Nothing quite matches the cozy, warmly spiced hug of a good cookie butter, and this Homemade Gingersnap Cookie Butter Recipe really nails it. It’s delightfully smooth, richly buttery, and bursting with that wonderful toasty ginger flavor that feels just like home in a jar. You’ll want to keep this close!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reached for store-bought cookie butter before deciding to make my own version. Once I tried this homemade gingersnap cookie butter, I was hooked — the depth of flavor and the creamy texture are unparalleled. It’s quick to whip up, made with simple ingredients, and packs that cozy holiday vibe all year round.
- Real Brown Butter Magic: The browned butter adds a rich, nutty flavor that elevates the cookie butter far beyond what you’d get from plain melted butter.
- Customizable with Any Crisp Cookie: While I used gingersnap cookies, you can easily swap in speculoos, Biscoff, or crunchy chocolate chip cookies for your own twist.
- Speedy and Simple: From start to finish, this recipe takes under 20 minutes — perfect for last-minute gifts or a quick sweet treat.
- Ultra Creamy Texture: Smooth, sticky, and perfectly spreadable, it’s like dessert in a jar you can enjoy any way you like.
Ingredients & Why They Work
Every ingredient here plays a starring role in building the great depth and perfect texture of this homemade gingersnap cookie butter. Choosing quality butter and crispy cookies is key for success — so keep that in mind when shopping!
- Unsalted butter: Browned slowly to deepen its flavor, unsalted butter lets you control the saltiness and adds that golden toasted note.
- Boiling hot water: Helps dissolve the sugar and smooth out the cookie crumbs for that creamy texture.
- Brown sugar: Adds warmth and subtle molasses flavor, pairing beautifully with ginger.
- Gingersnap cookies: The star of the show, these add bold spiced crunch that turns creamy when blended.
- Sea salt: Just a pinch enhances the sweetness and the rich flavors without stealing the spotlight.
Make It Your Way
One of the best parts about this Homemade Gingersnap Cookie Butter Recipe is how easy it is to adjust to your taste or pantry needs. I love switching up cookies or adding a dash of extra spices depending on the season or my mood.
- Spiced Up Variation: I sometimes toss in a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg with the gingersnap cookies to deepen the festive flavor — it’s a game-changer if you love warming spices!
- Nut-Free Option: Since the butter is the only fat, this recipe is naturally nut-free. Just ensure your cookies don’t contain nuts for a safe, allergy-friendly treat.
- Less Sweet Version: If you prefer less sugar, feel free to reduce the brown sugar by half and add a splash of vanilla for flavor complexity.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Homemade Gingersnap Cookie Butter Recipe
Step 1: Brown the butter until golden and aromatic
This step is where all the magic begins — slowly melt your unsalted butter over medium heat until it starts to bubble. It will foam up, then calm down. Keep an eagle eye as it bubbles again and tiny golden brown bits appear on the bottom. That’s your cue to take it off the heat and pour immediately into a heat-safe bowl. This is what gives your cookie butter its irresistible toasted flavor.
Step 2: Dissolve the brown sugar in hot water
In a separate small bowl, mix the brown sugar with boiling water and stir until fully dissolved. This syrupy mixture adds moisture and sweetness that helps blend your cookie crumbs into a perfectly creamy base later on.
Step 3: Pulverize the gingersnap cookies
Pop those gingersnap cookies into your food processor or blender and pulse away until you have fine crumbs — no one wants big chunks in their buttery spread! This step sets the texture foundation for smoothness.
Step 4: Blend everything together until silky smooth
Add the brown sugar water mixture, sea salt, and the cooled brown butter to the food processor with the cookie crumbs. Blend everything until your cookie butter is creamy, smooth, and perfectly spreadable. Make sure your brown butter isn’t piping hot here to avoid a melted mess!
Step 5: Chill and set for best texture
Transfer your freshly made cookie butter into a jar or airtight container and pop it in the fridge for 1–2 hours. This rest helps it thicken up to that luscious, spreadable texture you’ll adore. I find a quick taste while it’s still warm too irresistible though!
Top Tip
Having made this Homemade Gingersnap Cookie Butter Recipe many times, I’ve learned a few things that really help it turn out perfectly every time — so here are my go-to tips!
- Watch Your Butter Like a Hawk: Brown butter can go from perfect to burned within seconds, so stay close and use a light-colored pan to watch those golden flecks form.
- Cookie Choice Matters: Use crisp cookies for easy pulverizing; soft cookies might make the butter too wet. Gingersnaps are a perfect balance of spicy and crunchy.
