Sweet, cinnamony cookie butter and dark chocolate chunks come together to create these decadent vegan cookie butter blondies.
"What is this?"
"Don't go near that. That is some messed up stuff. Cookie butter."
"Wait...what? Cookie butter? Why would you buy us some messed up stuff?"
That would be the exchange between my husband and I after he discovered our first ever jar of cookie butter in the pantry. If you aren't familiar with cookie butter, I'd imagine you are having a similar reaction right now. Totally justifiable.
Have you guys tried cookie butter? Have you heard of it? I'm still grappling with the fact that this stuff actually exists. My first cookie butter experience started at Trader Joe's. I don't know what kind of mood I must have been in on that day, but when I saw a jar labeled "Cookie Butter" on the shelf, I grabbed it.
Upon first inspection I noted that it was made in the Netherlands. Of course. I should have known. A few years ago at this time I was in the Netherlands for work. I wasn't eating cookie butter, but do you know what I was eating? Chocolate sprinkles for breakfast.
The breakfast bar at my hotel had at least five different varieties of chocolate sprinkles to put on your toast. So, of course you can count on the Dutch to create something called cookie butter. Butter made from ground up cookies. I bet someone in Amsterdam is eating a cookie butter and chocolate sprinkle sandwich for breakfast right now. It's probably an American who thinks he's gone to heaven.
Anyhow, I finally got said jar of cookie butter home for a taste. Guess what it tastes like? Butter made of cookies. Messed up. Don't crack open a jar of this stuff on the munchies.
That first jar of cookie butter is long gone and I waited quite some time before buying it again. In fact, I waited until I had a recipe idea so that I'd use as much of it up as possible. Better yet, a recipe idea for Christmas cookies. Use it up on something and get it out of the house.
My idea was to sub cookie butter in a peanut butter blondie recipe, and then veganize it. Guess what? It worked out great. Rich, buttery, slightly cinnamony and chocolaty messed up goodness. In fact, these blondies are just as messed up (in the same good way) as the cookie butter that gave birth to their existence. Like I said, get them out of the house.
This time around I didn't make it to Trader Joe's. Fortunately, Wegman's had jars of Speculoos butter, the Belgian version of cookie butter. (I've never been to Belgium. Is chocolate for breakfast a thing there too?) Tastewise, I can't tell the difference, so pick your favorite or most readily available cookie butter and make these deliciously messed up blondies.
Cookie Butter Chocolate Chunk Blondies
Sweet, cinnamony cookie butter and dark chocolate chunks come together to create these decadent vegan cookie butter blondies.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons unflavored soy or almond milk
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 10 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 cup organic brown sugar
- 1 cup smooth cookie butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 (10 ounce) bag vegan chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
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Whisk together milk and flax seeds and allow mixture to sit for at least ten minutes. You can prepare the rest of your ingredients in the meantime.
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Preheat the oven to 325°. Spray or lightly oil a 9x9 or 9x13 inch baking pan.
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In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the margarine and brown sugar, stirring frequently just until the margarine melts. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the cookie butter, vanilla and flax seed mixture. If you have trouble getting the cookie butter to melt you can place the pan back over heat.
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In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add the melted butter mixture and mix just until blended. The batter will be very thick. Fold in the chocolate chips.
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Spread the mixture evenly in baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Oh jeeze. I love the idea of this, but generally I eat the Speculoos butter straight up with a spoon. I don't think I'd have any left to bake with.
Yeah, that's a problem I tend to have with cookie butter as well. That little jar in the photo had just a bit more in it than the recipe calls for...I really had to keep it together in order to not have to run out and buy another jar :)
Be still my heart! I need these right now. Just added them to our Holiday Baking list (yes it's official!).
Yay!!! That's awesome and I'm totally honored! Enjoy :)
they look yummy!
Thank you!! They tasted yummy too :)
These are THE best blondies, hands down. I make a batch nearly every weekend so that I can eat a few squares (ok... several) squares a day!! Speculoos usually disappears quite quickly in this house so I always have jars and jars just so I know I can make these!!
Awesome! It's been a while since I made a batch of these (I would totally be eating several a day as well), but I'm getting ready to start my holiday baking and they're number 1 on my list. Sounds like you're digging them just as much as I did - glad to hear it! Thanks Joey!!
" I bet someone in Amsterdam is eating a cookie butter and chocolate sprinkle sandwich for breakfast right now. It’s probably an American who thinks he’s gone to heaven."
hilarious! delicious, the recipe and your writing! :)
Haha! Thanks Meaghan! I'm always happy to hear that someone gets a kick out of my silliness. :)
Hi, been searching the web for vegan recipes and ecstatic to find your site. Speculoos is hard to find here in my country, but I am so ready to order it online seeing your photos. Planning to send them out as gifts and surprise people that it is vegan, haha! I was just wondering about the sugars in this though, will cutting down the sugar to about 3/4 cup affect the texture? Also, could I use muscovado with this instead of brown sugar? And since I am sending them out as gifts, how long do these lasts in room temp or in a fridge? Thanks in advance for your reply. :)
Hi Kai! Glad you're enjoying the site! I've only tested out the version of the recipe posted, but my instinct tells me that cutting the sugar to 3/4 cup and swapping out muscovado (or most types of granulated sugar for that matter) would work just fine. I've kept them around for five days or so at room temp. Please let me know how it works out if you give it try. I'd be a bit nervous about sticking them in the fridge though, as it always seems to dry out baked goods. Good luck, and I hope everyone enjoys them! :)
You are a blessing! I reduced the sugar and added a drizzle using the cookie butter and pinch of sea salt on top. Got raves from my friends. My first batch got a bit hard, I had to lessen the baking time since I was using a partitioned brownie pan. Still, it was, as you described it, heavenly! Thank you so much! :)
Yay! Glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for letting me know. :)
I just love blondies, Thank you for a great recipe!!
Thanks Neta!!
can you tell me what size pan you used to make these? 9x13 and 9x9 would yield very different results and I want mine to look like yours :) planning on making this weekend.
thank you!
Hi Jennifer! I used a 9 x 9 pan for the batch in the photos. Enjoy!!
Thank you! They are amazing. Might be a new favorite blondie recipe. I used vegan butterscotch chips and pecans because I was not in the mood for chocolate. I might try with peanut butter or sun butter and chocolate chips next time! I made in my 9x9 pan and came out nice and thick like i wanted but also might try them thinner in the 9x13 next time.
I'm so glad you enjoyed them!! Thanks Jennifer! :)
do you know if i can sub flaxseeds for something else? i like abroad and they're a little hard to find here. is it used as an egg replacer? could i use banana or apple sauce instead? and if so what portions? thanks!
Hmmm...have you ever cooked with aquafaba? It's the liquid you get when you drain a can of chickpeas, and it makes a great egg replacer. I think that would be your best bet, and I'd say use 1/4 cup. Applesauce or banana might work (also 1/4 cup), but I'd cut back on the brown sugar by a couple of tablespoons if you use one of those.
Flavor on point, but texture lacking unfortunately, extremely greasy and didn’t hold together. Do you use the spoon and level method for dry ingredients? I converted to grams which should have been fine but it wasn’t serveable.. any suggestions?