- 1/2 C. Speculoos
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2-3 Tbsp. milk
- 3/4 C. powdered sugar
Candied Pecans to Decorate
Instructions
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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.
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2. Sift cake mix and nutmeg into a small bowl and set aside.
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3. In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients until smooth.
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4. Stir in cake mix and nutmeg.
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5. Stir in pecans.
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6. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 17-22 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
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7. Buttercream: Beat butter and Speculoos until smooth. Add vanilla extra and milk and beat again. Slowly add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. If it is thick like cookie dough, stream in more milk.
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8. Pipe onto cooled cupcake and top with candied pecans.
Blanka says
Hi, they look great but you forgot to list pecans in the ingredients. Love your site, check it daily AND LOVE TJ! I visit every chance I get–since I live in Canada and we do not have it here! Sob!
Lizzy Mae Early says
Whoops, thanks for catching that. I had to type up the recipe 4 times last night because the plugin kept failing me. So I knew something wrong was bound to happen.
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says
Yes- coookie butter for life!!!!!!!! {I’m a fan)
Sherri says
These look great! I have a jar of this on my counter waiting to be used in a recipe. Just wondering how much pecans to add to the batter. Also is 3/4 cup correct for the buttercream? I have a feeling it should be 3-4 cups. Thanks for all your great recipes.
Lizzy Mae Early says
Oh my, thank you for catching that!
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says
Speculoos AND pecans? Drool.
Ashley says
I am actually in Belgium where it comes from and I have to be one of the only people who hate it that and the cuberdon they make that is unique to here. I like the cookie dunked in coffee but that is about it. They have speculoos ice cream, spread, cookie, etc. etc. It’s all over here.
Katherine says
My family also lived in Belgium and there was an ice cream lady that came to my house and had homemade speculoos ice cream. It was amazing!! 😀
Amanda Mitchell says
the next time you are up in Salt Lake, you need to visit Bruges Waffles & Frites on 11th East & about 25th South. They make heavenly waffles (or Lieges), upon which you can get Speculoos butter. It is pure heaven!!
There is also this: http://todaysmama.com/2012/01/caramel-blossom-cookie-biscoff-recipe/
Biscoff spread is the same as TJ’s Cookie Butter. Theses are HEAVEN!!
Totally love you site!
Christine says
Ill have to try this one! i also plan on trying Biscoff Butter as well 🙂 Lotus brand makes both of these. They look so yummy. I have fresh pecans from our trees waiting to be used…Do you know how to make candied pecans?
Christine says
After my post i realize they are the same thing correct? Speculoos & Biscoff? silly me 🙂
Denise says
I’ve never heard of cookie butter but I am so heading to TJ’s tomorrow to check it out… this sounds delicious and is the perfect weekend project. Love your blog 🙂
Ciel says
Lizzy, When I was in HS I lived in Belgium and I so loved Speculoos cookies dunked in milk
for after school snack. Yum! The cookie got soft in the milk and you had to eat it at just the right time or
you would lose it in the milk.
Such a creative girl….to do a cupcake with this yummy stuff!!!
Lori says
I’ve never heard of Scepuloos either…learned something new today! I definitely want to try it out…TJ’s here I come!!
Fatima says
I’ve never heard of Speculloos…what is this made off? is there real cookies on it? now I am curious and I will be there at TJ’s tomorrow morning! any other ways I can use this product…I will be happy to use it on different recipes, I don’t want to waist this product or only buy the jar for this particular recipe. Thanks Lizzy for all your GREAT recipes…BTW I wish your friend start asking for RED VELVET CUPCAKES…( I know you are allergic to red dye…but can you wear surgical gloves and mask??? P L E A S E!!!!!!!!! )
Kathy says
What exactly IS Speculoos? We don’t have a Trader Joes around here.
Lizzy Mae Early says
It’s a a Biscoff Cookie Spread. They have it at Walmart I believe. But if you don’t have it, get some gingerbread cookies and grind them up really finley and add about 1/4 C. of that to the batter (add extra butter and milk to keep it creamy). It won’t be the exact same, but it will still be wonderful!
Meredih says
I just made these yesterday and loved them! I put mini chocolate chips in the frosting instead of candied pecans so that it really tasted like an amazing chocolate chip cookie in cupcake form!
Amy says
I just made these, using the Biscoff spread fromWalmart. Oh my goodness, they are SO good. I wish it was closer to Christmas, so I could use eggnog. I used all buttermilk. Amazing recipe. I got addicted to Biscoff cookies when I flew Delta and had their cookies. I checked on the back of the package and found the cookies at Walmart.
Surkhab says
its looking delicious…….can’t wait to try this……
Inabackpack says
Love these cupcakes; love the frosting more. I made both this weekend but used the Pumpkin Speculaas that Trader Joe’s now offers for the season. I had leftover frosting so I made Pumpkin Gingerbread Cokies which I turned into sandwich cookies. DELICIOUS!!! Wish I could share a photo with you. My first visit to your site but definitely not my last – so many yummy cupcakes to bake.
Danielle says
You never said how much pecans to put into the batter.
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