This isn’t just tastier than store-bought jars—it’s more affordable too! You can make it with your favorite cookies, whether it’s crunchy gingersnaps, luscious vanilla wafers, or the traditional speculoos. This recipe is flexible enough to let you customize the consistency and texture to your liking, whether you prefer it smooth or chunky. Plus, it’s perfect for spreading on toast, drizzling over pancakes, or eating straight from the spoon.

Why Our Recipe

  • More delicious and less expensive than store-bought jars.
  • Flexible on which cookies you use so you can play with your own favorites.
  • Did we mention how delicious cookie butter is?

An overhead view of two pieces of toast on a plate slathered with homemade cookie butter.

The craze for cookie butter! It’s popular and not something that is always available at every grocery store so why not make it from home?  My kids love it and it’s something that they get in their stocking at Christmas time, but for those that don’t live where there is a Trader Joe’s, this homemade recipe will be the next best thing.

Ingredient Notes

An overhead view of the ingredients needed to make homemade cookie butter.
  • Cookies: Biscoff (speculoos) cookies are the traditional choice, but they can be hard to find depending on where you live. Gingersnaps are a great substitute, and ‘Nilla wafers would make for an excellent smooth vanilla flavor.
  • Salted Butter: Helps bind the ingredients together and enriches the spread’s creamy texture, adding a subtle savory balance to the sweetness.
  • Hot Water: Use extra to adjust the consistency of your cookie butter if you need to thin it out.
  • Honey: Can be substituted with sweetened condensed milk, maple syrup, or even molasses if you want those rich dark undertones.
  • Breakfast Flair: spread on toast, bagels, or English muffins. It’s also fantastic drizzled over waffles or pancakes.
  • Dip It: grab some fresh apple slices, pretzels, or even cookies, and dip them right into the jar. That’s right, cookies on cookies. It’s acceptable.
  • Drizzle It: use it as an ice cream topping, swirl it into yogurt, or use it as a filling for crepes.
  • Bake with It: use it as a filling for pastries and cinnamon rolls. Can you even imagine how delicious cookie butter cinnamon rolls are?
  • Dessert Sandwiches: spread on sandwiches with fresh fruit or jam. Bananas and berries are delicious. Or make a fluffernutter-style sandwich with marshmallow fluff and cookie butter. Oh, baby!
A collage image showing four different stages of making homemade cookie butter.

Chunky or Smooth?

Just like peanut butter, some like it smooth, some like it chunky. It’s all about how you blend it.

For a smooth texture, blend until the cookies become very fine crumbs, adding a bit more hot water if needed to achieve a creamy consistency.

For a chunky texture, pulse the cookies to a coarse crumb. You can even stir in some reserved cookie pieces after blending the other ingredients to make it extra chunky.

Storage Instructions

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 7 days; the pantry is fine for short-term storage.

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Note that the cookie butter will harden and not be as spreadable so bring it to room temperature before using or spread it on something hot.

Treat yo’self to some more delicious dessert spreads…