Is Biscoff cookie butter vegan? In the US, cookie butter has become somewhat of a cult favorite in recent years, but what if you are concerned about its vegan status?
Whether you want to add it to homemade granola, like to drizzle some over bread pudding, or swirl some into the brownie batter, cookie butter will serve you well.
But, it may not be for you if you are a vegan. So, are Biscoff cookies vegan?
Yes. The Cookie Butter sold by Lotus Biscoff is advertised as being suitable for vegans and you can eat it with confidence, as it lacks any animal products.
Exploring the Delicious World of Cookie Butter
Cookie Butter is a sweet spreadable paste with a texture similar to peanut butter.
It was traditionally made using crushed and ground Belgian speculoos, thin caramelized biscuits not too dissimilar to Biscoff.
People soon realized that Cookie Butter made with Biscoff biscuits added a depth of flavor that made the butter taste unique.
Fact: Biscoff cookies are as old as 1932 when Jan Boone made a caramelized biscuit using only natural ingredients.
Exploring the History of Biscoff Cookie Butter
Originally, the recipe was brought to the attention of baking fans by a lady who had entered a Belgian TV baking competition.
She developed the recipe especially for the show.
Biscoff, or Lotus Bakeries, the owners of the Biscoff brand, saw potential in the recipe.
And they decided to work with the lady to develop a commercial butter using their own Biscoff biscuits.
You can enjoy Cookie Butter in just the same way you want peanut butter, on a sandwich or toast, in a pancake, with fruit, with a cracker or on its own by the spoon.
Why is Biscoff Cookie Butter Popular?
The idea of Cookie Butter as a spread has only been around since the TV program first aired in 2007, in Belgium, at least.
But, many people had already discovered how tasty Lotus Biscoff biscuits could be on bread.
A spreadable biscuit captured the imagination of people who were already familiar with its famous cookie taste.
They had been crushing and sprinkling the biscuits for their bread for years.
A few of the more adventurous, added milk to the biscuits first but clearly people were ready for a better way to enjoy their favorite cookie taste.
Lotus Biscoff Creamy Cookie Butter in jars therefore created a bit of a stir when it first hit the supermarkets.
The Exciting Taste of Biscoff Cookie Butter
For some, the caramelly crunch made them fall in love with Biscoff cookie butter.
But, for others, it is saltiness that punches through the sweetness. But, many people also think it is the evocative mix of Christmassy spices that makes Biscoff Cookie Butter so unique.
Whatever made Cookie Butter become such a rapid favorite, it has something of a cult following.
Fact: As Biscoff spread is vegan-friend, it is also Halal certified.
Is Biscoff Cookie Butter Vegan?
Yes. Lotus Biscoff describes their Cookie Butter as vegan-friendly. Like all vegan-friendly food products it does not contain any ingredients that have come from an animal, including milk and eggs.
Lotus Biscoff does not use GMO ingredients either, or any of the artificial flavorings and preservatives usually associated with mass food production.
Its ingredients and method are refreshingly simple and have inspired others to Cookie Butter creativity.
There are many fine Cookie Butter recipes available online.
Ingredients
In case you feel inspired too, here are the basic Lotus Cookie Creamy Butter ingredients.
- Wheat flour and soy flour,
- Sugar
- Vegetable oils
- Brown sugar syrup
- Sugar
- Sodium bicarbonate and salt, cinnamon.
Homemade variations include:
- Coconut oil instead of vegetable oils
- Sweetened condensed milk instead of fat
- Honey for the liquid syrup.
Vegan-Friendly Biscoff Cookie Butter
It may be a vegan product but the Biscoff Cookie Butter still requires a medium of fat and oils to allow the biscuits granules to form into a paste.
It doesn’t matter whether it is smooth or crunchy.
A combination of oils in Biscoff’s famous biscuits is the base ingredient for the other Lotus Biscoff products and all are plant-based.
Some of the oil they use include:
- Palm oil
- Sunflower oil
- Canola oil
Fact: A 100g serving of Biscoff cookies provides you with as much as 10g of saturated fat.
