Cookie butter is just as magical and delicious as it sounds, maybe even more so. The sweet spread has been enjoyed by Americans since 2011, but Europeans have known and loved it for much longer. It is often enjoyed the same way peanut butter is – in cookies, on toast, or straight out of the jar. If you follow a vegan diet, however, you will probably want to make sure it is safe for you before you dig in like the rest of us.
Cookie butter is often vegan, but not always. It’s made from pulverized spiced cookies, oil, flour, and sugar. However, some brands, such as Jules Destrooper, also contain milk and eggs. Be sure to double check the label before purchasing cookie butter. The best healthier vegan alternatives are Abby’s Better French Toast Pecan Butter and Wild Friends Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter.
In this article, we will discuss popular types of cookie butter, as well as the ingredients (to determine whether or not it is a vegan-friendly brand) and nutritional values for each of them. We will also discuss some vegan-friendly alternatives to cookie butter. Let’s dig in!
Contents
Is Cookie Butter Healthy?
Despite its name, cookie butter is actually more nutritious than you might think. It is at least healthier than nutella, anyway.
One tablespoon of cookie butter has ten fewer calories and half the sugar than that of nutella. The ten calorie difference might not seem like a big deal, but if you are consuming these products on a regular basis the calories will add up.
However, with that being said, most cookie butter contains a lot of vegetable oils. While vegetable oil can be heart-healthy in small amounts, it can also have the exact opposite effect on the body and increase your risk of heart problems when consumed in large amounts.
Popular Brands Of Cookie Butter
Lotus Biscoff Cookie Butter
This sweet, creamy spread can be enjoyed just like a chocolate spread or peanut butter – on oatmeal, toast, right out of the jar, etc.
This brand of cookie butter is vegan-friendly.
These are the ingredients found in Lotus Biscoff Cookie Butter:
- Biscoff cookies (wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oils (contains one or more of soybean oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, palm oil), soy flour, brown sugar syrup, sodium bicarbonate, salt, cinnamon)
- Canola oil
- Sugar
- Soy lecithin
- Citric acid
Here is some important nutritional information to note for this brand (per 2tbsp serving):
- Calories: 170
- Total fat: 11g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 65mg
- Total carbs: 17g
- Total sugars: 11g
- Protein: 1g
Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter
This delicious spread is reminiscent of gingerbread and made with crushed biscuits.
Enjoy it on pancakes, waffles, sandwiches, as an ice cream topping, a dip, etc. The possibilities are endless.
These are the ingredients found in Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter:
- 57% speculoos (wheat flour, candy sugar, margarine (palm oil, canola oil, coconut oil, rapeseed oil, water, salt, emulsifier (vegetable mono and diglycerides from fatty acids) citric acid, lactic acid, color added (beta carotene), butter flavor (non-dairy))
- Sugar
- Soy flour
- Sugar syrup
- Raising agent (sodium hydrogencarbonate, cinnamon, nutmeg)
- Palm oil
- Canola oil
- Sugar
- Emulsifier (rapeseed lecithin)
Note: This brand states on the label that it may contain traces of tree nuts, milk, and eggs. Therefore, this brand would likely not be considered vegan-friendly.
Here is some important nutritional information to note for this brand (per 1tbsp serving):
- Calories: 90
- Total fat: 6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 0mg
- Total carbs: 8g
- Total sugars: 5g
- Protein: <1g
Jules Destrooper Cookie Butter
This brand, although delicious, does contain butter, eggs and nonfat milk and therefore is not a vegan-friendly option.
These are the ingredients found in Jules Destrooper Cookie Butter:
- Bleached wheat flour
- Semisweet chocolate chunks (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, dextrose, soy lecithin, natural flavor)
- Sugar
- Soluble corn fiber
- Enzyme modified butter
- Chicory root extract
- Sugarcane fiber
- Vegetable oil (palm oil, canola oil)
- Fructose
- Vegetable glycerin
- Water
- Corn starch
- Baking soda
- Molasses
- Salt
- Soy lecithin
- Milkfat
- Xanthan gum
- Natural flavor
- Eggs
- Nonfat milk
- Color added
Here is some important nutritional information to note for this brand (per 2tbsp serving):
- Calories: 210
- Total fat: 13g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
- Sodium: 95mg
- Total carbs: 20g
- Total sugars: 15g
- Protein: 1g
Healthy And Vegan-Friendly Alternatives To Cookie Butter
While there are some brands of cookie butter that are vegan-friendly, we saw that there are also some brands that are not due to the fact that they contain milk and eggs.
