Oat Speculaas Cookies (Easy, V, GF)

No roll oat speculaas cookies (like biscoff!) that are as easy as blend, pour and bake! These not-too-sweet spice cookies ares also gluten-free and oil-free.

Easy Oat Biscoff Cookies

Modern airline travel has lost many basic comforts, but one delight remains (on occasion): red and white packets of Biscoff cookies (FYI: they are plant-based 😍).

Biscoff is a brand name for a version of speculaas, which are lightly spiced cookies from the Netherlands and Belgium. If you have ever come across tan, windmill-shaped cookies, they were likely speculaas, too.

Speculaas recipes typically use butter, eggs, caramelized sugar, and wheat flour. They are then rolled and cut (or molded) into shapes. I’ve ventured far outside tradition with my easy, oat-y version. It is made with whole oats, no oil or butter, no eggs, no wheat, and no rolling, cutting or molding. It’s a smidge of cookie heresy, I know.

One thing I am keeping authentic: the combination of spices. Also remaining: the crisp, light, texture and mild sweetness. (Cue the cups of tea).

I think you will enjoy these, too. No airline travel required.

Recipe Benefits

• No rolling (keep the rolling pin in the drawer), cutting or molding
• Vegan (egg-free & dairy-free)
• Gluten-free
• Oil-free (no butter, no added oils)
• Frugal
• Quick & easy to make in a blender

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.

I am a proponent of spur-of-the-moment cookie baking, made with unfussy pantry ingredients. These fit the bill.

You will need:

• Rolled oats (use certified gluten free oats, as needed)
• Nuts or seeds of your choice (see section below for options)
• Coconut sugar (see notes for options)
• Vanilla extract
• Spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, and pepper)
• Water and optional/adjustable salt

Do not worry if you do not have all of these particular spices. Use a combination of what you have on hand, or use 1.5 teaspoons of cinnamon alone, or pumpkin pie spice.

Use Almost Any Nuts or Seeds

Oats are the majority ingredient in these cookies. The second primary ingredient is nuts or seeds, of your choosing. Nuts/seeds add crispness and crunch to the cookies despite the absence of butter or oil in the recipe.They also add toasty flavor.

Walnuts, pecans, pepitas, peanuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seed kernels, you name it, you can use whatever you like, or have on hand, in these cookies. You could also use 70 grams of nut butter or seed butter (e.g., almond butter, sunflower seed butter)

The recipe requires a mere 70 grams (about 2.5 ounces) of the nuts or seeds of your choice. Seventy grams of larger nuts (e.g., walnuts, pecans, whole cashews) will measure between1/2 cup and 2/3 cup. The same weight (70 grams) of smaller nuts and seeds (e.g., pepitas, sunflower seeds, chopped nuts) will measure between 1/3 cup and 1/2 cup.

The best (and most consistent results) for these cookies can be achieved by weighing the nuts or seeds with a digital kitchen scale. It is one of my favorite, and most-used, baking tools.

Step by Step Instructions

Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.

Step One: Preheat the Oven & Prep a Baking Sheet

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. I use standard half sheet pan, which is a heavy pan measuring 18 x 13 inches (45 x 32.5 cm). If you are ok with a small amount of oil, with nonstick cooking spray.

You can also use a ceramic nonstick half sheet pan (no paper or spray required).

If your pan is smaller than a half sheet pan, your cookies will be thicker and will need a longer bake. If needed, divide the batter into several smaller metal pans (e.g., cake pans, square pans).

Step Two: Make the Speculaas Cookie Batter

In a blender, process the the oats, nuts or seeds, water, coconut sugar, spices, and salt (NOT the baking soda) on high speed until blended and smooth.

Scrape down the sides of the blender container and continue blending and stopping to scrape the sides until the batter is very smooth.

The batter will look like a medium thick pancake batter.

Step Three: Add the Baking Soda

Once the batter is completely smooth, add the baking soda. Blend for a few seconds to combine.

