Easy Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies
on Dec 12, 2024
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When it comes to holiday baking, few treats represent the cozy, spiced flavors of the season quite like gingerbread sandwich cookies. These delectable cookies feature soft gingerbread rounds paired with a fluffy marshmallow filling, making them perfect for sharing or savoring with a glass of milk. Here’s how you can recreate these delightful treats in your kitchen, along with some tips, tricks, and answers to frequently asked questions.
These gingerbread sandwich cookies offer a fun twist on traditional holiday baking, combining the warm, spicy essence of classic gingerbread with a luxuriously smooth marshmallow cream filling. What’s not better with a filling??
The cookies themselves strike a perfect balance of flavors, featuring molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, while the turbinado sugar coating adds a subtle crunch that contrasts beautifully with their soft, chewy interior.
These cookies can be made ahead and frozen for up to three months unassembled, or stored for up to a week in the refrigerator once filled, making them perfect for holiday gatherings, cookie exchanges, or thoughtful homemade gifts..
The combination of the rich, spicy cookies with the sweet, creamy filling creates an indulgent treat that captures the essence of holiday baking while offering something a little different than traditional gingerbread.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies Recipe
- Yummy Filling: Spiced cookie layers with a pillowy marshmallow filling — an amazing flavor and texture combo that sets these cookies apart from standard holiday treats.
- Make Ahead: The recipe offers excellent flexibility for busy holiday schedules. The cookies can be frozen for up to three months unassembled, the filling can be made a day ahead, and you can even customize the filling by substituting cream cheese frosting or buttercream to suit different tastes.
- Gift Idea: The sparkly sugar coating and the fluffy filling make these festive gingerbread cookies a great choice for gift giving!
- Fan Favorite: These cookies disappear quickly wherever I take them! I think it’s the combination of traditional spices with the filling. It’s a great cookie recipe if you want to serve something familiar yet unexpected at your holiday celebrations.
🎁 One of our family’s holiday traditions is making lots of gingerbread cookies for gifting. We all look forward to it and can’t wait to break out the ingredients!
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Egg
- Molasses
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Ground spices — ginger, cinnamon, and cloves
- Turbinado sugar — or large crystal sugar
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies
Step 1: Mix up the dough according to the directions in the recipe card below.
Step 2: Roll the dough into 1 to 1.5-inch balls or cookie scoop. Roll the dough in the turbinado or sparkling sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart.
Step 3: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges begin to brown and the centers are set. When the cookies come out of the oven, use the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to gently press the cookies down flat.
Step 4: Let the cookies cool completely. Make the filling following the directions in the recipe card below.
Step 5: When the cookies are cooled, match them with a mate according to size. Take one cookie and place a few tablespoons of the filling in the center on the flat bottom of the cookie. Take the mate and place it on top (flat sides together) and press it until the filling comes to the edge of the cookies.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Freeze unassembled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and assemble with fresh filling when ready to serve.
Turbinado sugar adds a delightful crunch, but you can substitute sanding sugar or granulated sugar if needed.
Using the bottom of a glass or a flat measuring cup works perfectly. Press gently to maintain the chewy texture.
Yes, the filling can be made up to a day in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature before using.
For a different flavor, try a cream cheese frosting or a simple buttercream.
Expert Tips
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter is softened to room temperature for both the cookies and filling. This helps create a smooth, cohesive texture.
- Molasses Quality: Opt for unsulphured molasses for a robust yet mellow flavor.
- Even Rolling: Use a cookie scoop for uniformly sized cookies, ensuring even baking.
- Filling Consistency: If the marshmallow filling feels too thick, add a teaspoon of milk to achieve a smoother texture.
- Storage: Store assembled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Let refrigerated cookies sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Try These Other Festive Gingerbread Treats
Gingerbread treats are particularly appealing during the holiday season because anything gingerbread flavored just defines the festive season! Here are some of my family’s favorite gingerbread yummies:
- Gingerbread cake is an easy cake to make and take to any event, and it’s always very popular!
- For traditional fun, we LOVE making gingerbread houses each holiday season and make quite an event out of it.
- And the Christmas season isn’t quite done until we tackle the project of masses of perfectly soft gingerbread cookies for munching and gifting!
More Gingerbread Recipes to Enjoy
Simple Gingerbread Recipes
The Perfect Icing for Gingerbread Cookies
Simple Gingerbread Recipes
The Best Gingerbread Recipes: Your Kitchen’s Holiday Magic
Simple Gingerbread Recipes
Homemade Gingerbread Syrup: Cozy Holiday in a Bottle
Muffin Recipes
Spice Up Your Morning With Gingerbread Muffins
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup turbinado sugar or large crystal sugar
For the filling:
- 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 7 ounces Marshmallow Cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add the butter and the brown sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, around 2 minutes.
- Add the molasses and egg and beat for another minute. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves to the bowl.
- Mix until combined.
- Roll the dough into 1 to 1.5-inch balls, or you can use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop. Roll the dough in the turbinado or sparkling sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges begin to brown and the centers are set. When the cookies come out of the oven, use the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to gently press the cookies down flat. Let the cookies cool completely.
- For the filling, beat the butter and vanilla together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and beat for another 2 minutes. Gently fold in the marshmallow cream. Don't over stir.
- When the cookies are cooled, match them with a mate according to size. Take one cookie and place a few tablespoons of the filling in the center on the flat bottom of the cookie. Take the mate and place it on top (flat sides together) and press it until the filling comes to the edge of the cookies.
- Enjoy with lots of milk — they are rich!
Notes
- If your dough feels sticky while rolling, chill it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to make handling easier.
- Starting with room temperature ingredients will help the mixtures form the desired consistency. Set out the butter and eggs a little while before starting your baking project.
- When rolling the cookie dough balls in turbinado sugar, press a little firmly to really embed the sugar crystals into the dough. This ensures the sugar won’t fall off during baking and creates a more even, attractive sparkle on the finished cookies.
- Using a cookie scoop will make the cookies all one uniform size and shape, making the matching up easier and the visual end result prettier.
