Get two new free healthy recipes each week. Sign Up

Gingerbread Peanut Butter

Home Alone, Love Actually, Elf…

I have a giant stack of Christmas movies all ready to watch. One of my favorite parts of December is watching as many Christmas movies as I possibly can. (Another is listening to holiday music on the radio. Does anyone else think “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” is the funniest song ever?)

gingerbread sandwich

And, of course, holiday-themed food.

The last two days have been a whirlwind (which is why I didn’t post yesterday or the day before). My friend Andrea drove in from Colorado, and she brought her adorable—but super-energetic—daughter, Kristin. It’s still hard for me to believe that my friend has a five-year-old child!

Before their arrival, I’d made up a big batch of my favorite gingerbread butter for myself, so I could eat gingerbread cookie dough balls! The girls were hungry when they got in, and so I used some of the gingerbread butter to make Christmas PB&J sandwiches. (After a quick photoshoot, I cut Kristin’s sandwich with a giant gingerbread cookie cutter!)

ginge undone

I’ve posted the gingerbread butter recipe before, when I did my post on cookie dough balls. Here it is again, so you don’t have to click on any links:

Gingerbread Butter

  • 6 tbsp peanut butter (or other nut butter)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp molasses (I used blackstrap, but regular is fine)
  • heaping 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • scant 1/8 tsp each ginger and nutmeg
  • Optional: cloves, sugar (I didn’t use either)

Mix together the peanut butter and molasses, using a blender or fork. (I just used a fork to mix.) Add the spices and mix again.

See cookie dough post for Nutrition Facts.

Cookie Dough Balls: If you add enough of the spices to the Gingerbread Butter, the dough is dry enough to roll into cookie balls. However, gingerbread butter is also delicious on a spoon, mixed in oatmeal, or as a sandwich with apple slices or grilled strawberries or banana. Or thin it out with a little almond milk, and make a pancake topping!

Colin-Firth-Christmas-Jumper-Sweater

What are you looking forward to this holiday season?

Watching holiday movies? Baking cookies? Wearing ugly Christmas sweaters à la Colin Firth?

Published on December 4, 2011

Meet Katie

Chocolate Covered Katie is one of the top 25 food websites in America, and Katie has been 
featured on The 
Today Show, CNN, 
Fox, The 
Huffington Post, and 
ABC's 5 O’Clock News. Her favorite food is chocolate, and she believes in eating dessert every single day.

Learn more about Katie

Get Free Recipes

Don’t Miss Out On The NEW Free Healthy Recipes

Sign up below to receive exclusive & always free healthy recipes right in your inbox:

Chocolate Covered Katie The Healthy Dessert Blog Recipes

Popular Right Now

Reader Interactions

96 Comments

Leave a comment or reviewLeave a rating
  1. sarah says

    you should post your xmas movie list! i make a mix cd every year and just finished the one for this year. i’m a bit more lost with movies though

  2. Kira says

    Funny you should post this today because I found this recipe yesterday in an old post of yours and I just made it this morning!! So gooood.

  3. Megan says

    I love Christmas spices and how the whole house smells like cloves and cinnamon! Your gingerbread butter sounds so good- it is my favorite Christmas cookie! I think I am most looking forward to hanging out with my family in Colorado for Christmas. I love family-time and you certainly can’t have a white Christmas in Texas!

  4. GetSkinnyGoVegan says

    Oh yum. I miss bread, am GF now and haven’t eaten real bread in years, but grew up baking whole wheat bread, from scratch, and nothing beats it!!
    The butter looks great and love the combination of flavors!

  5. Sarah @ blueeyedbarbie.blogspot.com says

    Every year my mom and i tivo pretty much every Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movie and watch them all! We’ve seen about 12 so far and have like 18 on the list still. I love watching holiday movies!

    And “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas!” is one of my favorite songs! You cant help but smile when you hear it!

