How to make Cookie Butter

Ready to find your new favorite dessert?! This homemade version of Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter is so easy to make and ready in 5 minutes. Serving ideas and cookie suggestions included!

close up of cookie butter in a light blue bowl


 

Love cookies? Well, meet your next dessert addiction: cookie butter! You may have heard of or even bought Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter in the past, but now you can make it right at home.

angle view of cookie butter with gingersnap cookies

This recipe uses minimal ingredients and you can whip it up very quickly. It’s so simple even my hubs can make it (and he can barely make cereal).

This smooth and creamy butter pairs great with several desserts and breakfast recipes to enjoy along with some coffee or tea. You can really use it on anything you’d use Nutella on.

homemade cookie butter on a butter knife on a bowl

Cookie butter originated in Europe and is traditionally made with speculoos cookies that are made during the Christmas holiday season. This cookie is made with a special spice blend and similar to gingersnap cookies.

close up of gingersnap cookies for cookie butter

The cookie also grinds down beautifully smooth making it perfect for cookie butter.

It has been popular in Europe for many years but started reaching popularity in America recently thanks to Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter. Luckily, we can make this tasty treat very easily at home with a variety of cookies.

What does Cookie Butter taste like?

Cookie butter has a rich, sweet, and creamy flavor. It typically tastes like a combination of spiced cookies, caramel, and a hint of nuttiness. The flavor can vary slightly depending on the brand, but overall, it has a distinct and delicious taste reminiscent of cookies.

Ingredients in Cookie Butter

  • Gingersnap cookies– Gingersnap cookies are a type of cookie that are characterized by their spicy, ginger-forward flavor. They are typically crisp and have a slightly crunchy texture, with a deep golden brown color. Gingersnap cookies often contain ingredients like molasses, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and sometimes black pepper, giving them a warm and aromatic taste.
  • Whole Milk- Skim or 2% can be used, but full fat delivers the best and richest flavor.
  • Unsalted Butter– We use unsalted to control the salt levels. Different brands are salty than others. If using salted butter, omit the fine sea salt.
  • Vanilla Extract– To improve and amplify flavor.
  • Ground Cinnamon– Use a freshly ground cinnamon or ceylon cinnamon for best results. The cookies will have some cinnamon flavor, this just takes it up a notch. You can also add ground allspice, ginger or nutmeg.
  • Powdered Sugar– To add sweetness and make the spread creamy. Powdered sugar is fine, using a granulated will make a grainy dip.
  • Fine sea salt– Since this mixture won’t be heated, fine sea salt is best to dissolve quickly. Do not use table salt, it has a higher sodium content and smaller grains, leading to an oversalted spread.
knife stirring cookie butter in a serving bowl

Making cookie butter is remarkably easy.

  1. Combine all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend on high until a smooth paste forms.
ingredients for cooking butter in a  food processor
  1. You may need to add a bit more milk depending on the cookie you use and their moisture level.
smooth cookie butter in a food processor
  1. Once you have the cookie butter to your desired consistency, enjoy immediately or store leftovers.

Take it Slow: To ensure that you get the perfect creamy texture, make sure to add additional milk in very slowly. I suggest using the amount of milk the recipe calls for and blend everything together.

After that if the butter is still too thick, then add additional milk 1 tbsp at a time until it reaches a smooth and creamy consistency.

Cookie Options: I suggest using Lotus Biscoff cookies (speculoos cookies) or a generic gingersnap cookie. This will give you the classic Trader Joe’s cookie butter taste.

You can find these cookies at most big grocery stores. If you cannot find this brand you can also use a generic brand of gingersnap or molasses cookies. Of course you could use virtually any cookie to make this recipe if you cannot find one of those.

Obviously, using a different cookie will yield a different flavor but there are endless tasty cookie options to explore. Some other great cookies to try are:

It is really simple to make and has loads of great uses. This is one of my guilty pleasures and I always try to hide it in the back of the fridge to keep it all to myself.

cookie butter on toast with grapes

This tactic never seems to work as my family always hunts it down and devours it by the spoonful.

How to serve this recipe for Cookie Butter

My favorite ways to eat it include:

  • With sliced apples, bananas or strawberries
  • On toast or an English muffin
  • Spread over a speculoos cookie
  • Just strait out of the bowl with a spoon
  • Stuffed in crepes
  • Over the top of pancakes, waffles or french toast
  • Mixed into brownie batter
  • In a “Peanut” Butter and Jelly sandwich
  • Mixed into a smoothie or oatmeal
cookie butter in a bowl with a serving knife
a bowl of cookie butter

Store leftover cookie butter in an airtight storage container like a mason jar, or tupperware. While store bought butters can be stored at room temperature I find that this recipe keeps best in the fridge.

