This decadent Speculaas Tiramisu recipe is the perfect dessert to serve during the Christmas holidays. It beautifully blends festive flavours from Holland and Italy into a fantastically sweet showstopper!
The layered dessert is prepared just like you would a classic Italian Tiramisu, but we’ve added spiced Dutch Speculaas Cookies to give the recipe a festive holiday flavour.
Each boozy scoop of Speculaas Tiramisu features hints of Kahlua Liqueur, Baileys Tiramisu, and rich espresso!
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What Is Speculaas Tiramisu?
Tiramisu is an Italian dessert made of ladyfinger pastries dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone and flavoured with cocoa. The name comes from the Italian tirami su which means, “pick me up” or “cheer me up.” Don’t mind if I do!
Speculaas is a type of spiced shortcrust biscuit baked with speculaas spices. It originates from the County of Flanders territory in present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Speculaas biscuits are usually flat and are often moulded to carry certain traditional images, with the most popular being windmills.
It is thought that the Dutch name speculaas comes from the latin ‘speculum’ that means mirror. Speculaas cookies are the mirror image of the carved wooden moulds they are baked in. All Speculaas cookies contain a distinct spice mix, which must contain a blend of cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Many Dutch and Flemish bakers prepare speculaas blends that contain upwards of 10 spices and are usually a kitchen secret.
I always order tiramisu for dessert when I’m eating out at an Italian restaurant and often prepare fun recipes at home like this yummy Cherry Lovers Black Forest Tiramisu.
I developed this Speculaas Tiramisu recipe for Christmas because my family loves both the classic Italian dessert and traditional Dutch spiced cookies. A marriage made in holiday dessert heaven!
Speculaas VS Speculoos
Most people are quite particular about whether to call the popular shortcrust biscuits a speculaas or speculoos cookie.
The only difference is the aa and the oo, which notes where the cookie is from. Speculaas is the term used in Holland while speculoos is the Flemish spelling used in Belgium.
Ingredients
Before making this Speculaas Tiramisu recipe open your fridge, cupboards and liquor cabinet to ensure you have all the ingredients you’ll need:
- 1.5 cups Whipping Cream
- 8 oz Mascarpone Cheese
- 1/3 cup White Sugar
- 1/4 cup Baileys Tiramisu
- 1.5 cups Cold Espresso Coffee
- 3 tbsp Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
- 215 g Lady Fingers
- 240 g Speculaas Cookies
- 1/4 tsp Cocoa Powder
Directions
Follow our step-by-step instructions and you’ll see how easy it is to make this tiramisu flavoured with festive speculaas spices!
- Add whipping cream to a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed with electric mixers (or use a stand mixer). Slowly add sugar and Baileys Tiramisu and continue to beat until stiff peaks. Add mascarpone cheese and fold in until combined. Set aside.
- Add coffee and liqueur to a shallow bowl. Dip the lady fingers in the coffee and lay them in a single layer on the bottom of an 8×8” or similar size pan. Then add a single layer of Speculaas Cookies.
- Smooth half of the mascarpone mixture over the top. Add another layer of dipped lady fingers and Speculaas Cookies. Pour any remaining espresso over the cookies. Smooth remaining mascarpone cream over the top.
- Dust cocoa powder over the top of the mascarpone whipped cream.
- Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or up to overnight before serving.
Speculaas Tiramisu Recipe Tips
If it’s your first time assembling a tiramisu we’ve included some helpful tips and tricks below:
- During the holidays most grocery stores sell Speculaas Cookies but you can also easily purchase them on Amazon year-round.
- Lady Fingers can also be purchased at most grocery stores or Italian supermarkets and are always available on Amazon.
- You can beat the whipping cream and mascarpone cheese together in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or in a large mixing bowl with egg beaters.
- We’ve used Baileys Tiramisu to give the desert an extra layer of tiramisu goodness but you can also substitue with Baileys Espresso or classic Baileys Irish Cream.
- We’ve used homemade espresso in this recipe but you can also use strong French Press coffee. Pour the coffee into a shallow dish like a pie plate so it’s easy to soak the lady fingers during assembly.
- When assembling a tiramisu you want to prepare alternating layers of mascarpone whipped cream and coffee soaked cookies (speculaas and lady fingers). Make sure to finish the assembly with a slathering of whipped cream so you can easily dust cocoa powder on top.
- We suggest preparing tiramisu the morning you are planning on serving it or even 24 hours in advance. This gives the cookies a chance to soak up the flavour of the coffee.
What To Serve With Speculaas Tiramisu
While Speculaas Tiramisu are often served during the Christmas holiday season the recipe can be enjoyed all year round.
We prepared this tiramisu to be served on our Christmas dessert table alongside festive cookies, squares and pie. Be sure to serve with high quality espresso or a hot pot of your favourite drip coffee.
If you’re hosting a festive holiday party we suggest serving this Speculaas Tiramisu with some of our other favourite Christmas recipes:
- Leftover Christmas Turkey Sandwich
- Nuts & Bolts Holiday Snack Mix
- Leeks In Cheese Sauce
- Cabbage and Cheese Gratin Casserole
- Braised Red Cabbage with Cranberries
- Speckknödel Bread Bacon Dumplings
- Kartoffelknödel Potato Dumplings
- Pork Rouladen with Bacon, Apple & Pickles
- Parsnip & Pear Soup
- Toblerone Cocktail
- Christmas Old Fashioned
How To Store Tiramisu
If you have leftover tiramisu cover the dish in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 3-5 days.
We like to double the recipe to save time and to ensure we always have a sweet dessert ready to serve for last minute dinner parties. To freeze, wrap the tiramisu with both plastic wrap and foil to prevent freezer burn. It will last up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge then serve and enjoy!
You May Also Enjoy These Holiday Dessert Recipes…
- Nussecken German Nut Corners
- Gevulde Speculaas Dutch Cherry Almond Spice Cookies
- Christmas Cranberry and White Chocolate Muffins
- Festive Spiced Mincemeat Muffins
- Fresh Fig Frangipane Pistachio Tartlets
- Roasted Hazelnut Ferrero Rocher Cookies
- Flodeboller Danish Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies
- Chokladsnittar Swedish Chocolate Cookie Slices
- Toblerone Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate Hazelnut Ferrero Rocher Cake
How To Make Homemade Speculaas Tiramisu
Speculaas Tiramisu
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Whisk
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Shallow Bowl
- 8×8'' Cake Pan
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Whipping Cream
- 8 oz Mascarpone Cheese
- 1/3 cup White Sugar
- 1/4 cup Baileys Tiramisu
- 1.5 cups Cold Espresso Coffee
- 3 tbsp Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
- 215 g Lady Fingers (16)
- 240 g Speculaas Cookies (20)
- 1/4 tsp Cocoa Powder for dusting
Instructions
- Add whipping cream to a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed with electric mixers (or use a stand mixer). Slowly add sugar and Baileys Tiramisu and continue to beat until stiff peaks. Add mascarpone cheese and fold in until combined. Set aside.
- Add coffee and liqueur to a shallow bowl. Dip the lady fingers in the coffee and lay them in a single layer on the bottom of an 8×8'' or similar size pan. Then add a single layer of Speculaas Cookies.
- Smooth half of the mascarpone mixture over the top. Add another layer of dipped lady fingers and Speculaas Cookies. Pour any remaining espresso over the cookies. Smooth remaining mascarpone cream over the top.
- Dust cocoa powder over the top of the mascarpone whipped cream.
- Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or up to overnight before serving.
Nutrition
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