  6. katie @KatieDid says

    I look forward to decorating the tree (which my roommates and I did yesterday). I have missed out on it the past 3 years since I’ve been away at school but this year we decided to get one ourselves so we didn’t have to miss our home traditions. After that we had a big potluck dinner party and secret santa. Love actually is one of my all time favorite movies and I definitely plan to watch it soon. Along with the holiday, elf, and miracle of 34th.

  7. Jeanna says

    I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas is one of my favorites!!! I actually bought the cutest little stuffed one and put it in my husbands stocking one year as it was the one Christmas song he couldn’t stop singing!! This gingerbread butter sound fantastic. Going to make it right now!!!

  8. Aja says

    Wow that sounds yummy, but I still need to make pumpkin peanut butter. I’ve been behind on my treat making this year, which is why I’m really excited for the holiday season because it means I have no excuse not to bake!

  9. Catalina Maya says

    Oh yum – this’d be perfect for school luches, seeing as I’m going to taking up vegetarianism next year! But, would it taste nutty at all? I’m not too keen on peanuts.

    I’ve never heard “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas”!

  10. Kit-Kat says

    I’m looking forward to all the Christmas music and cheer, tons of yummy baking and cookies (especially roll out and frost ones), decorating, and see-shopping at stores!!!

  11. Emilia says

    This looks absolutely amazing! I’ve held off on buying peanut butter for a little bit now (too expensive for my poor student budget) but I think I might have to make a trip to the grocery store tomorrow. I’m looking forward to pretty much everything this holiday season (music, baking, movies, baking), but the thing I most look forward to is spending the holidays with my family in New York!

  12. Alexandra (Veggin' Out in the Kitchen) says

    I’m definitely going to have to make your gingerbread butter soon! YUM! 😀
    I love EVERYTHING about christmas – movies, baking, decorations, songs, shopping, my reindeer head band… Christmas is definitely the best time of the year! 🙂
    Oh and I made your brownie batter pancakes again this morning only I subbed 1/4 cup of the almond milk with chocolate mint So Delicious coconut milk. Perfect for the season! 🙂
    Have a wonderful Sunday, Katie!!
    <3 <3

  13. Claire says

    Cute photo shoot 🙂 I just got some blackstrap, so I will be making this! And random but, what type of bread is that.?… it looks awesome and so much better then plain grocery store bread! Thanks Katie!!!

      • Claire says

        Thanks for answering my Q, you are great! I guess I will have to buy some next grocery trip 😀 Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous pictures to make a sandwich look amazing. The idea of a pb&j always appeals to me since I love its contents and it is super easy and portable but not being a bread lover is tough times 😉 But I must give Rudis a shot along with this delish nut butter. Have a great day!

        • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

          Hey Claire!
          I just wanted to leave a word of warning in case you’re a vegan or are allergic to animal products: the bread was my roommate’s bread, and I just noticed it has egg whites in the ingredients. (I didn’t actually have any… but I do like to keep even the photos on my blog completely vegan. I wrongly assumed Rudi’s was a vegan company!)

          Anyway, I hope you like the peanut butter!! 🙂

  14. Genevieve says

    Those are probably my top 3 favourite Christmas movies – I just watched Love Actually the other night! I also just made gingerbread almond butter yesterday and ate it like cookie dough…so I guess I’m in the same holiday frame of mind as you 🙂

  15. ~Jessica~ says

    Ha! The 10K fun run I did today had t-shirts with reindeer on them, and they were the same colour as Mr Darcy’s sweatshirt too 😉

    I love all things gingerbread – the molasses adds such an important calcium/iron boost as well!

    xxx

  16. Katie @ Raisins&Apples says

    I loved this part: gingerbread butter is also delicious on a spoon.

    I think I’d make this JUST so I could have it on a spoon.

  17. Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says

    This sounds wonderful…with everyone going nuts over Biscoff spread and the TJs speculoos spread, making a homemade version is a great idea$$

    I’m looking forward to the rain lifting. Greetings from (rainy) Aruba!

