Vegan Holiday Cookies Everyone Will Love: Spiced Kruidnoten
There’s nothing quite like the warm, aromatic spices of these vegan holiday cookies called kruidnoten to capture the Christmas spirit.
Table of contents
Kruidnoten (pronounced “kroyd-no-ten”) are tiny, crunchy cookies that are a staple of Dutch and Belgian Christmas traditions. Packed with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, these little treats are often compared to gingerbread but with a uniquely crisp texture and bold flavor. Traditionally associated with Sinterklaas celebrations, kruidnoten are tossed into crowds by the mythical helpers of Saint Nicholas—making them as fun as they are delicious.
What Makes These Kruidnoten Special?
Traditional kruidnoten get their delightful texture from butter and eggs, but we’re swapping those out for aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) and vegan butter sticks. The aquafaba helps bind the dough together, replacing the need for eggs to act as a binder like a traditional cookie recipe. The addition of speculaas spice—a fragrant mix that includes cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger—gives these cookies their signature festive flavor.
I’ve included the recipe below, but before you dive in, I have some exciting news: I’m releasing a cookbook dedicated to vegan cookies soon! If you enjoy this recipe then you’re going to love the book, which will take you from sad flax egg or applesauce swap results to being accused of robbing a craft vegan bakery. These cookie recipes are that good!
Why Speculaas Spice is Essential for Kruidnoten
The heart of kruidnoten is the speculaas spice blend, which is a fragrant mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and cardamom. This aromatic blend gives these vegan spiced cookies their festive edge, reminiscent of cozy winter nights and holiday cheer. If you can’t find speculaas spice, we’ll talk about making our own blend for this recipe. If you’d prefer to buy the authentic real deal, I’ll keep some options posted below that can be ordered and delivered right to your door.
- At Boston Spice, all of our gourmet artisanal spice blends are handcrafted using…
- To give you the quality you deserve, each spice blend you purchase is blended…
- Our spice blends are sold by measured volume, not by weight. Example: 1/4 cup,…
Last update on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
More Vegan Dessert Recipes
Check out these other recipes that I’ve tweaked specifically for the best vegan results!
Ingredients for the Vegan Holiday Cookies
Speculaas spice is a warm, fragrant blend of spices traditionally used in Dutch and Belgian holiday cookies. Its hallmark is a balance of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and other complementary spices, creating a cozy, aromatic mix that captures the essence of festive baking. While it’s primarily associated with cookies, this spice mix can add a delightful twist to coffee, oatmeal, or a vegan compound butter.
Recipe for 2 ½ tablespoons of Speculaas Spice Mix:
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
Yes you read that correctly! That’s really ground white pepper there, and it’s not just some AI created recipe glitch. The white pepper adds a distinct spicy note to this cookie, and it’s a traditionally included ingredient. Give it a chance, I bet you’ll love the unique flavor!
We’re using a slightly denser bread flour for these cookies. The extra protein in the bread flour really helps with the body and structure when making vegan cookies. Resist the urge to use your all purpose flour, but know that you may have to adjust your moisture slightly if you insist.
The Country Crock Plant Butter sticks have been delivering the best vegan baking results for me. Most of the vegan butter sticks bake fairly well in cookies nowadays.
Ingredients:
- 280g bread flour
- 113g (1 stick) softened plant-based butter
- 125g organic white sugar
- 2½ tbsp speculaas spice
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp molasses
- 3 tbsp aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
- 1 or 2 drops of anise extract (optional)
Instructions for Making the Spiced Cookies
- Drain a can of chickpeas for the aquafaba liquid, save your chickpeas for later in the refrigerator.
- Sift the dry ingredients and the spices together and set aside until needed.
- In a separate bowl, cream the plant-based butter and organic white sugar together until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the aquafaba and molasses to the creamed butter mixture, and briefly fold together.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until a dough forms. If the dough feels too dry, add plant milk one tablespoon at a time until it comes together. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Conversely, if the dough is too wet you can add a tablespoon of flour at a time to firm it up.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to an hour) to allow the flavors to meld and the dough to firm up.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough into small balls (about the size of a marble) and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one. I used a quarter teaspoon to scoop the dough, and rolled up a slightly heaping spoonful into a ball with my fingertips.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown and slightly firm to the touch. They will firm up further as they cool.
Cool and Enjoy:
Allow the vegan holiday cookies to cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to a week—if they last that long!
Pro Tips for Perfect Vegan Kruidnoten
Don’t Skip the Chill: Letting the dough rest in the fridge helps enhance the spice flavors and makes the dough easier to handle.
Double the Batch: These cookies are small, and they disappear quickly. Make a double batch if you’re planning to share (or snack endlessly).
Get Creative: Want to make them extra festive? Dust these vegan holiday cookies in powdered sugar or dip them partially in melted chocolate and allow them to cool on parchment paper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Shape the dough into balls, freeze them on a tray, and transfer to a freezer bag. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2–3 extra minutes to the baking time.
Yes, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend with xanthan gum included. Adjust the plant milk as needed to achieve the right dough consistency.
Not quite! While both are Dutch spiced cookies, kruidnoten are crunchy and more closely resemble biscuits, whereas pepernoten are softer and chewier.
Stored in an airtight container, these cookies stay fresh for up to 7–10 days.
- At Boston Spice, all of our gourmet artisanal spice blends are handcrafted using…
- To give you the quality you deserve, each spice blend you purchase is blended…
- Our spice blends are sold by measured volume, not by weight. Example: 1/4 cup,…
Last update on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Get the Recipe Vegan Holiday Cookies Everyone Will Love: Spiced Kruidnoten
Ingredients
Ingredients for Making Vegan Holiday Cookies
- 280 grams bread flour
- 125 grams organic white sugar
- 113 grams plant based butter
- 2½ tbsp Speculaas Spice Mix, see below
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp molasses
- 3 tbsp aquafaba
- 1 or 2 drops anise extract, optional
Speculaas Spice Mix
- 4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ground ginger, dried
- ½ tsp white pepper
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
- 1 Non Stick Sheet Pan
Instructions
Instructions for Making Vegan Holiday Cookies
- Drain a can of chickpeas for the aquafaba liquid, save your chickpeas for later in the refrigerator.
- Sift the dry ingredients and the spices together and set aside until needed.
- In a separate bowl, cream the plant-based butter and organic white sugar together until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the aquafaba and molasses to the creamed butter mixture, and briefly fold together.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until a dough forms. If the dough feels too dry, add plant milk one tablespoon at a time until it comes together. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Conversely, if the dough is too wet you can add a tablespoon of flour at a time to firm it up.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to an hour) to allow the flavors to meld and the dough to firm up.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough into small balls (about the size of a marble) and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one. I used a quarter teaspoon to scoop the dough, and rolled up a slightly heaping spoonful into a ball with my fingertips.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown and slightly firm to the touch. They will firm up further as they cool.