- Cool the Butter First: Adding hot butter to the food processor can cause your mixture to separate or get oily — let it cool until just warm before blending.
- Pulse Before Blending: If you want ultimate creaminess, pulse the cookies first then blend everything else to avoid any gritty texture.
How to Serve Homemade Gingersnap Cookie Butter Recipe
Garnishes
I often sprinkle a touch of crushed crystallized ginger or a tiny pinch of sea salt atop the cookie butter when serving — it adds a lovely pop of texture and flavor contrast I can’t resist. Toasted pecans on the side also pair beautifully.
Side Dishes
This cookie butter is fabulous spread on warm toast or pancakes, swirled into oatmeal, or dolloped onto roasted apples or pear slices for a simple, sweet snack. It even shines atop vanilla ice cream for a quick dessert upgrade.
Creative Ways to Present
For holiday gifts or gatherings, I love filling small glass jars and tying them with rustic twine and a cinnamon stick. Another fun idea? Serve the cookie butter alongside a cheese platter — the spicy sweetness complements aged cheeses surprisingly well.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Store your cookie butter in an airtight jar or container in the fridge where it keeps well for up to two weeks. I find keeping it chilled maintains that creamy texture without the oils separating, but you can leave it at room temperature for a few hours if you prefer it softer.
Freezing
I’ve frozen this cookie butter once or twice and it defrosts beautifully without texture loss. Just thaw it in the fridge overnight before using, then stir to smooth it back out. Perfect if you want to prep batches ahead of gift-giving season.
Reheating
If your cookie butter gets too firm in the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes or gently warm in the microwave for 10-second bursts, stirring in between. This helps it regain that perfect spreadable consistency without losing flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! This Homemade Gingersnap Cookie Butter Recipe works well with most crisp cookies like speculoos, Biscoff, shortbread, or even crunchy chocolate chip cookies. Just make sure they're dry and crisp for the best texture.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this cookie butter stays fresh for up to two weeks. For longer storage, freezing it is a great option and it thaws with no problem.
Browned butter provides a rich, nutty flavor and deeper toasted notes that melted butter simply can’t offer. It also contributes to a thicker, creamier texture in the cookie butter, making it extra indulgent.
You can easily make a vegan version by swapping unsalted butter for your favorite vegan butter and making sure the cookies you use are vegan-friendly. The rest of the ingredients stay the same, keeping it just as delicious.
Final Thoughts
This Homemade Gingersnap Cookie Butter Recipe has quickly become one of my favorite kitchen staples. It’s like a little jar of joy that you can spread, dip, or drizzle onto just about anything. Once you try it at home, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. Seriously, go make a batch and keep it within arm’s reach — your future self will thank you.
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Homemade Gingersnap Cookie Butter Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 16 oz
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Description
This homemade cookie butter recipe transforms crisp gingersnap cookies into a smooth, creamy, and flavorful spread infused with rich brown butter. Perfect as a decadent spread or addition to desserts, it combines the warm spices of cookies with a deep toasted buttery taste for a delightful treat you can make in under 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Butter Mixture
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup boiling hot water
Cookie Mixture
- 10 oz gingersnap cookies
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (packed)
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare Brown Butter: Add the unsalted butter into a small saucepan and heat on medium until melted. Continue heating as the butter bubbles and foams, stirring gently to prevent burning. Once it bubbles again and you see small bits turning golden brown, immediately remove from heat and pour into a heat-safe bowl to cool until warm.
- Dissolve Sugar: Combine the brown sugar and boiling hot water in a small bowl. Stir well until the sugar completely dissolves. Set aside until ready to use.
- Process Cookies: Place the gingersnap cookies into a food processor or blender and pulse until they form fine crumbs. Add the sugar and hot water mixture to the processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Combine and Blend: Add the sea salt and warm but not hot brown butter into the food processor with the cookie mixture. Blend thoroughly until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy with no lumps remaining.
- Chill and Set: Transfer the cookie butter into a container or jar. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours until the cookie butter thickens and sets to a spreadable consistency.
Notes
- The brown butter adds a rich, toasted flavor and creamy texture to the cookie butter.
- You can substitute gingersnap cookies with Speculoos, Biscoff, Oreos, shortbread, or crunchy chocolate chip cookies for different flavor profiles.
- Ensure the brown butter is cooled to warm before adding to the food processor to avoid melting the mixture too much.
- This recipe yields approximately 16 oz (500 mL) of cookie butter, equivalent to about 34 tablespoons.
- Store homemade cookie butter in the refrigerator and consume within 1 week for best freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- 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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