Get ready to bake the ultimate holiday treat! These Ginger Molasses Sandwich Cookies are everything you dream of in a festive dessert. We’re talking incredibly soft and chewy spice cookies, rolled in sparkling sugar, with a rich, tangy cream cheese filling sandwiched in between. They are the perfect balance of warm spices and sweet creaminess, guaranteed to disappear from the cookie jar in record time. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting, this recipe is designed to be straightforward and deliver perfectly delicious results every single time.
Why You’ll Love These Ginger Molasses Sandwich Cookies
If you’re looking for a standout cookie recipe for the holidays or any time of year, this is it. These cookies are packed with cozy, nostalgic flavors that will fill your kitchen with an irresistible aroma.
- Perfectly Chewy Texture: We use a specific combination of ingredients to ensure these cookies are soft and chewy, not hard and crunchy like a traditional gingersnap.
- Creamy & Tangy Filling: The simple, yet luscious, cream cheese filling cuts through the richness of the cookies, creating a perfectly balanced bite.
- Stunning Appearance: Rolled in coarse sugar before baking, these cookies have a beautiful sparkle that makes them look as good as they taste, perfect for gift-giving or dessert platters. Find more show-stopping desserts like our Raspberry Filled Snowball Cookies.
* Rich Spice Flavor: A trifecta of ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves provides a warm, deep spice flavor that pairs beautifully with the robust taste of molasses.
Key Ingredients for The Perfect Spice Cookies
The magic of these Ginger Molasses Sandwich Cookies lies in using the right ingredients. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need and why it matters.
For the Ginger Molasses Cookies:
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for our cookies. Make sure to measure it correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off.
- Baking Soda: This is our leavening agent, which helps the cookies rise and spread just the right amount.
- Spices: A warm blend of ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves is essential for that classic gingerbread flavor.
- Unsalted Butter: Use softened, room temperature butter for a creamy, well-combined dough.
- Granulated & Brown Sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness, while brown sugar adds moisture and a hint of molasses flavor, contributing to the chewy texture.
- Egg: Binds the ingredients together. One large, room temperature egg is all you need.
- Unsulphured Molasses: This is the star ingredient! Unsulphured molasses has a pure, sweet flavor. Avoid blackstrap molasses, which can be too bitter for this recipe.
- Coarse Sanding Sugar: For rolling the dough balls. It gives the cookies a beautiful, sparkly crust and a slight crunch.
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- Cream Cheese: Use full-fat, block-style cream cheese that has been softened to room temperature for a smooth, lump-free filling.
- Unsalted Butter: Also softened to room temperature to ensure it blends seamlessly with the cream cheese.
- Powdered Sugar: Sift it to avoid any clumps and achieve a silky-smooth consistency.
- Vanilla Extract: A splash of pure vanilla extract enhances the overall flavor of the filling.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps to create the most delicious Ginger Molasses Sandwich Cookies from scratch. We’ll break it down into making the cookies, whipping up the filling, and assembling your perfect sandwich treats.
Making the Ginger Molasses Cookie Dough
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set this aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg and molasses until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the dough.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour. This is a crucial step that prevents the cookies from spreading too much. For another fantastic make-ahead dessert, try our easy loaf pan cheesecake.
Baking the Cookies
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the coarse sanding sugar in a small, shallow bowl.
- Shape the Cookies: Once chilled, scoop the dough and roll it into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the coarse sugar to coat completely.
- Bake: Place the sugar-coated dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers are still slightly soft.
- Cool Completely: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. It’s essential they are fully cooled before filling.
Whipping Up the Cream Cheese Filling
- Beat Cream Cheese and Butter: In a medium bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and softened butter together until smooth and creamy.
- Add Sugar and Vanilla: Gradually beat in the sifted powdered sugar until smooth. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Assembling the Sandwich Cookies
- Pair the Cookies: Match up the cooled cookies into pairs of similar size.
- Fill the Cookies: Spread or pipe about 1-2 teaspoons of the cream cheese filling onto the flat side of one cookie from each pair. Gently press the second cookie on top to create a sandwich. For an easy weeknight meal before dessert, check out our Ground Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry.
Tips for Success
To ensure your Ginger Molasses Sandwich Cookies turn out perfectly every time, keep these pro tips in mind:
- Don’t Skip the Chill Time: Chilling the dough is essential. It solidifies the fat, which prevents the cookies from spreading too thin during baking and deepens the flavor.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: For both the cookie dough and the filling, using room temperature butter, egg, and cream cheese is key to achieving a smooth, uniform consistency.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Too much flour can lead to dry, tough cookies. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife instead of scooping directly from the bag.
- Cool Cookies Completely: The cookies must be 100% cool before you add the filling. If they are even slightly warm, the cream cheese filling will melt and ooze out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can freeze the assembled sandwich cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Yes, absolutely! The cookie dough can be made and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before rolling and baking.
Because of the cream cheese filling, these cookies should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh and delicious for up to 5 days.
Unsulphured molasses is the best choice for this recipe. It has a cleaner, sweeter flavor than blackstrap molasses, which can be overpowering and slightly bitter.
Hard cookies are usually a result of overbaking or measuring the flour incorrectly. For a chewy texture, be sure to pull them from the oven when the centers still look a little soft and measure your flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off.
Share Your Creations!
I hope you love making and eating these incredible Ginger Molasses Sandwich Cookies! There’s nothing better than sharing a batch of homemade treats with family and friends. If you make this recipe, I would love to see it! Please leave a comment below or share a photo of your beautiful cookies on Pinterest. Happy baking!
Ginger Molasses Sandwich Cookies Recipe
Ginger Molasses Sandwich Cookies with Creamy Filling
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg and molasses until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the coarse sanding sugar in a small bowl.
- Scoop and roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the coarse sugar to coat completely.
- Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are slightly soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and softened butter together until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually beat in the sifted powdered sugar until smooth, then mix in the vanilla extract.
- Match up cooled cookies into pairs. Spread or pipe about 1-2 teaspoons of filling onto the flat side of one cookie and top with its match to create a sandwich.
Notes
Storage: Store the sandwich cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