The Health Benefits of Vegan Biscoff Cookie Butter
With fat and sugars being two of the main ingredients, Cookie Butter couldn’t be described as a totally healthy food choice.
Yes, there is variety on the market with more protein added, it is what it is, a processed food.
As such, the wholesome recipe first intended by the TV food competition lady, as had to be adapted to be compatible with a mass production process.
In short, this butter is best served as it was intended. As a sweet spreadable treat that is healthy enough to enjoy on a daily basis!
Nutritional Profile of Biscoff Cookie Butter
A nutritional benefit is that Lotus Biscoff Creamy Cookie Butter is packed with carbohydrate energy, 17g per recommended 160 g serving.
This is probably why a coffee and Biscoff cookie is such a favorite pick-me-up.
The caffeine in the coffee is a catalyst that speeds up the breakdown of the carbohydrate present in the flour into simple sugars.
It’s a double sugar hit, with all the brown sugar syrup and the butter itself, that great caramelly flavor
A Creamy Butter serving or a cookie can provide a sudden boost of energy.
Other benefits come from:
- Being free of trans fats.
- Being cholesterol free.
- Being nut free.
The Upside of Biscoff Cookie Butter
Setting the implications of the fats and sugars aside, Lotus Biscoff Cookie Butter has fewer calories than some other sweet spreadable pastes.
This is especially true in the case of:
- Peanut butter
- Nut spreads
The good thing is that you can replace fats and sugars if you’re making your own.
Although there are no ingredients to provide such things as vitamins or minerals, there is added spice.
A daily intake of cinnamon has a benefit beyond adding flavor.
Fact: Some believe that cinnamon in cookie butter helps in the treatment of cancer, and it can lower blood sugars and blood pressure and boost the metabolism.
Does Biscoff Offer Anything Else for Vegans?
Good news! Anyone on a plant-based diet can enjoy any Biscoff they fancy.
There are no animal or animal byproducts in any products in the entire Lotus Biscoff range.
Start with a Sandwich Cookie and move onto the ice-cream bars and in between use the Biscoff topping on absolutely everything!
How to Use Vegan-Friendly Biscoff Cookie Butter?
Congratulations on making one of the best cooking decisions by purchasing a cookie butter jar.
This silky, decadent spread, whether you got it in a jar from Trader Joe’s or a tub from Biscoff, is about to become one of your most useful ingredients.
But, what are some of the best ways to use it while cooking? Well, here are some options to consider:
- Coat a Bundt cake in icing.
- Add it to blondie batter.
- Make homemade cinnamon buns with this filling.
- Mix it into the dough for muffins.
- Make cookie dough out of it.
- Apply it to a pan of Hello Dolly Bars
- Blend it into chocolate mousse.
- Bake some cookie butter cookies.
- Cook up a grilled PB&J, but use cookie butter instead of peanut butter.
- Concoct some cookie butter whoopie pies.
What are Some Other Vegan Friendly Cookie Butter Brands?
There is no shortage of other vegan friendly Cookie Butter brands but here are four of note:
Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter
It is a vegan-friendly product and the good thing is that it is described as almost identical to the Biscoff.
Cookie Butter Cashew Almond Butter by Fit Butters
It is also vegan and has a very similar tasting to Lotus Biscoff. Being a nut based spread it is high in protein.
FDL Friendly Vegan Protein Cookie Butter
Available as a powder, with its salted caramel flavor, it is all about protein and safe for vegans.
Life Pro Speculoos Protein Cream
If you are looking for an excellent vegan-friendly alternative to Biscoff cookie butter, this protein cream will certainly do.
Takeaway
Is Biscoff Cookie Butter vegan? Considering the ingredients, it is safe to say that you can include Biscoff cookie butter in your vegan diet.
Though it does not contain animal products, it still contains oils, which may or may not work for hardcore vegans.
Nevertheless, you can find many other vegan friendly brands for cookie butter and use those products instead.