Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies Recipe
Delight in these festive Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies, featuring warm spices and rich molasses in soft, chewy cookies sandwiched with a creamy vanilla buttercream frosting. Perfect for holiday celebrations or any cozy day, they offer a classic seasonal treat that’s easy to make and wonderfully delicious.
- Author: Dana
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 24 sandwich cookies (48 individual cookies) 1x
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- 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 the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set this mixture aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use a hand or stand mixer to beat the softened unsalted butter and brown sugar together for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Then add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract, mixing until the batter is smooth and homogenous.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. The dough will be soft and somewhat sticky. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Roll and Cut the Dough: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough evenly to about ¼ inch thickness. Use gingerbread-shaped or round cookie cutters to cut out shapes, then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are set and just starting to brown. Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the Frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat together the powdered sugar, softened butter, vanilla extract, and heavy cream (or milk) until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
- Assemble the Sandwich Cookies: Spread or pipe the frosting onto the flat side of one cookie, then gently press another cookie on top to form a sandwich. Repeat with all cookies, creating multiple sandwich cookies.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential for easier rolling and cutting.
- For softer cookies, roll the dough thicker; for crispier cookies, roll thinner.
- Use a piping bag or a zip-top bag with a corner cut off for neater frosting application.
- Adding a pinch of salt to the frosting can enhance its flavor with a sweet-and-salty contrast.
- Let cookies cool completely before frosting to prevent the filling from melting.
- The dough can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated.
- Unfrosted baked cookies freeze well for up to 2 months; thaw before frosting.
- Sandwich cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 1 week.
- Wrap individual sandwich cookies and freeze for up to 1 month; thaw before serving.
Keywords: gingerbread cookies, sandwich cookies, holiday cookies, molasses cookies, spiced cookies, homemade frosting