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    Home » Recipes » Dips, Dressings, Sauces and Spreads

    Homemade Healthy Cookie Butter

    Published: Dec 20, 2014 · Modified: Nov 15, 2022 by Jenn Sebestyen

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Bowl of healthy cookie butter on a plate with sliced apples and graham crackers.
    Two apple slices in a bowl of cookie butter next to a cup of coffee and stack of toast.
    Two apple slices in a bowl of cookie butter next to a cup of coffee and stack of toast.

    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!!

    Bowl of healthy cookie butter on a plate with sliced apples and graham crackers.

    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!

    Table of Contents hide
    1 Ingredients you need
    2 How to make the recipe
    3 How to serve
    4 Storage
    5 Pro tips and tricks
    6 FAQs
    7 More vegan gingerbread treats
    8 Homemade Healthy Cookie Butter

    Ingredients you need

    Recipe ingredients arrayed in individual bowls.

    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

    For exact ingredient measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.

    Raw cashews soaking in a bowl of water.
    Ingredients in a food processor.
    Ingredients puréed and smooth in a food processor.

    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.

    Gingerbread cookie butter in a small jar with a wood spoon.

    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 your apples 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.

    Two slices of toast with spiced cashew butter.

    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.

    Cookie butter in a bowl on a plate with apples and crackers next to coffee and toast.

    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.

    Piece of toast with cookie butter spread and apple slices.

    FAQs

    What is cookie butter?

    Cookie butter is a spread similar to nut butter, but made with crushed up spice cookies instead of nuts.

    Is cookie butter healthy?

    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.

    What is the best way to eat cookie butter?

    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!

    Two apple slices in a bowl of cookie butter next to a cup of coffee and stack of toast.

    More vegan gingerbread treats

    • Gingerbread Granola
    • Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal
    • Vegan Gingerbread Cake
    • Chocolate Molasses Cookies

    I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.

    Be sure to sign up for my FREE Newsletter to be the first to get my NEW recipes! You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.


    For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!

    Bowl of healthy cookie butter on a plate with sliced apples and graham crackers.

    Homemade Healthy Cookie Butter

    This gingerbread butter can be used as a spread, a dip, a frosting or even a sauce if you melt it a bit. Try it on toast, graham crackers, apples, cupcakes, oatmeal, bananas, a spoon…
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dips, Dressings, Sauces and Spreads, Snacks
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 165kcal
    Author: Jenn Sebestyen

    Recommended Equipment

    • Food Processor

    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

    ~ 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.

    The recipe makes about 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups. Nutrition facts calculated based on 2 tablespoons per serving.
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 4mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g

    Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.

    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @Veggie_Inspired or tag #VeggieInspired!
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    Comments

    1. Sarah says

      December 11, 2017 at 7:40 pm

      Yum! I love anything and everything gingerbread this time of the year and this sounds like an amazing treat1

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        December 11, 2017 at 9:07 pm

        Me too!! Love those spices!

        Reply
    2. Ginny McMeans says

      December 11, 2017 at 6:09 pm

      Oh my word! What a fantastic recipe. I can’t wait to start spreading that on my toast!5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        December 11, 2017 at 9:07 pm

        You should definitely try it, Ginny! So good! Thanks!

        Reply
    3. Amanda | Chew Town says

      December 11, 2017 at 6:00 pm

      I love the idea of combining a delicious nut butter with gingerbread spices! This dish looks and sounds incredible.

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        December 11, 2017 at 9:07 pm

        Thanks, Amanda! So easy, yet so incredibly delicious!

        Reply
    4. Jacque Hastert says

      December 11, 2017 at 4:40 pm

      I could go for some on a slice of toast right now.5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        December 11, 2017 at 4:54 pm

        I hope you get a chance to try it. So good!

        Reply
    5. Cliona Keane says

      December 11, 2017 at 4:10 pm

      This sounds perfect for Christmas morning! Delicious!5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        December 11, 2017 at 4:25 pm

        Thanks, Cliona! I love it on toast!

        Reply
    6. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      December 21, 2014 at 2:00 pm

      This is amazing! Cashews are in my top 3 favorite foods…and gingerbread?! Forget it! This must be delicious! XOXO

      Reply
      • sebestyen2 says

        December 21, 2014 at 2:02 pm

        Right?! I could eat it by the spoonfuls! Hope you enjoy!

        Reply

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    Jenn Sebestyen of Veggie Inspired

    Hi, I'm Jenn! This is where I share delicious plant based recipes for the whole family. I love to cook; I can read cookbooks like novels; and I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen by making standard American favorites healthier.

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