Cookie butter is an amazingly delicious spread for pastry. It’s like creamy cookies you can add to your breakfast toast without worrying about a peanut allergy.
For those who may not be familiar with it and want to give it a try, one question always lingers in their mind. What does it really taste like?
Well, for starters, cookie butter is made from Belgian speculoos cookies, making it taste a bit like gingerbread. The cookies are also mixed with vegetable oils, giving the butter a sweet and spicy flavor and a peanut butter-like texture.
In this article, I will try to describe the taste of cookie butter based on the ones I have encountered and the descriptions given by other cookie butter lovers I know.
Read on to learn some tasty treats you can make with this exotic Belgian dessert.
Where Did Cookie Butter Come From?
When you think of Belgian cuisine, you think of elegance and sophistication- blonde ale moules-frites and Liège waffles are some things that might come to mind. But did you know that cookie butter is also a Belgian innovation?
Cookie butter is a relatively new product, having hit the shelves in the late 2000s. In 2007, a woman in a Belgian cooking competition made the cookie butter recipe.
She was later approached by Lotus Bakeries (Known as Lotus Biscoff in the States and the UK) to help them make cookie butter part of their line of products.
Although Lotus Bakeries had initially patented the cookie butter recipe, the monopoly was later lifted, allowing many companies to capitalize on the delicious dessert.
Some of the most popular brands of cookie butter in the US are Trader Joe’s and Roland.
What Does Cookie Butter Taste Good On?
Cookie butter tastes good on almost everything. It’s like adding a good treat and adding a cookie flavor. Here are some of our favorite things to spread cookie butter on:
1. Toast
When we talk about spreading butter, toast is the first thing that comes to mind. Toast with cookie butter tastes just as good (if not better) as toast with peanut butter spread.
You can have it with your favorite glass of juice or milk for breakfast or pack it as a sandwich for lunch.
2. Waffles and Pancakes
Cookie butter is such an unexpected and delicious spread for waffles and pancakes. It spices up the dull taste in these pastries and makes them appetizing.
Spread a generous amount of cookie butter on pumpkin waffles and experience the magical combination for yourself!
3. Apple Slices
Yes! Cookie butter doesn’t just taste good on pastry. You can spread a thin layer of Biscoff cookie butter on an apple slice.
The combination of the sweet and tart taste from the apples and cookie butter’s gingerbread-like texture is set to leave you craving for more.
4. Yogurt and Fruit Parfait
Do you enjoy a yogurt and fruit parfait for breakfast? If so, you can use cookie butter as a topping for a fruit salad, granola, and yogurt parfait. It adds flavor and nutrition, making the parfait a wholesome meal, ideal for breakfast.
5. Sandwich Cookies
While cookie butter might taste like cookies, it doesn’t mean you can’t spread it on them. The spread makes a good filling for sandwich chocolate and vanilla flavored cookies.
Cookie Butter Vs. Peanut Butter Taste
Cookie butter is made from crunchy Belgian speculoos cookies, which give it a slight gingerbread-like taste. The cookies are also ground and mixed with vegetable oils, giving it a creamy consistency.
On the other hand, Peanut butter has a nutty taste, although peanuts are legumes and not nuts. This flavor can be a bit earthy with a slightly savory quality. Like margarine, most peanut butter also tends to be a little salty and sweet.
What Is Cookie Butter Used For?
The list of cookie butter uses is endless. This is because people keep coming up with creative ways to use the mouth-watering spread. Here are some of our favorite ways to use cookie butter.
1. Snacking
Cookie butter is a stellar snack on its own or with other ingredients. You can actually pick up the jar and start scooping it as a snack. It feels like eating soft, creamy cookies.
You can also spread it on apple slices, graham crackers, or pretzels. The crunchy variety of cookie butter is especially good on apple slices.
Some people also like spreading cookie butter on candy bars, so it tastes like they’re eating candy and cookies at the same time. Here are a few other exciting ways to snack on cookie butter:
- As an oreo frosting.
- Smeared on a bagel, topped with frosted flakes.
- Mixed with chocolate chip.
Basically, only your imagination limits you when it comes to snacking on cookie butter.
2. Spreading on Pastry
Cookie butter, just like other kinds of butter, is an excellent spread for pastry. If it was baked from wheat flour, you can probably spread cookie butter on it!
Many people enjoy spreading cookie butter on pancakes and waffles. You can dress up frozen waffles with a generous cookie butter spread for a satisfyingly crunchy texture and salty, sweet taste.
