These windmill cookies are everything you want in a spiced treat—crisp, aromatic, and filled with the warmth of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Every bite feels like a throwback to simpler times, like when I was living in Italy and traveling around Europe every weekend. It felt like there was nothing a plate of cookies and a cup of tea couldn’t fix.
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💭 You’ll love these homemade speculaas
My dad had a Dutch friend who’d bring these windmill cookies when he’d visit us (along with some really delicious stroopwaffles). When I lived in Europe, on a trip to Amsterdam, I tried them again and had to try to bake them at home myself. And wow, I remember the time I first tried to bake this cookie. The spiced aroma filled my tiny little studio in Rome, signaling that something magical was about to happen. I still remember sneaking warm cookies off the cooling rack, but hey who was watching?
Recreating them at home is like bottling up a little nostalgia, with the added bonus of your kitchen smelling like a spice market in full bloom. These cookies are crisp, nutty, and just sweet enough to make every bite feel special. You can make the dough 2-3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge or freeze it for up to 3 months!
Love easy cookies? Try my yellow cake mix cookies, 3-ingredient Nutella cookies, and these almond flour peanut butter cookies.
📋 Ingredients and notes
To make these windmill cookies, you’ll need all-purpose flour, brown sugar, butter, blanched silvered almonds, hot water, and spices.
Make vegan windmill cookies
Substitute butter with vegan butter or vegetable oil.
Shruthi’s Top Tip
Make sure the butter is at room temperature to cream easily with the sugar.
- Flour your hands lightly when shaping the dough to prevent sticking.
- Chill the dough overnight to let the flavors meld and to firm up the soft dough for easier slicing. Use a very sharp knife to slice; a dull blade may crush the delicate almonds.
- Toast the almonds lightly before adding them for an extra layer of nutty flavor.
- If the dough starts softening while slicing, pop it back into the fridge for 10–15 minutes.
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even browning.
- Watch the cookies closely in the last minute or two of baking—they can go from perfect to overbrowned quickly.
Variations & Substitutions
- All-purpose flour. Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for a gluten-free version.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter whenever possible.
- Brown sugar. Substitute with coconut sugar, raw sugar, or demerara.
- Almonds. Almonds are traditionally used for speculaas, but you can swap them with cashews, pecans, or even ground oats.
- Spice blend. You can substitute this with a pumpkin spice blend.
📖 How to make windmill cookies
Step 1:
Dissolve baking soda in the hot water and set aside.
Step 2:
In a large bowl, mix butter and brown sugar until creamy.
Step 3:
Add the baking soda-water mixture to the butter and sugar mixture. Stir until combined.
Step 4:
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and spice blend.
Step 5:
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir in the slivered almonds.
Step 6:
Roll the dough into 2 loaves, each approximately 3.5 x 10 inches.
Step 7:
Chill overnight in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Step 8:
Slice the dough into ¼-inch slices and place on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
Step 9:
Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool completely before serving.
🍴 How to serve windmill cookies
Speculaas are the perfect cozy treat during the holidays, but who says I can’t make them year-round? I love to pair these cookies with a warm cup of coffee or hot cocoa (I even have it for breakfast sometimes!).
🍴Storage and reheating suggestions
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. You can also freeze the cookies for 3 months. If you want to reheat them and make them crispy again, you can bake them at 300°F for 5–10 minutes.
🍴 More delicious cookie recipes
If you like this recipe, check out my other cookie recipes:
Cottage Cheese Flatbread
Leek and Mushroom Pasta
Eggplant Stir Fry
Vegan Fajitas
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Windmill Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup hot water
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
- 4 cups flour
- ¾ cup blanched slivered almonds
Spice blend:
- 1⅓ tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ⅓ tablespoon ground nutmeg
- ⅓ tablespoon ground cloves
- ¼ tablespoon ground white pepper
- ¼ tablespoon ground ginger
- ¼ tablespoon ground cardamom
Instructions
- Dissolve baking soda in the hot water and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix butter and brown sugar until creamy.
- Add the baking soda-water mixture to the butter and sugar mixture. Stir until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and spice blend.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir in the slivered almonds.
- Roll the dough into 2 loaves, each approximately 3.5 x 10 inches.
- Chill overnight in the refrigerator.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Slice the dough into ¼-inch slices and place on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Be sure to chill the dough overnight; it’s soft and will firm up in the refrigerator.
- Return the dough to the refrigerator between batches to keep it easy to handle.
- For easier handling, flour your hands when forming the loaves.
- If desired, you can add almond extract for a stronger almond flavor.
