Cookie Butter

With just a package of cookies, a little melted coconut oil and a few pantry staples, you can whip up creamy cookie butter in minutes. Whether you’re trying this trendy spread for the first time or need it for a baking project, homemade cookie butter is a quick, easy and budget-friendly option. Plus, this cookie butter recipe lets you control the sweetness and add-ins to suit your taste.

What is cookie butter?

Cookie butter is a creamy spread made from ground-up speculoos, a beloved spiced cookie from Europe. Just as gingerbread cookies are a holiday tradition in the U.S., speculoos cookies are a winter favorite baked in homes all across Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

When these cookies are blended with a bit of hot water and oil, they transform into a rich, creamy, aromatic spread. Cookie butter is similar in texture to smooth peanut butter (in fact, Europeans bake with it much the same way as Americans bake with peanut butter), but it’s bursting with the sweet, toasty flavor of the golden cookies.

Ingredients for Homemade Cookie Butter

• Biscoff cookies: These crisp, caramelized spice cookies give cookie butter its signature warm, toasty flavor. Biscoff is a well-known brand available in major grocery stores, but you can use cookies from other brands that are labeled simply as “speculoos.” Want to bake your own? Start with our homemade speculaas recipe.
• Hot water: Using hot water helps soften the cookies so they blend into a smooth, creamy spread.
• Golden syrup: Golden syrup is a thick, amber-colored sweetener popular in the United Kingdom and Europe. If you can’t find it in the international foods aisle of your grocery store, light corn syrup has a similar texture and sweetness.
• Coconut oil: Melted coconut oil adds richness, and helps the cookie butter firm up slightly as it chills. Unsure whether to use refined or unrefined coconut oil? It comes down to personal preference: Refined has a neutral flavor, while unrefined adds a hint of coconut.
• Vanilla: A splash of vanilla extract enhances the cookies’ caramelized flavor and rounds out the sweetness with a floral aroma.
• Cinnamon: Just a touch of ground cinnamon deepens the warm, spiced flavor of the cookies.

Directions

Step 1: Blend the cookie butter

Add the cookies, hot water, golden syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt to a food processor. Process them until your desired consistency is reached, about five minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

Step 2: Store the cookie butter

Transfer the cookie butter to an airtight container, then refrigerate it.

Editor’s Tip: You can store cookie butter at room temperature, but refrigerating it helps the flavors meld and gives it a thicker, more spreadable texture.

Cookie Butter Variations

• Make it chocolaty: Stir in a couple of tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder or melted chocolate after blending the cookie butter for a chocolaty twist. You can even fold in chopped chocolate or mini chocolate chips to make it a crunchy chocolate cookie butter.
• Add extra spices: For a deeper, warmer spice profile, mix in a pinch of ground nutmeg, cloves or ginger along with the cinnamon.
• Try a coffee boost: What goes better with cookies than a cup of freshly brewed coffee? Recreate that iconic pairing by dissolving a teaspoon of instant espresso powder in the hot water before blending the cookie butter.
• Change the cookies: You can make cookie butter with other types of crisp, crunchy cookies. Instead of speculoos, try blending Oreos, peanut butter cookies, buttery shortbread biscuits, graham crackers or vanilla wafers to discover your favorite flavor profile and sweetness level.

How to Store Cookie Butter

Store homemade cookie butter in the refrigerator, where it will keep for a few weeks. It can also be kept at room temperature, but it may not stay as fresh as long. If kept chilled, let the cookie butter sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving it, and give it a quick stir if any natural separation occurs.

Can you freeze cookie butter?

Yes, you can freeze cookie butter to extend its shelf life. Transfer the cookie butter to a freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag and freeze it for up to three months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then stir it well before serving it.

Cookie Butter Tips

Can you make cookie butter with another type of oil?

This cookie butter recipe calls for melted coconut oil, but you can use a neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola, to avoid overpowering the cookie flavor. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, which helps thicken the cookie butter to the perfect consistency. Using a liquid oil may result in a thinner, slightly greasier spread.

Can you use other kinds of cookies in this recipe?

Absolutely! While classic cookie butter is made with speculoos (Biscoff) cookies, you can experiment with other crunchy cookies, such as Oreos, peanut butter cookies, graham crackers, shortbread, vanilla wafers or crispy sugar cookies. Keep in mind that different cookies will change the flavor and texture, so experiment with small batches and start with small amounts of added oil and hot water, adjusting as needed to reach a creamy, spreadable consistency.

How can you use cookie butter?

This sweet, spiced spread is so versatile. The real question is, how can’t you use cookie butter? Enjoy it spread on toast or drizzled over fluffy pancakes or waffles. It also makes a delicious ice cream topping or dip for fresh fruit. Of course, there’s no shame in enjoying it straight from the spoon!

Can’t get enough of that spiced speculoos flavor? Turn your homemade cookie butter into dessert with no-bake cookie butter blossoms, frozen cookie butter pie, ooey-gooey s’mookies or cookie butter frosting. You can even use it in place of peanut butter in many dessert recipes. Keep in mind that cookie butter is sweeter and spicier than peanut butter, so you may want to adjust the amount of sugar or spices you add to your recipe when making the swap.