Every time I hear a conversation between someone going to the Mainland and someone who isn’t, it goes something like this:
“You’re going to Vegas?”
“Yeah.”
“When?”
“I’m leaving next week.”
“You going to Trader Joe’s?”
“I guess. Why? What you want?”
“Cookie Butter. Have you heard of it? OHMYGOD you HAVE to bring me back some. Maybe three. I think there’s a limit. Anyway. Whatever you can. I’ll pay you. I’ll pay you extra.”
So it was the other week when two of my friends were heading to the Mainland. One to Vegas, the other to Los Angeles. People — even some they didn’t know — were putting in orders for the fanatically popular gingerbread spread by the Holland company Speculoos.
And when I say, “fanatically popular,” I’m not kidding.
Trader Joe’s, which sells three different versions — creamy, crunchy and cocoa swirl — of this spread, is frantically trying to keep up with demand. Already, its Las Vegas stores have had to set limits on how many customers could purchase. And back in April, Trader Joe’s reported a shortage of the Speculoos products in its stores across the country, with some stores reporting the spread completely out of stock.
So what’s with this Cookie Butter craze?
To be honest, when I first tried it earlier this year, I thought it was good. Better than OK but not so mind-blowingly good that I’d bid for it on eBay or pay to check-in a suitcase just to lug the stuff home.
And I love gingerbread.
Turns out, I’m not the only one wondering about the cult following for this bottle spread.
I posted a photo of a jar of the Cookie & Cocoa Swirl, the latest flavor (and craze) in the line, and I got a few mixed reviews.
Some, like my Facebook friend Jeff, who picked up a bottle a year ago in Arizona, referred to Cookie Butter as crack: “I just want to keep eating it!”
But others, like David, tried it and wasn’t impressed: “I don’t know what all the hype is about.”
So I’m throwing it out there: what’s with this fascination over Cookie Butter? What am I missing? Or do you think it really lives up to its hype?
Let the debate begin!
22 Comments
Hi Cat! I never heard of this product ever. However, you tweeted my curiousity and will try it next years trip to Vegas.
Hello Cat!
I tried it and I don’t know what the hype is all about.
Hey M
You are so correct… I tried it for the first time today & couldn’t even figure out myself what all the hype was about..
CAT: Most recent trip to Vegas, my partner wanted to get this thing, and so, we end up going to 2 Trader Joe’s to get it. Yeah, we are guilty of helping to add to the shortage (say, isn’t there a term for this phrase?). We had a omiyage list that’s why. We tried it, and it was good but not worth driving all over town for it. It is in my opinion, a cookie flavored “peanut butter” without peanuts. Would I buy it again? Only if I ran out of peanut butter and it was readily available. Maybe it is me, but, this thing turned out to be like the first time I tried “In-Out Burger”!
The cruchy is definitely better than the regular. We just got the swirl but didn’t try it. Note to pass on: DO NOT hand carry. We went to Utah in the summer and TSA took it away. My daugther gave the saddest look but no luck. TSA claims it is a liquid. I bet they are the ones selling it on Ebay.
Hey Cat: … I heard of it … but never tried it … and based on what some are saying … I’m glad not to be a part of all the hype …
… I say it’s smart business … don’t want to saturate the market and overproduce … keep the demand and hype going … so the 1/3 of the population who actually love the stuff, keep buying it and hyping it up … and the other 2/3 don’t like it or don’t care enough to try it …
… but one day, Speculoos will increase production and it probably will be on shelves everywhere … and the fad will disappear … and just be another in the line of alternative spreads, like Nutella …
… the king will always be good old-fashioned peanut butter … the original and still the best!!! …
Unless you have a nut allergy then this is perfect.
I bring it home for people, haven’t tried it myself. Haven’t seen any inventory control at the Trader Joe’s near me. Not that many Hawai‘i people to empty the shelves around here.
OMG Hawaii people!!! The shortage is there because Hawaii people are such fanatics! It’s good & I enjoy it, but it’s not so great that I gotta have it and pay 3x the shelf price. I eat it so slowly that I currently have 2 open jars (one is crunchy) and two spares (which I’ll probably give away).
i’ve tried it. like it. keep a jar at home. don’t get the craze, though. def. not worth lugging home in a checked bag.
tastes really good on their coconut wafer cookies, fwiw.
