Pumpkin pie spice is everywhere this time of year. It is in your coffee, in your pancakes and in your desserts. While I’ve encountered plenty of pumpkin spice products that don’t quite work for me, I’ve also had many that turn out to be so delicious that I wonder why it took us so long to give them a try. Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookie Butter is a new seasonal product from the California-based grocery chain and I would put it firmly into the latter category, as product that makes excellent use of pumpkin pie spice.
The cookie butter has the same cookie butter base that Trader Joe’s sells year-round, but is infused with all the spices that we typically associated with pumpkin pie. It also actually contains real pumpkin (though that pumpkin is dried when it goes into the mix, so it doesn’t alter the consistency of the cookie butter by too much). It tastes like what a pumpkin pie inside a gingersnap cookie crust would taste like if it were liquified – and that is a good thing. Most cookie butters taste like brown sugar with the faintest hint of spice. I am a big fan of this particular product because it adds on extra layers of spice to a product where I want to have more spice in every bite. It also has tiny, crispy bits of cookie sprinkled throughout, which add a bit of texture to every bite.
So, what can you use this spread for if you’re not planning to eat it by the spoonful straight out of the jar? You can bake with it in any recipe that calls for regular cookie butter, stir it into a bowl full of warm oatmeal for sweetness and spice, or simply dip slices of apple into it for a little extra fall flavor. I also recommend using it for quick and easy sandwich cookies, either using your favorite homemade cookie or some storebought ones. The spread pairs nicely with classics, like chocolate chip, and holiday favorites, like gingersnaps.
What do you think?