Cookie Butter Cookies Recipe: Soft Bakery-Style Biscoff Cookies

Name: Cookie Butter Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup cake flour; 2 tsp. cornstarch; 1/2 tsp. baking soda; 1/2 tsp. baking powder; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes; 1/2 cup creamy cookie butter; 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed; 1/4 cup sugar; 1 large egg; 1 large egg yolk; 1 Tbsp. cookie butter emulsion; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips; 10 Biscoff cookies, crushed (some chunks are OK to leave in)

By:

Josie Baker

Published:

October 4, 2026

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Cookie Butter Cookies are thick, soft, bakery style cookies built on creamy cookie butter spread, crushed Biscoff cookies and a generous handful of chocolate chips. They stay tender and slightly cakey for days, and every bite carries that warm spiced caramel flavor you already love straight from the jar.

I bake mine giant. There is something about a big, craggy, softly gooey cookie that turns an ordinary afternoon into a small celebration, and this dough delivers exactly that without any fussy steps or specialty equipment.

Here is the little detail that makes this recipe stand out: cookie butter shows up twice. It goes into the dough as a main ingredient, and it can come back at the end as a simple drizzle over the finished cookies.

Crushed Biscoff cookies add crunch, chocolate chips melt into soft pockets, and the whole thing tastes like a cookie made out of cookies.

If thick and gourmet style is your favorite, you are in the right place. If you lean toward thin and chewy cookies instead, other recipes on this site cover that style beautifully.

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They are full of cookie butter flavor. The spread is not a background note here. It leads the whole cookie.
The texture is soft and cakey. Cake flour and cornstarch keep the crumb tender instead of dry.
They are huge. One batch makes about 8 large cookies, so each one feels like a bakery splurge.
They are loaded. Chocolate chips, chunks of Biscoff cookies and creamy cookie butter spread in every bite.
They bake beautifully. Golden, craggy edges with a soft middle.
They are freezer friendly. Baked cookies and unbaked dough balls both hold up well in the freezer.
They are cookies made with cookies. Honestly, that is the entire pitch.

Cookie Butter Cookies, You'll love these Cookie Butter Cookies because…

Cookie butter is a creamy spread whose star ingredient is ground up Speculoos or Biscoff cookies. Speculoos are popular cookies across Europe, and cookie butter arrived in America in 2011, which means most of us discovered it fairly recently and never looked back.

Biscoff cookies themselves are crisp, thin caramelized biscuits. Blended into a smooth paste, they turn into something spreadable with notes of cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cloves. That spice blend is exactly why these cookies taste like a cozy fall afternoon, even in the middle of July.

You have probably seen cookie butter used the way you would use peanut butter. Spread it on toast, stir it into desserts, blend it into smoothies, or eat it straight from the spoon while nobody is watching. It is that versatile.

For this recipe I use Biscoff Cookie Butter. Trader Joe’s also sells a very good jar under the name Speculoos Cookie Butter, and either one works beautifully. You should be able to find cookie butter in most grocery stores, often near the peanut butter or in the international aisle.

Ingredients you need

The recipe card below has the full list with exact measurements. Here is a quick look at what goes into the bowl and why each piece matters.

Ingredient	Amount	Why it matters
All purpose flour	1 1/2 cups	Structure and chew
Cake flour	3/4 cup	Finer and softer, for a tender crumb
Cornstarch	2 tsp.	Keeps the cookies soft
Baking soda	1/2 tsp.	Spread and lift
Baking powder	1/2 tsp.	Gentle rise
Salt	1/2 tsp.	Balances the sweetness
Unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes	1/2 cup	Richness and structure
Creamy cookie butter	1/2 cup	The main flavor of the whole cookie
Brown sugar, packed	3/4 cup	Moisture and caramel depth
Sugar	1/4 cup	Sweetness and lightly crisp edges
Large egg	1	Bind and tenderness
Large egg yolk	1	Extra richness
Cookie butter emulsion	1 Tbsp.	Boosts the Biscoff flavor
Vanilla extract	1 tsp.	Warmth
Chocolate chips	1 1/2 cups	Melty pockets of sweetness
Biscoff cookies, crushed	10	Crunch and decoration

Cookie butter emulsion is the secret weapon. It tastes like Biscoff cookies and adds that unmistakable flavor to frostings and baked goods. It is a specialty item, so if you cannot find it, additional vanilla extract works as a substitute.

Cookie Butter Cookies, Ingredients you need

Notice that the recipe already includes 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, so the swap means extra vanilla on top of that, not a replacement for it.

Lotus Creamy Biscoff Cookie Butter is what I reach for, and it brings those notes of cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cloves. Lotus Biscoff Cookies are the crisp ones, and they do double duty here: crushed into the dough for crunch and used to decorate the tops.

Two flours, one texture goal. All purpose flour and cake flour are combined on purpose. Cake flour is finer, softer and lighter, and the blend is what produces the best cookies. If you have never bought cake flour before, look on the top shelf in most grocery stores. That is usually where it hides.

