The best way to create a cult is through word of mouth or, in the digital age, through Instagram, especially for food products. I took notice of the Speculoos when dozens of Speculoos bottle pictures popped out of nowhere from different people on IG. Ever since then, I've made it a point to pass by the peanut butter aisle at my neighboring Trader Joe's for the past few months with no luck. The Speculoos has always been out of stock until one fine day my sister was lucky enough to buy some bottles for me!

Gooey like peanut butter but with specks of gingerbread crunch!

After tasting the butter myself, I remember the same Speculoos cookie that was offered in my Dutch school right before Christmastime. With consistency like peanut butter, the Speculoos boasts a burst of cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamon flavors - all of which are familiar flavors if you've lived in the Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg) area. The Speculoos butter contains less fat, but it is definitely not a substitute for protein from peanut or sunflower seed butter (see comparison of nutrition facts below). The speculoos butter has less than 1 gram of protein, while the sunflower seed and peanut butter contain 7 grams.
 

Speculoos, TJ's sunflower seed butter and peanut butter hanging out on my fridge

Because TJ's Speculoos butter is always out of stock, there is a now a growing secondary market for Speculoos. At Amazon, a bottle sells for a whopping $13+ with free shipping (retails at $3.69). I made an experiment and listed one bottle on the same site marking it up to $7 plus shipping. Within less than one week, it got sold! That's the work of the Speculoos cult. Simply amazing. 

Note: This post is not sponsored.