There’s something truly magical about the warm, spiced flavor of cookie butter—especially when it’s homemade from scratch. This Homemade Cookie Butter with Gingersnap Cookies Recipe combines rich browned butter with the spicy crunch of gingersnaps, creating a luscious spread that’s perfect for pancakes, toast, or just a spoonful on its own.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients & Why They Work
- Make It Your Way
- Step-by-Step: How I Make Homemade Cookie Butter with Gingersnap Cookies Recipe
- Top Tip
- How to Serve Homemade Cookie Butter with Gingersnap Cookies Recipe
- Make Ahead and Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions:
- Final Thoughts
- Homemade Cookie Butter with Gingersnap Cookies Recipe
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Every time I make this homemade cookie butter, the whole kitchen fills with the cozy aroma of browned butter and ginger. It’s comfort food in the best form—decadent, but so simple. Plus, it’s crazy versatile and will quickly become a pantry staple you'll want around.
- Deep Toasted Flavor: Browning the butter adds a nutty richness you don’t get from plain melted butter.
- Spiced Sweetness: Using gingersnap cookies gives this spread a perfect blend of warmth and sweetness that’s just irresistible.
- Quick and Easy: You’ll have this ready in under 20 minutes with just a few simple steps and ingredients.
- Endless Uses: It’s a fantastic spread, dip, or mix-in for all kinds of desserts and snacks.
Ingredients & Why They Work
This recipe perfectly balances richness, spice, and sweetness. Each ingredient plays a key role, and understanding why helps you customize it just the way you like.
- Unsalted Butter: Browning the butter transforms it, giving the cookie butter a deep, complex flavor and creamy texture.
- Boiling Hot Water: Helps dissolve the sugar and blend the cookie crumbs smoothly for that unbeatable creamy consistency.
- Brown Sugar: Adds a warm caramel note and pleasant sweetness that complements the gingersnaps.
- Gingersnap Cookies: The star of the show — they bring that signature spiced crunch and aroma that's essential for this recipe.
- Sea Salt: Just a pinch to enhance the sweetness and balance all those delicious flavors.
Make It Your Way
I love experimenting with different cookies in this recipe, and honestly, you should too! It’s such a forgiving recipe that allows you to personalize the flavor and texture based on your favorite cookies and sweetness preferences.
- Variation: I once swapped out gingersnaps for speculoos cookies, and it turned into an entirely different but equally delightful spread with that classic caramelized spice depth.
- Dairy-Free Option: Try using vegan butter to make a dairy-free version—you won’t believe how creamy it still gets!
- Texture Preference: For chunkier cookie butter, pulse your cookies less in the food processor; for ultra smooth, blend longer until velvety.
- Extra Spice Boost: Add a pinch of cinnamon or ground cloves if you like your cookie butter with a little extra holiday flair.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Homemade Cookie Butter with Gingersnap Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Brown the Butter Just Right
Start by melting your unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Watch closely as it foams and then begins to brown—it’s a bit like magic happening under your nose. Stir gently to prevent burning. Once you notice tiny golden brown bits and the aroma becomes nutty and intoxicating, remove it from heat immediately and pour into a heat-safe bowl to cool just until warm. This step is key for that deep toasted flavor!
Step 2: Dissolve the Sugar
While the butter cools, mix the brown sugar with boiling hot water in a small bowl or cup. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. This syrupy mixture helps blend your cookie crumbs into a smooth, spreadable butter—no gritty sugar mush here.
Step 3: Process the Cookies
Pop your gingersnap cookies into a food processor or blender, and pulse until they’re fine crumbs. This part is fun because you get to control the texture—just be sure to get them fine enough so the cookie butter will be silky. Then add the sugar-water mixture and blend until everything is creamy and smooth.
Step 4: Blend in Butter and Salt
Once your browned butter has cooled (but is still warm), add it to the food processor along with the sea salt. Blend everything together until you reach that luscious, creamy texture that’s just irresistible—smooth, spreadable, and a little sticky. Transfer your homemade cookie butter into a jar or airtight container and pop it in the fridge for 1-2 hours to let it set and thicken.
Top Tip
Making this homemade cookie butter with gingersnap cookies recipe has taught me just how important timing and temperature are. Here are some tips to ensure you get that smooth, dreamy texture every time.
- Butter Browning Watch: Don’t walk away! Butter can go from perfectly browned to burnt in seconds, which will ruin your flavor.
- Cooling Butter: Make sure the browned butter is warm, not hot, before adding it to the processor—too hot and it melts the mixture, making it runny.
- Cookie Texture: Use crisp, firm cookies for the best blend. Soft or chewy cookies don’t give you that classic cookie butter feel.
