Biscoff banana bread with cookie crumble topping

There's cookie butter in this batter!

When I studied in France in college, Rachel and I made a marvelous discovery: Speculoos. Speculoos are cookies that fall somewhere between graham crackers and molasses crisps. These cookies are kind of run of the mill overseas, served with coffee like it's no big deal. Well they were (and are) a big deal to us — even bigger when heaped with Nutella. Talk about a flavor and texture explosion! Rachel and I still eat this winning combo every time she visits — except, in the States, Speculoos = Biscoff. 

So when Rachel discovered a recipe for Biscoff banana bread from Two Peas & Their Pod, there was no question. Must make immediately. This was a few years ago and I've been making it ever since. Now I'm a big fan of plain and simple banana bread, but let's be honest — it can only get better with the addition of cookie butter to the batter and cookie crumble topping. This bread is such a crowd pleaser, I can't even tell you! But you might want to make it when you're not feeding a crowd — that way there's more for you.

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BISCOFF BANANA BREAD WITH COOKIE CRUMBLE TOPPING

WHAT YOU'LL NEED: 
BATTER
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup Biscoff Spread, or other cookie butter
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar

COOKIE CRUMBLE TOPPING
3/4 cup chopped Biscoff cookies
3 TBS flour
1/4 + 1/8 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 and 1/2 TBS butter, melted
*Note: The measurements seem odd for the crumble topping because I like to multiply the original crumble amounts by 1.5. Doubling the crumble results in too much, but an extra half-amount is divine!

WHAT YOU'LL DO: 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan and set aside. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, stir together mashed bananas, Biscoff Spread, oil, egg, vanilla, and sugars until combined. (*Note: Maybe you have a potato masher, but if you don't, place the bananas on a plate and use the back of a fork to mash them — it's easier than a bowl). Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring until just combined.

4. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan, making sure it's filled about 2/3 full (if filled to the brim it will overflow in the oven). In a small bowl, stir together ingredients for the cookie crumble topping (it will look like lumpy wet sand). Spoon the topping evenly over the top of the batter in the pan. 

5. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown before the bread is done baking, place aluminum foil loosely over the top of the bread and return to the oven. Allow bread to cool at least 10 minutes before loosening it from the pan and transferring it to a cooling rack.

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You can find Biscoff products in a lot of major stores nowadays. When Rachel and I first got back from France, we could only find Biscoff cookies at Walgreens — how random! Now you can find them in most major grocery stores — they live by the specialty cookies, not the big brands (but they're all in the same aisle). As for the cookie butter, you can get Biscoff Spread most places, or even Speculoos cookie butter at Trader Joe's. The spread comes in creamy and crunchy; either work wonderfully in this recipe!