Also, although we established that cookie butter is healthier for you than nutella, it has a lot of vegetable oil in it. It is true that people who eat more vegetable oil have lower cholesterol levels than people who eat a lot of saturated fats like butter. However, too much vegetable oil could actually increase your risk of heart disease rather than decrease it.
As a result of that, we are going to take a look at healthier vegan-friendly alternatives to cookie butter that do not contain as much vegetable oil.
Abby’s Better French Toast Pecan Butter
Start your day off right with the feel-good taste of french toast (in a jar).
This spread is made with only five all natural ingredients. Also, not only is this brand vegan, but it is also gluten-free, non-GMO, and palo. It doesn’t get much better than that.
These are the ingredients found in Abby’s Better French Toast Pecan Butter:
- Dry roasted pecans
- Coconut sugar
- Cinnamon
- Maple extract
- Pink Himalayan salt
Here is some important nutritional information to note for Abby’s Better French Toast Pecan Butter (per 2tbsp serving):
- Calories: 200
- Total fat: 19g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 5mg
- Total carbs: 7g
- Total sugars: 4g
- Protein: 2g
Abby’s Better Protein Infused Cinnamon Roll Almond Butter
This spread is like dessert in a jar, except high protein. Protein can be hard to get on a vegan diet, so this is the perfect way to get your protein in. It is no wonder why this is one of the brand’s most addicting flavors.
These are the ingredients found in Abby’s Better Protein Infused Cinnamon Roll Almond Butter:
- Dry roasted almonds
- Pea protein isolate
- Coconut sugar
- Coconut oil
- Cinnamon vanilla extract
- Pink Himalayan salt
Here is some important nutritional information to note for Abby’s Better Protein Infused Cinnamon Roll Almond Butter (per 2tbsp serving):
- Calories: 170
- Total fat: 12g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 75mg
- Total carbs: 8g
- Total sugars: 4g
- Protein: 10g
Wild Friends Sugar Cookie Peanut Butter
The holidays are just around the corner, a time when baking sugar cookies is popular. Although delicious, sugar cookies are neither vegan nor good for you.
This year, give this spread a try instead. It features double-ground peanuts and fresh seasonal spices combined with just the right amount of sweetness. With this, you are just a spoonful away from the beloved taste of fresh-baked sugar cookies!
These are the ingredients found in Wild Friends Sugar Cookie Peanut Butter:
- Roasted peanuts
- Powdered sugar (organic cane sugar, tapioca starch)
- Almond protein powder
- Organic vanilla
- Sea salt
Here is some important nutritional information to note for Wild Friends Sugar Cookie Peanut Butter (per 2tbsp serving):
- Calories: 170
- Total fat: 12g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 95mg
- Total sugars: 8g
- Protein: 6g
Wild Friends Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter
Peanut butter and pumpkin spice lovers rejoice! This seasonal treat features real pumpkin pie spices, double-ground peanuts and just a touch of sugar.
Try this spread on pancakes, muffins, or straight out of the jar. Now matter how you enjoy it, it is sure to be a hit.
These are the ingredients found in Wild Friends Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter:
- Roasted peanuts
- Powdered sugar (organic cane sugar, tapioca starch)
- Pumpkin spice blend
- Peanut oil
- Organic vanilla
- Sea salt
Here is some important nutritional information to note for Wild Friends Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter (per 2tbsp serving):
- Calories: 180
- Total fat: 14g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 95mg
- Total carbs: 10g
- Total sugars: 5g
- Protein: 6g
Final Thoughts
There are some brands of cookie butter that are vegan-friendly. However, it is not a universally vegan product, as some brands use milk and eggs in their cookie butter.
Also, while cookie butter is more nutritious than the name suggests, it is not the healthiest thing for you to be eating – especially not on a regular basis – due to all of the vegetable oils that are found in it. Consuming too much vegetable oil can increase your risk of heart problems rather than decrease them like many believe.
As a result of that, we found cookie butter alternatives that are both healthy and vegan-friendly (and not to mention delicious). What could be better than that?
Related Questions
Is Cookie Butter Gluten-Free?
Unfortunately, most cookie butter is not gluten-free and therefore not safe for those with celiac disease or an intolerance to gluten.
Is Cookie Butter Keto-Friendly?
It is recommended that cookie butter be avoided on the keto diet due to the fact that it is a high-carb processed food that contains unhealthy ingredients like sugar and canola oil.
Is Cookie Butter Dairy-Free?
Not all brands of cookie butter are dairy-free. Some brands of cookie butter contain milk and therefore is not dairy-free.