- Pulse Increments: Pulse your cookies in short bursts at first; it’s easier to control the crumb size than to fix an over-processed texture.
How to Serve Homemade Cookie Butter with Gingersnap Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
When I serve this cookie butter, a sprinkle of crushed gingersnap crumbs or a light dusting of cinnamon on top adds a charming touch. Sometimes, a drizzle of honey or a quick swirl of whipped cream takes it from great to show-stopping, especially for guests.
Side Dishes
You can never go wrong pairing homemade cookie butter with fresh fruit like apple slices or pear wedges—it balances the richness beautifully. I also love spreading it on toast with a side of scrambled eggs for an indulgent breakfast.
Creative Ways to Present
For parties, I like to serve this cookie butter in mini mason jars tied with rustic twine and a little wooden spoon. Another favorite is layering it into parfaits with yogurt and granola—super easy but looks impressive and tastes even better.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I store leftover cookie butter in an airtight jar in the fridge, where it keeps beautifully for up to two weeks. Just give it a good stir before serving if it’s sat for a few days—sometimes the oils separate a little, but a quick mix fixes it right up.
Freezing
I haven’t frozen this cookie butter myself very often, but I imagine storing it in a freezer-safe container would work well for longer storage. Just thaw it slowly in the fridge overnight and stir to restore the creamy texture before using.
Reheating
If your cookie butter firms up too much in the fridge, let it come to room temperature for 10-15 minutes or gently warm it in the microwave for 10-second bursts. Stir in between until it’s spreadable again—avoid overheating which can make it oily.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! While gingersnaps give a lovely spiced touch, you can experiment with speculoos, Biscoff, shortbread, or even crunchy chocolate chip cookies. Just make sure they’re crisp for the best texture.
Stored in a sealed container, homemade cookie butter stays fresh for about two weeks. Stir it before each use to keep the texture creamy and smooth.
Yes, simply swap unsalted butter for your favorite dairy-free or vegan butter substitute. The texture and flavor remain wonderfully creamy and satisfying.
If the browned butter is too hot when you add it to the food processor, it can melt the cookie crumbs and cause the mixture to be too runny. Cooling it to a warm temperature helps achieve the ideal creamy but spreadable consistency.
Final Thoughts
This Homemade Cookie Butter with Gingersnap Cookies Recipe holds a special place in my kitchen—warm, comforting, and wildly addictive. It’s an easy recipe that feels fancy but doesn’t stress you out, perfect for gifting or treating yourself. Give it a try, and I promise you’ll reach for it again and again!
Print
Homemade Cookie Butter with Gingersnap Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 34 tablespoons
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Homemade Cookie Butter recipe creates an ultra creamy, smooth, and sticky spread with the delightful taste of toasted, spiced cookies. Featuring brown butter for a deep toasted flavor and thick texture, it's perfect as a spread or in desserts. Made with gingersnap cookies but easily customizable with various crunchy cookies, this recipe is quick and simple to prepare in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Butter Mixture
- ½ cup unsalted butter
Sugar Mixture
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (packed)
- ½ cup boiling hot water
Cookie Mixture
- 10 oz gingersnap cookies
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Melt the Butter: Add the unsalted butter into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until melted. Continue heating as it bubbles and foams, stirring gently to prevent burning. Once you see little bits of golden brown forming, immediately remove from heat and pour into a heat-safe bowl to cool until warm.
- Prepare Sugar Mixture: In a separate small bowl or cup, combine the brown sugar and boiling hot water. Stir well until the sugar dissolves completely and set aside.
- Process the Cookies: Place the gingersnap cookies into a food processor or blender. Pulse or blend until they become fine crumbs.
- Add Sugar Mixture: Pour the hot water and brown sugar mixture into the food processor with cookie crumbs. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Incorporate Salt and Brown Butter: Add the sea salt and the warm (not hot) brown butter into the food processor. Blend everything until fully smooth and creamy.
- Chill and Set: Transfer the cookie butter into a container or jar and refrigerate for about 1 to 2 hours until thickened and set to your desired consistency.
Notes
- The brown butter adds a rich, toasted depth of flavor and creaminess to the cookie butter.
- You can substitute gingersnap cookies with Speculoos, Biscoff, Oreos, shortbread cookies, crunchy chocolate chip cookies, or any other firm, crisp cookie.
- Use a heat-safe bowl to cool the brown butter to avoid melting the food processor blades during blending.
- This recipe yields about 16 oz (500 mL) of cookie butter, approximately 34 tablespoons.
- Store the cookie butter in the fridge and use it as a spread or for baking and desserts.
- Make sure to blend thoroughly for a smooth and creamy texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 61 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 0.5 g
- Cholesterol: 7 mg
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