Ah, the holidays: a season of reunions with distant relatives, running from one gathering to the next, and soothing frazzled nerves with comfort food. For many of us the choice between showing up at every event and staying home in sweatpants with a comfort movie can feel impossible. Sometimes the socially acceptable decision loses out to the siren call of staying cozy — and then the cookie butter appears.
I didn’t understand the appeal of spreadable cookies until I tried a jar of Biscoff Cookie Spread. At first I thought, “Cookies as a spread? Odd.” Then I tasted it and the idea clicked: why not spread cookie flavor across bread, swirl it into ice cream, or blend it into a milkshake? The concept was brilliant.
That got me thinking: what if cookie butter were made from a cookie I truly love — gingersnaps? I bought a box of crisp gingersnaps, pulsed them in the food processor until they were a fine powder, and then worked to make them spreadable. A little water softened the crumbs, neutral oil brought a silky richness, and confectioners’ sugar helped bind and sweeten the spread just enough. The result was a Gingersnap Cookie Butter that captured every warm note of ginger and molasses from the cookies, but in a silky, spreadable form.
Spread on toast it felt like silk. Warmed and drizzled over vanilla ice cream it was beyond indulgent — intensely flavorful and utterly addictive. My kids couldn’t resist cleaning the food processor bowl with apple wedges and their fingers. (Yes, I removed the blade first — and yes, I did sneak a spoonful over the sink.)
Gingersnap Cookie Butter also makes a thoughtful hostess gift during the holidays, if you can resist eating it all before you arrive.
Cook’s Notes
- Choose crisp gingersnaps with bold flavor: the stronger the cookie, the more pronounced the cookie butter will be.
- Grind the cookies to a fine powder before adding liquids. This step is essential for a smooth, silky texture.
- Store cookie butter in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator. It should keep up to two weeks.
- Serving ideas beyond straight-from-the-jar spooning: warm and drizzle over ice cream, pound cake, coffee cake, pancakes, or waffles. Use it as a dip for pretzels (surprisingly delicious), apple slices, carrot sticks, or celery. Try it as a filling between cookies for a cookies-on-cookies treat.
Gingersnap Cookie Butter
Rebecca Lindamood
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound gingersnap cookies
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup neutral oil vegetable, canola, or grapeseed
- 3 to 8 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
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Add the gingersnap cookies to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until the cookies are finely powdered. With the machine running, remove the feed tube and slowly drizzle in the water and oil. Stop the machine, scrape down the sides, and add 3 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar. Process until fully incorporated. Taste and check the consistency: if you prefer it sweeter, add confectioners’ sugar one tablespoon at a time, processing after each addition, until it reaches your desired sweetness. Transfer the cookie butter to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use if needed.
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This post is part of a daily November posting challenge. Follow along for more recipes, family stories, and occasional giveaways throughout the month.