Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies Recipe
Delightfully spiced gingerbread sandwich cookies filled with a smooth, creamy vanilla frosting. Perfect for the holiday season, these cookies combine warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves with rich molasses to create an irresistibly festive treat. The soft yet slightly crisp cookies are sandwiched with a luscious buttercream that can be easily piped for a neat finish. A classic holiday favorite made easy with straightforward steps and simple ingredients.
- Author: zara
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: About 24 sandwich cookies (48 individual cookies) 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
For the Cookies:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or milk)
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and brown sugar together using a hand or stand mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Then add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth and incorporated.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. The dough will be soft and sticky. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to chill and firm up.
- Roll and Cut the Dough: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about ¼ inch thickness. Use gingerbread-shaped or round cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place the cutouts on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are set and firm. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the Frosting: In a medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, softened unsalted butter, vanilla extract, and heavy cream together until smooth, fluffy, and spreadable.
- Assemble the Sandwich Cookies: Using a spatula, piping bag, or zip-top bag with a snipped corner, spread or pipe frosting onto the flat side of one cookie. Gently press a second cookie on top to form a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies.
Notes
- Chilling the dough makes rolling and cutting easier and prevents spreading during baking.
- Roll dough evenly for consistent baking; thicker cookies will be softer, thinner will be crispier.
- Use a piping bag for neat and even frosting application.
- Add a pinch of salt to frosting for a sweet-and-salty flavor balance.
- Let cookies cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- Freeze baked unfrosted cookies for up to 2 months; freeze assembled sandwiches up to 1 month.
Keywords: gingerbread cookies, holiday cookies, sandwich cookies, molasses cookies, Christmas cookies, gingerbread sandwich cookies, spiced cookies, homemade frosting