  18. Sarah says

    My favorite part has to be going CHRISTmas caroling, love it! Also white Christmases (which is practically guaranteed in the north. Oh and don’t forget the cookies and hot cocoa after a beautiful Christmas service! And yes, let the Christmas specials begin!

  19. Katie @ Nutrition in a peanut shell says

    I LOVE Elf! My Dad and I watch it every year after we put up the Christmas tree! I also love Christmas Music! And another highlight was Winnie the Pooh Christmas

  20. Moni'sMeals says

    Great idea! I will try this out. Love Gingerbread anything. 🙂

    I look forward to all the Christmas Movies, Music, Cookies, Decorating, Baking, and Harry Potter, and Gift Wrapping. Totally my favorite time of year by far. 🙂

  21. Amber K says

    I love Christmas movies. One of my latest favorites is Four Christmases with Reese Witherspoon, love her and it. The gingerbread butter looks amazing, perfect for this time of year.

  22. Anna @ Food Fitness Frolicking says

    Hooray for such a fantastic recipe!!! I love gingerbread anything and to make it into a sandwich? EVEN BETTER.

    I love that you’re watching a stack of movies! Have you ever seen The Holiday? It’s one of my favorite movies EVER!

  23. Marisa says

    One word: yummo! I just made it with raw almond butter as darling son is allergic to peanuts and this is delish! Thank you for posting. I may have to make them into cookies now. Oh darn! 🙂

  24. Cordelia says

    I am about to run off to the kitchen to make this yummy looking PB! I’m going to put it on an English muffin for my breakfast tomorrow, but the bread on that sandwich looks amazing. What kind is it?

      • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

        LOL yes… but a word of warning in case you’re a vegan or are allergic to animal products: the bread was my roommate’s bread, and I just noticed it has egg whites in the ingredients. (I didn’t actually have any… but I do like to keep even the photos on my blog completely vegan. I wrongly assumed Rudi’s was a vegan company!) Anyway, I hope you like the peanut butter!! 🙂

  25. Tricia says

    Haha, my mom’s pulling out all of her ugly Christmas sweaters, despite what everyone thinks about them! She’s determined to where a Christmas sweater every day during December lol!

  26. Deb @ wiseupslimdown says

    I have not had a p&J sandwich in ages and that picture just makes me drool. I want one so bad now. I am looking forward to a quiet relaxing holiday season. I refuse to make myself crazy like everyone else thinking that I must conform to society’s version of what the holidays look like. Money is tight so I will be making gifts for friends and family and spending lots of time with my doxie on walks with friends.

  27. BroccoliHut says

    LOVE this recipe! Can’t wait to try it.
    I look forward to Christmas movies every year too. In fact, today I watched Home Alone 2 🙂

  28. Amelia says

    What are you looking forward to this holiday season?
    I am looking forward to this semester finally letting up, and also preparing for my student-teaching internship. I’m excited to go and spend time within my placement school and hopefully get to know some of the student-body and staff beforehand.

    Although I don’t really get to go home for the holiday, I’ll be going home BEFORE it so looking forward to seeing my family a bit more.

    And of course, baking! And all things deliciously Christmas: SO Delicious nog, gingerbread cookies, etc.!

  29. Erica Gilliam says

    This looks great! Sounds like a great “Christmasy” replacement for a PB&J! My mom used to always make holiday breads this time of year, but now I live 1000 miles away, so i look forward to making those for myself this year!

  30. Emily @ Glitz Glam Granola says

    None of my girlfriends have kids yet but I can imagine it will be crazy when they do! This peanut butter looks delicious though! I love the Christmas-y twist! And my favorite parts of the holidays are watching Xmas movies like the ones you mentioned and some Lifetime gems, listening to Xmas music and eating lots of yummy desserts!

  31. Amanda says

    You are so creative! I have no excuse not to make this it’s too easy :). My mom and I used to watch Home Alone every year while we put up the tree, I miss that I am grown and have my own place now. The ugly Christmas sweater comment is too funny! I have heard of an ugly Christmas sweater party which I think would be a blast to throw, maybe next year!