When stored in the fridge it will stay good for 1-2 weeks, but it will also get firm. You can remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature before using, or spread it over something warm like toast and it will soften up.

homemade cookie butter recipe

You can also freeze the cookie butter for up to 3 months. You can store it in freezer bags, an airtight container or my favorite way is in an ice cube tray.

With the ice cube tray method you can pop out a single serving and not defrost the entire thing. Let the cookie butter come to room temperature before eating, or add frozen into a smoothie.

Cookie Butter Spread FAQs

Is Biscoff the same as cookie butter?

Yes, Biscoff is a brand of cookie that is often used to make cookie butter. Biscoff cookies, also known as speculoos cookies, have a distinct flavor that combines spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. When the cookies are ground into a paste, it is commonly referred to as Biscoff or speculoos cookie butter. So, Biscoff can be considered a type of cookie butter, but there are other brands and variations available as well.

Are there different types of cookie butter?

Yes, there are different types of cookie butter available. While Biscoff (speculoos) cookie butter is the most popular, other brands and variations exist. Some may use different types of cookies as a base, such as chocolate cookies or shortbread cookies.


homemade cookie butter for Pinterest
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a bowl of cookie butter

Homemade Cookie Butter Spread

4.12 from 52 votes
Ready to find your new favorite dessert?! This homemade version of Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter is so easy to make and ready in 5 minutes. Serving ideas and cookie suggestions included!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 16

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend on high until a smooth paste forms.
  • You may need to add a bit more milk depending on the cookie you use.
  • Once you have the cookie butter to your desired consistency, enjoy immediately or store leftovers.
  • If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know what you think in the comments and ratings.

Video

Notes

Cookie Suggestions: My favorite cookies to use are speculoos or Lotus Biscoff cookies. These cookies work perfectly and I recommend using them if you can find them. If you cannot find them you can use any gingersnap or molasses cookie.
You may need to add a bit more milk or adjust the spices to your personal taste. I like to start out with the recipe above, blend, then adjust if needed. Depending on the cookie you use you may need a bit more or less milk.

Nutrition

Calories: 79 kcal, Carbohydrates: 12 g, Protein: 1 g, Fat: 3 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 4 mg, Sodium: 231 mg, Potassium: 54 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 4 g, Vitamin A: 50 IU, Calcium: 15 mg, Iron: 1 mg
Author: Caitlyn Erhardt
Calories: 79
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cookie butter
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Jessica Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and food lover behind Savory Experiments. She is obsessed with butter, salt and bacon and spends all her time in the kitchen and behind a camera. Jessica is a contributor to PopKitchen by Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal Food + Travel and more!

Read More About Jessica

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Recipe Rating




Questions and Reviews

    1. I don’t see why not, but only to replace the ingredient of cookie butter or biscoff cookies, not the actual butter. There isn’t enough fat in it to replace the fats in a cake recipe. You could also use it for frosting or a filling.

  1. 4 stars
    I love cookie butter, so I thought why not make some homemade. I used 1/2 recipe to try but also reduced powder sugar to just a spoonful. The flavor and consistency are good but not as sweet as store bought. I attribute this to my reduced sugar use. Will make again.

  2. Sadly I found this to be inedibly salty and had to toss it. I highly recommend starting with just a pinch of salt and adding more from there to suit your tastes.

    1. 4 stars
      I agree. Will omit salt completely next time. I also added lots more powdered sugar and some heavy cream to try to cut the saltiness. Will try again since I am addicted to cookie butter.

  3. 3 stars
    Too salty and too runny. I cut the salt in half, doubled the recipe and quadrupled the amount of cookies required. THEN the consistency was right and the flavor was nice. Even with those adjustments, it was still very simple to make and tasted great.

    1. Hi there- sorry you had to make so many adjustments. Just curious, did you use melted butter instead of softened? We’ve made this several times, but never had this issue. We will also send it back to the recipe testers to test again. Happy holidays!

  4. 5 stars
    We have been having so much fun in the kitchen as a family lately! I have involved the kids in selecting recipes and making them! My entire loved this cookie butter! OMG YUMMMMMM

  5. 5 stars
    I didn’t know you could make cookie butter at home. It looks amazing – I love your photos of it!

  6. 5 stars
    OK, I’m in love! What an amazing recipe – forget the toast, I’m dunking a spoon into this delish cookie butter!