Of course, we can’t talk about spreading butter without mentioning toast. In fact, spreading cookie butter on breakfast toast is its most popular use.
It tastes more adventurous than peanut butter, which makes it more appetizing for people who have trouble eating in the morning.
3. Baking
Instead of just spreading cookie butter on pastry, you can use it to make the pastry. You can use cookie butter to replace peanut butter in any pastry. Here are two of our favorite cookie butter baking recipes.
Cookie Butter Cookies
Using cookie butter to make cookies might sound like reverse engineering, but the results are surprising, especially if you enjoy cookies with Biscoff spread.
Brown Butter Cookie Butter Snickerdoodles
This tasty, kid-friendly treat works great for birthdays and special occasions. You can work the cookie butter into the recipe and later spread it on the ready snickerdoodles.
Cookie Butter-Swirled Banana Bread
This is a beginner-friendly breakfast bread made from extra-ripe bananas, a generous scoop of sour cream, and cookie butter. Once it’s ready, you can slice it and spread more cookie butter for a softer texture.
Cookie Butter Ingredients
Cookie butter ingredients might vary slightly depending on the brand and flavor. Homemade cookie butter might also use different ingredients from factory-manufactured cookie spread. However, the main ingredients are the same in all cookie butter recipes.
Here are the main ingredients of Trader Joe’s cookie butter:
- 57% Speculoos (Wheat flour, margarine, candy sugar, palm oil, coconut oil, canola oil, water, rapeseed oil)
- Salt.
- Citric acid.
- Lactic acid.
- Non-dairy butter flavor.
- Sugar syrup.
- Raising agent (Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate).
- Color added (Beta carotene).
- Vegetable mono-and diglucireds from fatty acids.
Here’s a breakdown of the nutritional profile:
| Item | Quantity |
| Fat | 6g |
| Saturated fat | 1.5g |
| Trans fat | 0mg |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Fiber | 0g |
| Total carbs | 8g |
| sugar | 5g |
| Sodium | omg |
Common Types of Cookie Butter Tastes You Will Find in the US
There are several cookie butter brands in the US. Let’s look at the major ones and how they taste:
Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter Taste
Trader Joe’s is America’s leading cookie butter brand, and part of its success comes from its distinctive taste. A jar of Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie butter is basically a cookie but in spreadable form.
Since it’s made from Speculoos cookies (shortbread spice cookies from Belgium or the Netherlands), it tastes faintly like gingerbread.
The added vegetable oils also give the spread a peanut butter-like consistency. It’s, therefore, a little sweet and salty.
Biscoff Cookie Butter Taste
Lotus Biscoff had the original cookie butter recipe patent. As a result, you can bet they know how to make the stuff. Although their cookie butter is second to Trader Joe’s in popularity in the US, the taste and quality are still impeccable.
Some call it the creamy version of a cookie because it’s sweet like a cookie but has a smooth texture like peanut butter, albeit a bit dryer and grainy. It leaves a sweet taste in the mouth like the traditional biscoff cookies it’s named after.
Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie and Cocoa Swirl Spread Taste
This is another delicious spread in Trader Joe’s line of products. It’s also made from Speculoos, so it retains the gingerbread taste but is enriched by the cocoa swirl.
The taste is a bit too rich for some people but is enjoyed immensely by those with a sweet tooth.
Cookies and Cream Cookie Butter Taste
Cookies and Cream is a new type of cookie butter from Protein Powder. It encompasses all the things we love about cookie butter and adds a spin of deep chocolate flavor.
If you like chocolate flavor, cookies and cream cookie butter is a must-try.
Read Also: What Do Wild Bananas Taste Like?
So, Does Cookie Butter Taste Good?
Cookie butter definitely tastes good. Its creamy texture and sweet, spicy flavor make it a compelling alternative to peanut butter. You can spread it on pastry, use it for baking or even scoop it out of the jar with a spoon.
Additionally, if you have a peanut allergy but would still like to enjoy a PB&J sandwich, cookie butter is the closest you can get.
Where to Buy Cookie Butter in the Us
Although cookie butter was a Belgian invention, Americans have warmed up to it and owned it. You can find different American brands of cookie butter in retail stores, supermarkets, or grocery stores. For those who like to do their shopping online, you can also order it on all the major sites, including Amazon and Target.
Pingback: Is Peanut Butter a Dairy Product? (Is it Lactose-Free?)