  32. Kaitlyn@TheTieDyeFIles says

    I bet that sandwich was a hit with the five-year old! I’m so excited for my family Christmas party, The Year Without A Santa Claus (my favorite Christmas movie), and snuggling. Because snuggling is way more cozy during the holidays!

  33. natalie @ southern fit foodie says

    That gingerbread nut butter looks delicious…mmmmm..

    I am looking forward to watching Christmas movies (Home Alone 2 is my favorite), baking cookies for a cookie swap this Saturday, and getting all decked out for our annual white trash christmas bash.

    However, what I’m looking forward to the most this year…is going to CANCUN with my husband, mom, dad, and brother for Christmas. I cannot wait – it’s going to be amazing! Feliz Navidad!

  34. Emma says

    Where is the jam recipe for the other part of the sandwich? And what about the bread recipe? Don’t you think it’s deceptive to post pictures of foods for which you don’t include recipes for on your website?

    KIDDING, kidding, just kidding. Ha, I saw the furor over your icing recipe-less sugar cookie post and would have told those commenters to stuff it if I were you (you see why I don’t have a blog!). I love that you cut your sandwiches out with cookie cutters too! I snagged some star-shaped mini loaf pans at a flea market a few weeks ago and have been making baked oatmeal and muffins in them since….before Thanksgiving (shh!).

    And thank you for answering my questions about agave and brown rice syrup (I had asked about the taste and consistency). I hate when people ask how something tastes– like itself, duh!

  35. Misty says

    Katie, I’m including a link to a recipe I shared online, using your gingerbread butter. I made sure you received credit for the gingerbread butter and shared your link. Thanks for all your delicious recipes!!

  36. Erin says

    I know it’s not Christmas anymore, but I’d been wanting to try this recipe out for awhile, so today I finally did. Mine came out really gummy 🙁 I’m not sure what I did wrong. Has this happened to you Katie, or to anyone else, before?

  37. Autumn says

    Oh my goodness..I think I just fell in love…I have been obsessed with gingerbread since I worked in Haiti (I know, sounds random..but they have gingerbread guys that walk around with giant trays of it on their heads and sell it on the streets..SOOO yummy!!) and this recipe definitely satisfied that craving in the easiest way imaginable..

    How do you possibly make this and not eat the entire recipe?? haha I made a half batch (knowing my love for gingerbread) and had to force myself to put half of it in the fridge…

    Thanks CCK!! 🙂

  38. Becky says

    I wound up adding some extra molasses to mine, along with about 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup, and replaced the nutmeg w/ allspice. YUM. Will definitely be playing around with this and making it again. 🙂

  39. linda says

    Thanks for today’s email: Frosted Peanut Butter Snack Cake. can I substitute honey or maple syrup for the sugar or xylitol? if I do, will it make it too runny, such that I should compensate in some way to thicken it? Thanks so much. 🙂

  40. Erin says

    Love this! I used the spices and molasses in my homemade almond butter and it’s FANTASTIC. I’m never going back. Love!

  41. John says

    Gingerbread Peanut Butter?! Oh my god, I can’t wait to try this. Just in time for Christmas this year too! I’m a dessert junkie like you and it’s great to see some healthier options. Thanks for the new recipe!

  42. Aimee B. says

    I just wanted to let you know how much my family LOVED your gingerbread pb! Even my husband loved it and he doesn’t care for gingerbread, lol! I made some gingerbread pb and sugar plum jam (Trader Joe’s) tea sandwiches for our Christmas tea this year. These are definitely a keeper. Thanks so much! 🙂

Leave A Reply

Get Free Recipes

Don’t Miss Out On The NEW Free Healthy Recipes

Sign up below to receive exclusive & always free healthy recipes right in your inbox:

Chocolate Covered Katie The Healthy Dessert Blog Recipes