Biscoff Tiramisu (+ Bonus Recipe)
Biscoff tiramisu is a Belgian-inspired spin on Italian tiramisu and I want to warn you, it’s pretty incredible, and possibly addictive!
Originally published July 9, 2017
I call this Biscoff tiramisu dangerous because it’s one of those treats if you don’t think about it–it would be easy to have an “oops” moment and realize that you’re on your third serving!
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What is Biscoff Speculoos?
Speculoos is a Belgian combination of spices (as opposed to speculaas which is Dutch.) The spice mix includes cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and a plethora of other warming flavors (a more complex version of British mixed spice.) So a speculoos cookie or biscuit is a traditional spiced Belgian cookie that has a caramel spice flavor, is very crunchy and (imho) extremely addictive.
The biggest brand, Biscoff, is now often served on at least two different airlines. However, I buy my speculoos biscuits at Trader Joe’s. They also have the better tasting speculoos cookie butter! I know because I did a side-by-side taste test and had others do it too!
The Best Biscoff Tiramisu Recipe
This recipe is based on the original and authentic tiramisu recipe from Treviso, Italy. The only difference is that the Biscoff biscuits replace the savoiardi ladyfingers. If you want an easy biscoff tiramisu recipe, or a biscoff tiramisu without mascarpone, follow the recipe at the very bottom (second recipe card below.)
Biscoff Tiramisu
recipe adapted from the original tiramisu recipe from Le Beccherie serves 8
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE(S) BELOW
Ingredients
- Biscoff biscuits
- espresso
- sugar
- eggs
- mascarpone cheese
- unsweetened cocoa powder
Directions
Pasteurize the eggs with the sugar.
Add the mascarpone and cookie butter.
Put some espresso in a bowl and dip the biscuits.
Assemble the Biscoff tiramisu:
1. Put the number of biscuits you want to use for the first layer (2 for individual servings) or 8 for one large dessert.
2. Add the cream mixture (add a layer of softened cookie butter, if desired.)
3. Dip more biscuits and add to the top of the cream.
4. Add more cream mixture and top with crushed speculoos cookies. Chill for at least 4 hours.
When ready to serve, sprinkle with unsweetened cocoa just beforehand.
For Individual Mini Glass Servings
Complete the same process, but break the cookies to fit the glasses.
A Shocking Story About a Company Without Ethics
Years ago, I created a recipe for this speculoos cookie dessert for a contest that the Biscoff company was having to win a trip to Belgium. You know me and my traveling bug–I see a cooking or baking contest to win travel and I’m on it! The contest was hosted by a food blogger, and the recipe and a photo had to be uploaded online. I followed all the rules and regulations, as I always do when entering contests, such as this one.
I’m including this bonus no bake speculoos dessert recipe below the
Biscoff tiramisu recipe card at the bottom.
Unsurprisingly, there were hundreds of entries. My dessert wasn’t that pretty, and my photo wasn’t great, so I didn’t have high hopes. However, I was absolutely gobsmacked when the winner was announced. THE BLOGGER HOSTING THE CONTEST, HAD WON THE CONTEST–I kid you not! How they got away with this, I will never know, but I can tell you that I never bought another product from this brand for YEARS, and still don’t like to buy it (I actually prefer the flavor of Trader Joe’s products.)
Can you imagine me hosting a contest with a prize from brand X; many of you enter, and at the end I say, “Guess what? I won!” Honestly, it’s mind-boggling. I wrote to the company and explained the concept of “conflict of interest”, but clearly they didn’t care. No matter, as I now have been inspired to make a speculoos tiramisu!
My original speculoos dessert was inspired from when I discovered this magnificent Magnum Cream Liqueur at the BBC Good Food Show in Scotland in 2014. This liqueur is made with a delicious blend of smooth Scotch Whisky and luscious Dutch cream!
I was on the interview stage before and after Mary Berry, James Martin and Paul Hollywood! Most of you in the US didn’t even know who they were then, so sharing that I rode to the restaurant in Glasgow in a taxi with Paul and Mary, and sat right next to them at dinner wasn’t a big deal. However, my family and friends in the UK were asking how I managed that! Haha!
UK peeps, you should easily find Magnum Cream Liqueur wherever you buy your alcoholic bevvies. It is also available in some other EU countries.
For a homemade speculoos cookie recipe visit LONDON EATS.
Ingredient Substitutions for Biscoff Tiramisu
- Speculoos cookies/biscuits and cookie butter, if you are not near a Trader Joe’s: if you can find Dutch windmill cookies/biscuits, these are actually speculoos cookies and they will work, too.
- Espresso (freshly brewed) can be interchanged with instant, or other coffee as you like, but know that the flavor will suffer.
- Mascarpone is truly in a class all its own, but you can mix equal parts of cream cheese and creme fraiche for a close sub.
If you like twists on tiramisu, check out my amaretto tiramisù, too!