Step Four: Spread the Cookie Batter

Pour all of the cookie batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Use a spatula to spread the batter into an even layer that covers the entire baking sheet.

An offset spatula works especially well for spreading the batter. If you have one, use it. Otherwise, a regular silicone spatula, or even the back of a large spoon, will do the job. The main point is this: it is very simple to spread the batter.

I also lift and tilt the baking sheet once I have spread most of the batter. It evens things out, and helps to get the batter into all of the nooks and crannies, with ease.

Step Four: Bake for 10 Minutes

Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. This gives the batter a chance to set (slightly) making it easy to portion into individual cookies.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven (keep the oven on). Using a pastry scraper or knife (it does not need to be a sharp knife), cut into rectangles (or whatever shape you prefer/desire). I cut mine into 7 x 8 rows for 56 rectangular cookies.

The cookies are very easy to cut through. They are light and tender, so cutting the shapes only takes a moment.

Step Five: Return Cookies to the Oven

Return the cut cookies to the oven and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes until deep golden brown and crispy (they will look dry, and also feel firm to the touch). The cookies will pull away from each other as they bake (and the water evaporates). Use a pastry scraper or knife to further separate any of the cookies

The cookies on the outer edge of the sheet pan tend to brown more quickly than the crackers towards the center. Remove the cookies that are already deep golden brown and crisp to a cooling rack.

If any cookies need an additional few minutes of baking, keep them on the baking sheet and return to the oven until they are similarly crisp, dry and deep golden brown.

Step Six: Cool the Speculaas Cookies

Transfer all of the cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely (they cool quickly, so prepare to sample your work 😉 ).

Taste & Texture of Vegan Oat Speculaas Cookies

The flavor of the cookies will vary slightly depending on the seeds or nuts used to make them. Overall, they have a lightly spiced, not too sweet, toasty, nutty flavor. I love them alongside a cup of coffee. Or tea. Or hot chocolate.

The texture of cookies is crisp-tender.

FAQ

• How Should these Gluten-Free Cookies be Stored? Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 5 days, the refrigerator for 2 weeks or the freezer for up to 6 months. They stay crisp.
• Can These Be Made into Bigger or Smaller Oat Cookies? Yes! You can cut the cookies into any shape you like, and that includes cutting them into bigger sizes. The baking time stays about the same, so begin checking at the 30 minute mark on the second bake.
• Is there a Way to Make The Cookies Even Crispier? Yes! If you eat oil, you can replace some of the water with the neutral oil (e.g., avocado oil, olive oil, safflower oil). For every tablespoon of oil, reduce the water by 1 tablespoon.
• Can I Use Roasted Nuts or Seeds? Yes! Use roasted nuts or seeds, or toast raw nuts and seeds before adding to the blender. If the nuts or seeds are salted, consider decreasing the total amount of added salt in the cookie batter (if you are choosing to add salt).

Tip: Toast the nuts or seeds on a baking sheet while the oven preheats. Spread the nuts/seeds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast away. It will take about the same amount of time as preheating the oven to toast the nuts/seeds, but stay nearby and check early (especially with smaller seeds or chopped nuts).

• Can I Omit the Nuts/Seeds and Replace with More Oats? In theory, this could still work. But I suspect that the cookies will be tough rather than crisp. For best results, stick with the recipe amounts as listed.
• Can I Use a Food Processor Instead of a Blender? Yes, you can. A blender will create a smoother batter, faster (especially when using harder nuts or seeds), but a food processor still does the job. You will need to send a little but more time blending the batter until it is very smooth.
• Can I Use Oat Flour in Place of the Rolled Oats? Yes. Just be sure to use the same weight (175 grams ) of oat flour as rolled oats.
• What Is a Good Substitute for Coconut Sugar? An equal amount of brown sugar can be used in place of the coconut sugar.

Happy baking!

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