Cookie Butter

This recipe was a total happy accident. I was looking to make a chocolate hazelnut spread (aka: Nutella) for one of my pop-up dinners a couple of weeks back, which I’ve done many times before. However, when I added in the maple syrup, the creamy consistency quickly turned thick + started to “seize”– not a fun word in the baking world. Basically, any water-based liquid will cause the oil molecules to bind together, away from the water, forming a thicker, clumpier situation. I had forgotten about this minor detail.

Now, at the time, I was looking for a thin consistency so I immediately dubbed it a “fail” and headed to the store for more nuts. The thing is, this concoction still tasted amazing and reminded me of cookie dough. And that’s when it hit me: COOKIE BUTTER. If you’re not familiar, Trader Joe’s has cookie butter in a jar. And here’s the catch: I’ve never actually tasted it (I’m not a big fan of the ingredients, but also scared that I’ll eat the whole jar in one sitting).

So while I may never know if it comes close to theirs, I’m pretty content eating this cookie butter with a spoon until further notice. Think cookies with nut butter in one delicious spread. YUM.

*Tip: you can also roll it into little balls and toss them into the fridge for a handheld snack. It tastes like chilled cookie dough & I’m sure some chocolate chips mixed in would not hurt anybody!

INGREDIENTS:

(makes about 2 cups)

2 cups unsalted hazelnuts
1 cup unsalted cashews
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
dash of cinnamon

RECIPE:

Roast hazelnuts + cashews on a sheet pan at 350 for about 8 minutes, until fragrant. Even if the nuts are already roasted, this heats them up and helps to break down quicker.

*Quick note: I buy most all nuts from Trader Joes and their hazelnuts come [almost] fully peeled. But if you can only locate unpeeled ones, that’s fine. After you roast, a lot of the skins will fall right off (especially if you rub them in a damp towel). Regardless- skin on or off will not make or break the recipe!

Add nuts to food processor (let them cool for a couple of minutes) and process. It will take about 8-10 minutes in total to turn them into a nut butter. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed. Right when you think it’s not working, things will shift! So be patient.

Once it’s turned into a smooth butter, add in the rest of ingredients and processes to combine. It will thicken up a little bit at this point.

Store in an air tight container either in a cupboard or in the fridge. Best of luck not eating the whole jar with a spoon!

Other ways to enjoy: roll into balls and make little grab + go snacks, eat with apples or pretzels, put on top of ice cream, mix into cookie recipe, etc.