Chocolate chips can be any favorite brand or type. Milk chocolate and semisweet both work well, and Ghirardelli is the brand I usually buy. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups, and I like to hold back a small handful for pressing onto the tops right after baking.

The rest of the lineup is familiar baking pantry territory: baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, salt, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Cornstarch is doing quiet work here, keeping the cookies soft and tender rather than crisp.

This dough needs no chill time, which means you can go from craving to warm cookies in well under an hour. Prep takes about 10 minutes, baking takes about 10 minutes, and cooling takes about 20 minutes, for roughly 40 minutes total. One batch makes about 8 large cookies.

Cookie Butter Cookies, Cookie Butter Cookie Step by Step Directions

Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Cream the butter, cookie butter and sugars. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream them on medium speed until combined, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the wet ingredients. Add the egg, egg yolk, cookie butter emulsion and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Gradually add the dry ingredients, followed by the chocolate chips and crushed Biscoff cookies.
Shape the dough. Form the dough into about 8 large dough balls. Pull each ball in half, then press the two halves back together with the jagged middle facing up. This is the Crumbl style method, and it gives the cookies a gorgeous rustic look with crackly tops.
Bake. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges and tops look slightly golden.
Smooth the edges. While the cookies are still warm, place a circular cookie cutter or a circular drinking glass around each one. It should be larger than the cookie so you do not cut off any edges. Give the cookie a gentle spin to smooth out uneven edges into a perfect circle.
Garnish and cool. Press more chocolate chips onto the tops as soon as they come out of the oven. These cookies are very soft, so let them cool on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. If you like, drizzle with a little melted Biscoff spread and crushed Biscoff cookies.

That is the whole process. The dough comes together quickly, the shaping trick takes seconds, and the payoff is a tray of thick cookies with soft centers and slightly crisp edges.

Expert Tips

If you have ever pulled these cookies from the oven and panicked because they look underdone, you are not alone. Many bakers think something went wrong. It did not. These cookies are meant to be soft and gooey in the middle, and they need rest, not more oven time.

Let them sit on the cookie sheet for at least 15 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. If they still feel too gooey after that, give them a little longer. They firm up as they cool and set beautifully.

Here is a bonus tip that surprises people: these cookies are even better the next day. The spice deepens, the chocolate settles, and the texture gets that bakery softness. So if they seem a bit too tender right away, just wait.

For measuring flour, spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Scooping straight from the bag with the cup packs the flour down and can make the cookies dry and dense.

You can absolutely make these smaller. Just shape more, smaller dough balls and adjust the baking time accordingly, checking a couple of minutes earlier than the large version. As written, the recipe makes about 8 large 5 oz. cookies.

For reference, the source nutrition for 1 cookie lists about 553 calories, 76g carbohydrates, 6g protein, 25g fat, 13g saturated fat, 44g sugar, 1g fiber, 352mg sodium and 83mg cholesterol.

Why do my cookies look underbaked in the middle?

Because they are supposed to. The centers stay soft and gooey while the edges and tops turn slightly golden. Give them the full 15 minutes on the cookie sheet and they will set up as they cool.

Once they are completely cool, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature so they stay soft. They are at their best the next day, which makes them a lovely bake ahead option for parties, potlucks and lunchboxes.

Yes, both ways. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months, and unbaked dough balls freeze for up to 3 months too. You can also mix the dough in advance and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. When baking from cold or frozen, add 1 to 2 extra minutes to the bake time.

You can. Biscoff is what this recipe is built around, and Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter is another popular option. Both are creamy spreads made from spiced caramelized cookies, so either one works well.

FAQs

What is the best way to make cookie butter cookies soft and chewy?

For soft and chewy cookie butter cookies, use a combination of all-purpose flour and cake flour, which creates a tender crumb. Cream cold butter with cookie butter and sugars, and do not overbake; remove the cookies when the edges are slightly golden, typically after 10 to 12 minutes at 375°F. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes to set properly.

Can I freeze cookie butter cookie dough or baked cookies?

Yes, you can freeze both unbaked dough and baked cookie butter cookies. Shape the dough into balls and freeze them on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag for up to 3 months; bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 extra minutes. Baked cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months and thawed at room temperature.

What can I substitute for cookie butter emulsion?

If you do not have cookie butter emulsion, you can substitute it with an additional 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. The emulsion adds concentrated biscoff flavor, but vanilla extract will still provide a nice flavor base without altering the dough consistency. For a stronger spice note, you can also add a pinch of cinnamon.

Why did my cookie butter cookies turn out flat?

Flat cookie butter cookies are usually caused by butter that is too soft or over-creaming. Use cold butter cut into cubes as specified in the recipe to control spread. Ensure your flour is measured correctly by spooning and leveling it, and chill the dough balls briefly before baking if the kitchen is warm.