What is it with humans? The more an item is in short supply, the more we want it. I have to admit I had become obsessed with cookie butter before I had even tried it. Several months ago, I had asked my friend who was going to Vegas to get me some. In the mean time, some nice friends of mine gave me some. I liked it, but I soon got over it. In fact, I kind of became tired of it. So my friend is in Vegas right now. But I told him, “Ah, no need. Just get me the Speculoos cookies themselves.”
In fact, I don’t know if I should put it out there. But here goes. On Maui, and not Oahu, you can get Roland brand cookie butter. Unlike other cookie butter brands, this one is also made with Speculoos cookies. Some people, myself included, think it is better than Trader Joe’s one. So, if anyone is gong to Maui or knows someone who lives on Maui…………
There’s also Biscoff butter. Tastes almost the same as cookie butter, but my friends prefer the Trader Joe’s brand. When I get a jar, I eat it slowly & savor. The Roland’s brand was ok..I really can’t tell the difference between the three.
i tried it and liked it… but don’t love it. it needs salt! (i like cookie butter better with a sprinkling of salt… but i really don’t need to be liking it “better.” lol.) i did, however, ask my sister to bring me back a bottle of the cocoa one so i could try it. i have a bottle of the biscoff brand one at home which is okay, too. i love biscoff cookies but i really don’t need to be eating cookies blended with oil (that’s what cookie butter is!). there was, in fact, a recipe in the star advertiser to make your own cookie butter. hawaii people are especially crazy when it comes to food!
You can get the ORIGINAL “Cookie Butter” right here in Hawaii at Target, Times and Don Quijote. It’s called BISCOFF SPREAD, also available in creamy and crunchy. Biscoff goes on sale for as low as $3.70 a jar. I tasted both Biscoff and Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter, and find them pretty much identical.
Biscoff also has coffee cookies, that are identical to the Speculoos Cookies. Walgreens and Don Quijote carries that.
A coworker of mine once made Mochi stuffed with TJ’s Cookie Butter. It was oishii to da’ max!
Yeah, I’m one of those that’s tried the Cookie Butter. Liked it in the beginning but now over it, in fact gave away the bottle I had.
Onto the next fad. Lol
Overrated. Agree with the posts above — Biscoff was around first, and I still prefer their light cookies to the way-too-sweet spread. It’s pretty silly how crazy Hawaii people get over things we can’t have, even if you can walk over to Longs and buy a comparable product, albeit in a different package. Lame!
I agree with above posts. Like it, but don’t love it. Enjoyed the initial taste of gingerbread or graham crackers but it’s way too sweet for me to appreciate it. A little goes a long way.
So now, where can I get Maffles?
Cat,
I like to eat cookie dough as a sandwich with banana and whole wheat bread. I agree with everyone else about how people from Hawaii are obsessed with things. I am going to date myself but I remember a time when I would ask my friend who was going to Linfield College to bring back Coors beer to Hawaii during his winter break. We couldn’t get it shipped to Hawaii at that time and it was all the rage.
I meant cookie butter, my age is really showing
Hello Everyone..
Took a trip to NY to eat at my favorite Korean Restaurant… Once I was done It was time for Desert… So on my way to a near by bakery I run into a Trader’s Joe & being that there’s not a Trader’s Joe in my area I decided to take advantage a grab a few things, Cookie Butter being one of them… Now I’ll admit I ended up buying two incase I ended up liking the taste… Finally when I back home to Jersey it was time for the taste test……………………………………………………………. ( Now forgive the long pause ) Because I’m here waiting for something magical to explode on my taste buds….. People actually have the nerve to sell this on Amazon for $6.00 dollars & up???…. This is one overly hyped up product I’m glad I didn’t rush into buying… Cookie Butter doesn’t taste bad it just isn’t worth the hype..
I don’t get what all the fuss is about! I still almost a full jar that I purchased last Spring in my cupboard. Maybe it’s time to 86 it!
I tried the Biscoff cookie butter and it tasted like mashed cookies…which I guess was the point but the main appeal of cookies to me is that they’re crunchy. So it still can’t hold a candle to dulce de leche or Nutella (both of which are much creamier). Def won’t buy again.