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Biscoff Tiramisu
Ingredients
- ⅓ c coffee (espresso)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp water
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ c sugar
- 1 c mascarpone
- 1 Tbsp speculoos butter Biscoff or Trader Joe's (I prefer the latter) + more for extra layers, if desired-see notes
- 8.8 oz speculoos cookies packet of Biscoff or Trader Joe's (I prefer the latter) you won't need all of the cookies, but you'll have to crush some for the crumb topping
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder unsweetened (like Perugina)
Instructions
- Special equipment: Special equipment: a platter or large plate, (individual plates, or mini glasses.) Candy thermometer.
- Make the espresso coffee, and mix with 1 tsp sugar while hot. The end result should be to your liking; not too strong, or too weak, is best.
- Set up a double boiler (if you don't have one) by placing a glass bowl over a bit of hot water (the bowl should not touch the water) over low heat. Beat the egg yolks and remaining sugar off the heat for a few minutes, then transfer the bowl over to the barely simmering water in the pot until the temperature reaches 150 degrees F, or 65 C. Continue beating for 2 minutes, then allow to cool, stirring occasionally so it doesn't create a skin.
- Add the mascarpone and speculoos butter to the egg and sugar mixture, and mix well.
- Pour some cold coffee into a bowl. Be sure it's not hot or the biscuits will absorb too much liquid.
- Start dipping the biscuits into the coffee, then place each one on the platter (or in the dish) on individual plate, or break so they fit into mini glasses. Next, spread or pipe some mascarpone/egg mixture over the soaked biscuits. If making one large dessert, place half of the creamy mixture over the layer of biscuits.
- Repeat with the other half of the biscuits for the second layer.
- Finally, spread with the rest of the filling, cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
- When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator, sprinkle with speculoos crumbs and dust generously with cocoa (from a sieve).
- To serve, slice into even pieces, wiping the knife in between each cut to produce clean edges, and serve using a metal spatula (for best results).
Notes
- If you LOVE speculoos, you can add a layer of cookie butter on top of the cookie layers before adding the egg and mascarpone cream.
- Nutrition ingredients include an entire packet of cookies, but you more than likely won’t use all of them, so numbers are less than stated.
- For a mascarpone alternative, mix room temperature cream cheese (good quality is a must) with some creme fraiche for a more mascarpone-like texture (3:1 ratio of cream cheese to creme fraiche).
- OPTIONAL: add some Kahlua or coffee liqueur to the coffee.
- Be sure to chill your tiramisu for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
Nutrition
A Speculoos Cookie and Cream Liqueur Dessert
Ingredients
- 12 speculoos cookies I prefer Trader Joe's
- 1 tsp speculoos cookie butter I prefer Trader Joe's, smooth or crunchy (use a heaping teaspoonful)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream (whipped until soft peaks form – don't over whip)
- 2 tsp Magnum Cream Liqueur (use Bailey's or any quality cream liqueur if you can't find Magnum)
For dipping the cookies:
- ¼ cup Magnum Cream Liqueur (use Bailey's or any quality cream liqueur if you can't find Magnum – as needed, for soaking 12 biscuits)
Instructions
- Place the cookie butter in a small bowl and add the Magnum Cream Liqueur. Stir until evenly mixed. Fold in a few spoonfuls of the whipped cream, gently, then fold this into the remaining the cream until it is just mixed.
- Pour some Magnum Cream Liqueur into a small flat bottomed bowl. Dip two speculoos cookies into the liqueur for about 20 seconds so that they are completely soaked.
- Remove and allow to drip, then place on a serving plate, side by side.
- Spoon a layer of the cookie butter, Magnum and cream mixture onto the soaked cookies.
- Dip two more cookies into the Magnum Cream Liqueur and place them on top of the cream layer, but perpendicular to the first cookies. (Add more liqueur to the bowl as needed.)
- Repeat with another layer of cream, two more cookies and finish the top with a final layer of cream. You can make it as simple or decorative as you like. You can choose to pipe all the cream if you prefer. I just used the back of the spoon to make a few peaks in the cream and dusted it with a little speculoos spice.
- You can top with crumbled speculoos biscuits, a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg, or even cocoa, if you don't have speculoos spice.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
Notes
- Use Bailey’s or any good quality cream liqueur if you can’t find Magnum.
- Be sure to use a piping tip with a larger opening if you will be piping as there are bits of cookie in the cream from the cookie butter.
Nutrition
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This sounds so good!
Oh yeah! Haha! I hope you try it!
Mmmm! That cream IS dangerous…Gimmie! These biscuits (the brand you mentioned without ment6ioning, lol) are my fav! I have not had the brand in your photo before, I will have to try them too. I have a package in my pantry now and would love to replicate your cream! Yum!
Oh, if you love speculoos biscuits, you will FLIP for this dessert! Seriously, you need to make it, Colleen! :)
I can see why this is called dangerous!! Looks and sounds AMAZING!
Oh, it is…it really is! :)
These are sinful and dangerous :) your recipe sounds delicious!
Thank you, Jagruti! I hope you’ll try it!
What a clever recipe idea, a sort of cheat’s version of Tiramisu! Love it! I also LOVE James Martin and had the pleasure of having dinner with him last year which he cooked for me too! Karen
It is, very much like a sort of tiramisu! I remember that, when you were on the cruise! I’d love to do that too sometime!