Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies Recipe brings soft, spiced molasses cookies together with a plush vanilla cream cheese filling that tastes like holiday cheer in every bite. Bakers who love cozy flavors and cookie exchange wins will knock these out in about 2 hours total, including chill time. I tested these for my neighborhood swap and watched the plate vanish faster than the snow on my porch steps.
Why You Should Try This Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies Recipe
This Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies Recipe gives you chewy centers, crisp edges, and bold spice that plays perfectly with tangy, creamy filling. The molasses keeps the cookies tender, the spices sing, and the sandwich format means built-in frosting with every bite. You get bakery looks with simple pantry moves.
You can bake the cookies ahead and fill them later, which makes party day simple. The dough handles well, so even kids can help roll and cut. I stack the finished sandwiches in tins, and they hold up like champs.
These taste like classic gingerbread met a cloud of frosting and decided to be everyone’s favorite holiday cookie ★★★★★
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Unsalted butter: 10 tablespoons, softened. European-style butter adds richness, but any good brand works.
- Brown sugar: 3/4 cup, packed. Light or dark both work; dark boosts molasses vibes.
- Molasses: 1/2 cup, unsulfured. I like Grandma’s Original; avoid blackstrap for this recipe.
- Large egg: 1
- Vanilla extract: 2 teaspoons
- All-purpose flour: 2 3/4 cups. Spoon and level for accuracy.
- Baking soda: 1 teaspoon
- Fine sea salt: 1/2 teaspoon
- Ground ginger: 2 teaspoons
- Ground cinnamon: 1 1/2 teaspoons
- Ground cloves: 1/4 teaspoon
- Ground nutmeg: 1/4 teaspoon
- Optional roll-in sugar: 1/3 cup granulated or coarse sanding sugar for sparkle
- Pantry shortcut: No individual spices on hand? Use 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice plus 1 extra teaspoon ginger.
Filling option 1: Vanilla cream cheese
- Cream cheese: 8 ounces, softened
- Unsalted butter: 4 tablespoons, softened
- Powdered sugar: 2 to 2 1/2 cups, sifted
- Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
- Pinch of salt
- Sub: Add 1 teaspoon orange zest for a citrus twist.
Filling option 2: Marshmallow buttercream
- Unsalted butter: 6 tablespoons, softened
- Marshmallow creme: 1 jar, 7 ounces
- Powdered sugar: 1 cup
- Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
- Pinch of salt
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk and rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rolling pin
- Baking sheets and parchment
- 2-inch round or fluted cookie cutter
- Wire racks
- Piping bag or zip-top bag for filling
How to Make Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies Recipe
Mix the dough, 15 minutes
- Beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in molasses, egg, and vanilla until glossy and combined.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a separate bowl, then add to the mixer on low. Mix until the dough comes together and no dry streaks remain.
Chill, 1 hour
- Divide dough in half and pat into two flat discs.
- Wrap each disc and chill until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour. You can chill up to 48 hours.
Roll and cut, 15 minutes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment.
- Lightly flour your work surface. Roll one disc to 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut rounds with a 2-inch cutter. Reroll scraps once. If using roll-in sugar, lightly press tops into sugar.
- Place on prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
Bake, 8 to 10 minutes
- Bake one sheet at a time until edges set and centers look puffed, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then move cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Match cookies by size for tidy sandwiches.
Make the filling, 10 minutes
- For cream cheese filling: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat until fluffy and spreadable.
- For marshmallow buttercream: Beat butter until creamy, then mix in marshmallow creme, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until light.
Assemble, 10 minutes plus a short set
- Pipe or spread 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons filling onto the flat side of half the cookies.
- Cap with the remaining cookies and press gently until the filling reaches the edges.
- Let the sandwiches rest 15 to 20 minutes so the filling firms up, then serve.
Tips & Tricks
- Keep the dough cold, and it will roll cleanly and hold sharp edges.
- Use a small offset spatula to lift cut rounds without warping them.
- Want softer cookies? Bake to the low end of the range and pull when centers still look slightly soft.
- Crave extra spice? Add 1/4 teaspoon white pepper for gentle heat.
- Short on time? Roll dough into balls and bake as drop cookies, then sandwich.
- Match cookies by weight on a small scale, and your pairs will look bakery-perfect.
- For neat edges, chill assembled sandwiches 15 minutes, then run a small knife around the sides to smooth any squeeze-out.
What to Serve with Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies Recipe
Serve these sandwich cookies with hot cocoa, spiced chai, or a shot of espresso. Add a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or cinnamon ice cream for a dessert plate that wins applause. I also love a citrus counterpoint, so pour small glasses of orange juice or tuck in a few candied orange peels. If you build a cookie tray, pair them with snickerdoodles and chocolate crinkles for color and texture variety.
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Unbaked dough: Wrap tightly and refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before rolling.
- Baked cookies, unfrosted: Store airtight at room temp up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months.
- Assembled sandwiches: Store airtight in the fridge up to 5 days. For best texture, bring to room temp for 20 minutes before serving.
- Quick refresh: If the cookie shells feel too soft after storage, warm them unfilled on a sheet at 300°F for 3 to 4 minutes, cool, then fill. If they feel too crisp, sandwich them and rest overnight in a tin; the filling will gently soften them.
Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies Recipe
Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies bring soft, spiced molasses cookies together with a plush vanilla cream cheese or marshmallow filling for a festive holiday treat.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Beat the softened butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until the mixture is glossy and well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Alternatively, use pumpkin pie spice plus extra ginger as a substitute for the individual spices.
- Add the dry ingredients to the mixer on low speed and mix just until the dough comes together and no dry streaks remain.
- Divide the dough in half and pat each portion into a flat disc.
- Wrap each disc tightly and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour. The dough can be chilled for up to 48 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Lightly flour your work surface. Roll one disc of dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.
- Cut out rounds with a 2-inch round or fluted cookie cutter, rerolling scraps once if needed.
- If desired, lightly press the tops of the cut cookies into granulated or sanding sugar for sparkle.
- Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers look puffed.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
- Once cooled, match cookies by size to create tidy sandwich pairs.
- For the vanilla cream cheese filling, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until fluffy and spreadable. Stir in orange zest if using.
- For the marshmallow buttercream filling, beat the butter until creamy, then add the marshmallow creme, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat until light and smooth.
- Pipe or spread 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of your chosen filling onto the flat side of half of the cookies.
- Top each filled cookie with a second cookie, flat side down, and press gently until the filling just reaches the edges.
- Let the assembled sandwich cookies rest for 15 to 20 minutes so the filling can firm up before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Approximate per 1 sandwich cookie (about 24 sandwiches, using cream cheese filling): 210–230 calories; fat 10–12 g; saturated fat 6–7 g; carbohydrates 28–30 g; fiber 0–1 g; sugars 18–20 g; protein 2–3 g; sodium 120–160 mg. Values are estimates and will vary based on filling choice, brands, and portion size. Storage: Unbaked dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 2 months. Baked, unfrosted cookies can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 months. Assembled sandwich cookies keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; let them sit at room temperature about 20 minutes before serving.
Approximate per 1 sandwich cookie (about 24 sandwiches, using cream cheese filling): 210–230 calories; fat 10–12 g; saturated fat 6–7 g; carbohydrates 28–30 g; fiber 0–1 g; sugars 18–20 g; protein 2–3 g; sodium 120–160 mg. Values are estimates and will vary based on filling choice, brands, and portion size. Storage: Unbaked dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 2 months. Baked, unfrosted cookies can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 months. Assembled sandwich cookies keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; let them sit at room temperature about 20 minutes before serving.