This Spam Cookies Recipe Offers a Mouthful of Sweet, Salty and Buttery Flavors: My Taste Test

We often think of Spam as just being for savory dishes: whether in a hearty sandwich or to enjoy alongside fried eggs. But, it can surprisingly be added to desserts, including cookies. Stirring chunks of this lunch meat into cookie dough gives it an extra chewy texture and hints of saltiness. It’s another way to combine sweet and savory flavors to create the ultimate baked treat. I tried the official recipe for Spam Butterscotch Cookies, and was shocked at the results. Read on for the recipe along with my experience making these cookies.

The scoop on Spam cookies

These treats contain eggs, flour, sugar, baking soda and other ingredients to create a cookie dough base. The Spam and butterscotch chips then get folded into the dough before it’s scooped out on a tray and baked. Once golden brown, the cookies are cooled slightly and ready to enjoy.

While Spam isn’t a standard ingredient in cookies, they offer a salty twist that balances the treat’s sweetness. Don’t just take my word for it though. This viral TikTok posted by @patriotickenny shows how this unexpected addition can result in an extra tasty batch of cookies.

@patriotickenny

The long awaited SPAM cookies 🥴 What Kenny wants, Kenny gets! #spamcookies #minnesota #senior #patriotickenny #fyp #fypage

♬ original sound – patriotickenny

How to make spam cookies at home

Below, you’ll find the recipe for Spam butterscotch cookies from the brand’s website and three ways to elevate these homemade treats.

Spam Butterscotch Cookies

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ (12 oz.) can Spam Classic, cut into small cubes
• ½ cup butterscotch chips

Directions:

• Active: 20 mins
• Total time: 1 hr.
• Yield: 2½ dozen cookies

1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. In large bowl, mix butter, sugars, vanilla extract and eggs.
3. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt.
4. Stir in Spam cubes and butterscotch chips
5. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonsful about 2 inches.
6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown.
7. Cool slightly, remove from baking sheet. Cool on wire rack.

3 ways to enhance your spam cookies (courtesy of the chefs at Hormel Foods):

1. Cream the butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Doing this step before adding in the eggs and vanilla creates cookies with a lighter texture.
2. For an extra depth of flavor, caramelize the spam. Place the cubes spam in a pan with a little bit of brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla extract (just eyeball the measurements). Cook the cubes over medium heat until the outside is a rich brown color, remove from the heat and cool before folding the meat into the cookie dough.
3. Chill your cookie dough balls before baking. To get the best texture and prevent the cookies from spreading too much, refrigerate the scooped out dough for 30 minutes to an hour and then bake.

My taste test

I don’t eat Spam often so I saw this as an opportunity to try it in an unconventional way. My batch of cookies had a soft yet slightly crisp texture, which I loved. The dough itself (and the butterscotch chips) gave the cookies a rich sugary flavor, but it wasn’t too overwhelming thanks to the cubes of salty lunch meat. I also followed all of the tips for enhancing the cookies and I noticed they helped produce the best flavor and texture within each treat.

Now, would I try this recipe again? Sure. I believe cookies are more versatile than we often give them credit for. So, I’m open to making another batch of spam cookies and serving them to loved ones to see what they think.