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Make all your sweet dreams come true with this creamy, delicious, and healthy Cookie Butter! Use it as a spread, dip, frosting, or just lick it off a spoon. It’s so good!!
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Cookie butter is a spread made from ground up spice cookies with a consistency like nut butter. The cookies have a taste similar to gingerbread cookies. It’s spectacular.
This recipe is a homemade healthy version of cookie butter. It’s almost as easy to make as my Edible Sugar Cookie Dough. After soaking some cashews, it takes just a few minutes in a food processor to purée until smooth.
Spread it on toast or crackers or use as a dip for fresh fruit. So so good!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Cashews ~ Since cookie butter is so similar to nut butter, we are using nuts in this vegan version of healthy cookie butter.
I use raw, unsalted cashews. You could use roasted, unsalted cashews, too. Soaking them for 20 minutes or so will soften them up and help them blend up super smooth.
Cashews are mild in flavor and blend up super creamy, but you could try using almonds or pecans if you prefer. For a nut-free option, try sunflower seeds.
You could also use 1 cup of nut butter, like cashew butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter instead of raw nuts.
Molasses ~ Molasses is a key component of that wonderful gingerbread flavor. I like robust molasses. Regular molasses or dark molasses are perfect as well. I wouldn’t suggest using blackstrap molasses as it is a much stronger and more bitter taste.
Sweetener ~ Pure maple syrup sweetens up this creamy spread.
Spices ~ Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves are classic gingerbread spices. You can adjust the amounts to your liking. A pinch of salt balances the flavors.
Oil ~ I like a drizzle of oil in this recipe to help keep it smooth and spreadable. You can skip the oil and add some non-dairy milk, as needed, to thin it out.
How to make the recipe
Please scroll down to the recipe card for exact ingredient measurements and instructions.
Soak the cashews in hot water for about 20 minutes. Drain.
Place the soaked cashews and all other ingredients in a food processor.
Blend until smooth. Stop to scrape down the sides as necessary. You’ll likely need to do this several times to ensure all the ingredients are blended properly.
Taste and adjust the spice or sweetness, as needed.
How to serve
You can use this healthy cookie butter just like you would the Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter or Biscoff Cookie Butter.
Spread it on your breakfast toast, dip apple slices or cinnamon sugar pita chips in it, slather it on graham crackers, frost your cupcakes with it, put a dollop on your oatmeal, add it to smoothies, or lick it from your spoon!
The possibilities are endless really.
If you love sweet dips make sure to check out my Sweet Pumpkin Hummus, Creamy Cranberry Jalapeño Dip, and Maple Walnut Cream Cheese!
Storage
Fridge: Store leftovers in an air-tight container or mason jar in the fridge for 7 to 10 days. The spread will stiffen up as it sits in the fridge. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes or so to soften and become more spreadable.
Freezer: You can also freeze these healthy cookie butter. It should keep well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Pro tips and tricks
~ Soak the cashews in hot water so they blend up smooth and creamy.
~ The amount of spices used creates the perfect gingerbread flavor – not too strong, not too mild. However, I realize the potency of these spices vary from brand to brand and some people are more sensitive to these strong flavors than others. Adjust the amount of spices to your particular tastes.
~ If the mixture is too thick, add non-dairy milk or water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to reach the desired consistency.
~ Store the homemade cookie butter in the fridge. It may stiffen up when it gets cold. Let it sit on the counter at room temperature for a few minutes until spreadable.
~ For an oil-free option, use non-dairy milk instead of oil until the desired consistency is reached.
FAQs
Cookie butter is a spread similar to nut butter, but made with crushed up spice cookies instead of nuts.
The original cookie butter is made from crushed up cookies. While delicious, it’s not very healthy. This homemade healthy cookie butter recipe uses nuts as a base instead of cookies. The gingersnap cookie flavor is added in the form of molasses and and classic gingerbread spices, like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
This healthy cookie butter is so tasty spread onto toast, pancakes, or crackers, as a dip for apples or other fresh fruit, as a frosting on cake or cupcakes, or simply eaten straight off of a spoon!
More vegan gingerbread treats
And you’ll love these Chocolate Molasses Cookies, too!
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Homemade Healthy Cookie Butter
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons regular or robust molasses not blackstrap
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- non-dairy milk or water as needed, to thin
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain.
- Add the soaked cashews and all remaining ingredients to a food processor. Purée until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, to ensure all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- If the mixture is too thick, add non-dairy milk or water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, processing after each addition, until the desired consistency is reached.
Notes
The recipe makes about 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups. Nutrition facts calculated based on 2 tablespoons per serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Sarah
Yum! I love anything and everything gingerbread this time of the year and this sounds like an amazing treat1
Jenn S.
Me too!! Love those spices!
Ginny McMeans
Oh my word! What a fantastic recipe. I can’t wait to start spreading that on my toast!
Jenn S.
You should definitely try it, Ginny! So good! Thanks!
Amanda | Chew Town
I love the idea of combining a delicious nut butter with gingerbread spices! This dish looks and sounds incredible.
Jenn S.
Thanks, Amanda! So easy, yet so incredibly delicious!
Jacque Hastert
I could go for some on a slice of toast right now.
Jenn S.
I hope you get a chance to try it. So good!
Cliona Keane
This sounds perfect for Christmas morning! Delicious!
Jenn S.
Thanks, Cliona! I love it on toast!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
This is amazing! Cashews are in my top 3 favorite foods…and gingerbread?! Forget it! This must be delicious! XOXO
sebestyen2
Right?! I could eat it by the spoonfuls! Hope you enjoy!