diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5d7f81a..594c8d0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ $ builder-playground cook l1 [flags]
 Flags:
 
 - `--latest-fork`: Enable the latest fork at startup
+- `--block-time`: Change the default block time (`12s`), to be provided in duration format (e.g. `--block-time=1s`)
 - `--use-reth-for-validation`: Use Reth EL for block validation in mev-boost.
 - `--secondary-el`: Port to use for a secondary el (enables the internal cl-proxy proxy)
 - `--use-native-reth`: Run the Reth EL binary on the host instead of docker (recommended to bind to the Reth DB)
diff --git a/playground/artifacts.go b/playground/artifacts.go
index 5110bbe..98f1358 100644
--- a/playground/artifacts.go
+++ b/playground/artifacts.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"reflect"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"text/template"
@@ -35,7 +36,10 @@ import (
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
 )
 
-var defaultOpBlockTimeSeconds = uint64(2)
+var (
+	defaultL1BlockTimeSeconds = uint64(12)
+	defaultOpBlockTimeSeconds = uint64(2)
+)
 
 // minimumGenesisDelay is the minimum delay for the genesis time. This is required
 // because lighthouse takes some time to start and we need to make sure it is ready
@@ -58,19 +62,21 @@ var clConfigContent []byte
 var queryReadyCheck []byte
 
 type ArtifactsBuilder struct {
-	outputDir         string
-	applyLatestL1Fork bool
-	genesisDelay      uint64
-	applyLatestL2Fork *uint64
-	OpblockTime       uint64
+	outputDir            string
+	applyLatestL1Fork    bool
+	genesisDelay         uint64
+	applyLatestL2Fork    *uint64
+	l1BlockTimeInSeconds uint64
+	opBlockTimeInSeconds uint64
 }
 
 func NewArtifactsBuilder() *ArtifactsBuilder {
 	return &ArtifactsBuilder{
-		outputDir:         "",
-		applyLatestL1Fork: false,
-		genesisDelay:      MinimumGenesisDelay,
-		OpblockTime:       defaultOpBlockTimeSeconds,
+		outputDir:            "",
+		applyLatestL1Fork:    false,
+		genesisDelay:         MinimumGenesisDelay,
+		l1BlockTimeInSeconds: defaultL1BlockTimeSeconds,
+		opBlockTimeInSeconds: defaultOpBlockTimeSeconds,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -94,8 +100,13 @@ func (b *ArtifactsBuilder) GenesisDelay(genesisDelaySeconds uint64) *ArtifactsBu
 	return b
 }
 
+func (b *ArtifactsBuilder) L1BlockTime(blockTimeSeconds uint64) *ArtifactsBuilder {
+	b.l1BlockTimeInSeconds = blockTimeSeconds
+	return b
+}
+
 func (b *ArtifactsBuilder) OpBlockTime(blockTimeSeconds uint64) *ArtifactsBuilder {
-	b.OpblockTime = blockTimeSeconds
+	b.opBlockTimeInSeconds = blockTimeSeconds
 	return b
 }
 
@@ -136,6 +147,7 @@ func (b *ArtifactsBuilder) Build() (*Artifacts, error) {
 		latestForkEpoch = "18446744073709551615"
 	}
 	clConfigContentStr := strings.Replace(string(clConfigContent), "{{.LatestForkEpoch}}", latestForkEpoch, 1)
+	clConfigContentStr = strings.Replace(clConfigContentStr, "{{.SecondsPerSlot}}", strconv.FormatInt(int64(b.l1BlockTimeInSeconds), 10), 1)
 
 	// load the config.yaml file
 	clConfig, err := params.UnmarshalConfig([]byte(clConfigContentStr), nil)
@@ -258,7 +270,7 @@ func (b *ArtifactsBuilder) Build() (*Artifacts, error) {
 			forkTime = new(uint64)
 
 			if *b.applyLatestL2Fork != 0 {
-				*forkTime = opTimestamp + b.OpblockTime*(*b.applyLatestL2Fork)
+				*forkTime = opTimestamp + b.opBlockTimeInSeconds*(*b.applyLatestL2Fork)
 			} else {
 				*forkTime = 0
 			}
@@ -317,7 +329,7 @@ func (b *ArtifactsBuilder) Build() (*Artifacts, error) {
 					"number": 0,
 				},
 			},
-			"block_time": b.OpblockTime,
+			"block_time": b.opBlockTimeInSeconds,
 			"chain_op_config": map[string]interface{}{ // TODO: Read this from somewhere (genesis??)
 				"eip1559Elasticity":        6,
 				"eip1559Denominator":       50,
diff --git a/playground/config.yaml.tmpl b/playground/config.yaml.tmpl
index 12c68ee..271f540 100644
--- a/playground/config.yaml.tmpl
+++ b/playground/config.yaml.tmpl
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ FULU_FORK_EPOCH: 18446744073709551615
 FULU_FORK_VERSION: 0x20000095
 
 # Time parameters
-SECONDS_PER_SLOT: 12
+SECONDS_PER_SLOT: {{.SecondsPerSlot}}
 
 # Deposit contract
 DEPOSIT_CONTRACT_ADDRESS: 0x4242424242424242424242424242424242424242
diff --git a/playground/recipe_l1.go b/playground/recipe_l1.go
index d619d12..936a599 100644
--- a/playground/recipe_l1.go
+++ b/playground/recipe_l1.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package playground
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"time"
 
 	flag "github.com/spf13/pflag"
 )
@@ -12,6 +13,10 @@ type L1Recipe struct {
 	// latestFork enables the use of the latest fork at startup
 	latestFork bool
 
+	// blockTime is the block time to use for the L1 nodes
+	// (default is 12 seconds)
+	blockTime time.Duration
+
 	// useRethForValidation signals mev-boost to use the Reth EL node for block validation
 	useRethForValidation bool
 
@@ -38,6 +43,7 @@ func (l *L1Recipe) Description() string {
 func (l *L1Recipe) Flags() *flag.FlagSet {
 	flags := flag.NewFlagSet("l1", flag.ContinueOnError)
 	flags.BoolVar(&l.latestFork, "latest-fork", false, "use the latest fork")
+	flags.DurationVar(&l.blockTime, "block-time", time.Duration(defaultL1BlockTimeSeconds)*time.Second, "Block time to use for the L1")
 	flags.BoolVar(&l.useRethForValidation, "use-reth-for-validation", false, "use reth for validation")
 	flags.Uint64Var(&l.secondaryELPort, "secondary-el", 0, "port to use for the secondary builder")
 	flags.BoolVar(&l.useNativeReth, "use-native-reth", false, "use the native reth binary")
@@ -48,6 +54,7 @@ func (l *L1Recipe) Flags() *flag.FlagSet {
 func (l *L1Recipe) Artifacts() *ArtifactsBuilder {
 	builder := NewArtifactsBuilder()
 	builder.ApplyLatestL1Fork(l.latestFork)
+	builder.L1BlockTime(max(1, uint64(l.blockTime.Seconds())))
 
 	return builder
 }