Description
Delicious homemade gingerbread sandwich cookies filled with fluffy vanilla buttercream frosting. Perfectly spiced and soft-batch gingerbread cookies rolled in sanding sugar and sandwiched with a creamy vanilla frosting, ideal for holiday treats or anytime indulgence.
Ingredients
Scale
Gingerbread Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 113g
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150g
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar 50g
- 1 large egg, room temperature 56g
- 1/4 cup dark molasses 70g
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 290g
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1 cup white sanding sugar or granulated sugar
Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 113g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar 250g
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream or milk, room temperature 30g
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to cream together 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup light brown sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is lighter in color, about 2 minutes.
- Add Egg and Molasses: Mix in 1 large egg and 1/4 cup dark molasses on medium speed until fully combined. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Sift together 2 1/4 cups flour, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir them into the wet mixture on low speed until just combined forming a thick dough.
- Shape Cookies: Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop or large spoon to portion 24 cookie dough balls. Roll each ball in white sanding sugar or granulated sugar, then place them about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 11 minutes or until edges appear set and cookie centers are puffy. Remove from oven and immediately flatten each cookie gently with the bottom of a metal measuring cup or glass while still warm.
- Cool Cookies: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- Make Buttercream Frosting: While cookies cool, beat 1/2 cup butter on medium speed for 30 seconds until smooth. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp salt and mix to combine.
- Add Powdered Sugar and Cream: Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk on low speed, scraping bowl as needed. If frosting is too thick, add 1 extra tablespoon cream; if too thin, add 1/4 cup more powdered sugar.
- Fluff and Pipe Frosting: After incorporation, beat frosting on medium-high speed for one minute until fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag with a 1/2 inch opening (or a sturdy freezer Ziploc bag with the tip cut off).
- Assemble Sandwich Cookies: Pair cookies and pipe a generous amount of buttercream on one cookie, then sandwich together with the other.
- Store Cookies: Store completed sandwich cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Use fresh ground spices for the best flavor as old spices can lose potency.
- A 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop helps produce uniformly sized cookies for even baking and sandwiching.
- Space cookies about 2 inches apart on baking sheets because they spread as they bake.
- Do not over-bake; cookies should look slightly soft when removed as they firm up on the sheet.
- Flatten cookies gently while warm for easier sandwiching and eating.
- You can use a Ziplock freezer bag as an alternative piping bag by snipping a corner.
- Dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated. Allow to come to room temperature before baking.
- Baked and filled cookies store well in airtight containers for 2 days at room temp, 5 days refrigerated, or 1 month frozen.
- You can freeze baked unfilled cookies for one month; thaw overnight in fridge before filling.
- To make mini sandwich cookies, use a 3/4 tablespoon scoop, bake for 8 minutes, and yield 24 small sandwiches.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich cookie
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
