Speculaas Oatmeal Bake

Let’s face it, Oatmeal Bakes are just better tasting than “overnight oatmeal.” I’ve never liked the snotty texture of those concoctions, no matter how popular they may be. To appeal to my kids, this Speculaas Oatmeal Bake has the flavors of the ubiquitous Dutch Windmill Cookie. Almonds, molasses, and speculaas spice. It’s also an excellent choice when you want to make breakfast for dinner. While still making dinner a stick-to-the-ribs affair, with enough protein to keep everybody happy until morning.

I’ve made up a jar of speculaas spice to keep on hand, although it can be had from specialty vendors. This version is pretty close to the one I use, although I dial back the anise, as I’m not fond of it. Remember that white pepper and black pepper are not interchangeable. And the white pepper is what gives speculaas spice its distinctive flavor. Can you smell it from here, fresh out of the oven? If you don’t have speculaas spice, and don’t want to make a batch, I’d suggest using 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, and 1/4 tsp each of cloves and allspice. You could even replace 1 c. of the milk with 1 c. of cold coffee, and go 50:50 on the honey and molasses for a more “gingerbread mocha” flavor.

My favorite way to serve the Speculaas Oatmeal Bake is warm, with a little bit of vanilla whipped cream. In fact, I like to use whipped cream that has not been whipped to peaks, and is nearly a pouring cream. If it doesn’t all get eaten right away, put the leftovers in the refrigerator. And make sure to warm them up to serve them the next time.

If you make it, do post on social media and tag me, or leave a comment here and tell me how you liked it.