This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These ginger molasses cookie sandwiches are soft, chewy molasses cookies rolled in sanding sugar and filled with a tangy cream cheese frosting. They’re my favorite Christmas cookie sandwiches for holiday cookie trays, cookie exchanges, and Thanksgiving dessert tables, and they taste even better after a night in the fridge!
Quick Look: Ginger Molasses Cookie Sandwiches
- 🍪 What it is: Soft, chewy ginger molasses cookies sandwiched with tangy cream cheese filling.
- ⭐ Why it works: Molasses and dark brown sugar keep these ginger cookie sandwiches soft for days.
- 💛 Why you’ll love it: They taste even better the next day, so they’re perfect for holiday prep.
- ⚠️ What to watch for: Cool the cookies completely or the cream cheese filling will melt and slide.
- ❄️ Make ahead: Chill assembled overnight, or freeze the dough balls up to 3 months.
Why This Recipe Works
If you love warm holiday spices, my chewy ginger molasses cookies are the same flavor without the filling, and these gingerbread cheesecake bars give you that spice and cream cheese combo in bar form. For a cookie that holds its shape for decorating, try my no spread gingerbread cookies or this Crumbl soft gingerbread cookie copycat.
- Soft, chewy ginger sandwich cookies with cream cheese filling that balances the warm spices
- Classic gingerbread molasses sandwich cookies made with simple pantry ingredients
- They get even better overnight, so they’re the easiest make-ahead Christmas cookie on your tray
- Perfect for cookie exchanges, holiday dessert tables, and cookie boxes (I always make a double batch!)
- Building a full cookie box? Add some piped Danish butter cookies, a batch of no-bake Ritz peanut butter cookie sandwiches, and a few classic no bake cookies
Table of Contents
- Quick Look: Ginger Molasses Cookie Sandwiches
- Why This Recipe Works
- Key Ingredients
- Substitutions and Additions
- How to Make Ginger Molasses Cookie Sandwiches
- Expert Tips
- What to Serve with Ginger Molasses Cookie Sandwiches
- Ginger Molasses Cookie Sandwiches FAQs
- More Holiday Cookie Recipe Favorites
- Ginger Molasses Cookie Sandwiches Recipe
Key Ingredients
- Unsulfured molasses: This gives the cookies their deep flavor, dark color, and chewy texture. Use unsulfured, not blackstrap, which is bitter.
- Dark brown sugar: It adds moisture and caramel flavor, and together with the molasses it keeps the cookies soft for days.
- Ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg: The classic gingerbread spice blend. Make sure your spices are fresh for the best flavor.
- Sanding sugar: Rolling the dough balls in it gives the cookies a sparkly, snowy finish and a little crunch.
- Cream cheese: Use full-fat brick cream cheese and let it soften completely so the filling is smooth, not lumpy.
- Vanilla bean paste: Optional, but it gives the filling those pretty little vanilla specks. Vanilla extract works too.
Full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Additions
- Eggnog filling: Swap the vanilla for 2 tablespoons of eggnog and add 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Add a little extra powdered sugar if it feels loose. These gingerbread cookie sandwiches taste like Christmas morning.
- Ginger molasses ice cream sandwiches: Fill the cooled cookies with softened vanilla ice cream, wrap each one, and freeze until firm.
- Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum.
- Holiday finish: Roll the edges in sprinkles or sanding sugar, dust with powdered sugar, or drizzle with white chocolate.
How to Make Ginger Molasses Cookie Sandwiches
- Mix the dry ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line your baking sheets with parchment. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Make the dough. Beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, mix in the molasses, egg, and vanilla, then add the dry ingredients just until combined.
- Scoop, roll, and bake. Scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough, roll each ball in sanding sugar, and bake for 8 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely.
- Make and pipe the filling. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and pipe onto the flat side of half the cookies.
- Assemble. Top each one with a second cookie, flat side down, and press gently.
- Chill overnight. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours so the cookies soften and the filling firms up for a clean bite.
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip the dark brown sugar. Together with the molasses, it’s what keeps these cookies soft and chewy instead of crisp.
- Bake one day, fill the next. The cookies keep in an airtight container overnight, so you can split the work across two days.
- Chill the dough if it spreads. If the dough feels sticky or soft, refrigerate it for 20 to 30 minutes so the cookies bake evenly.
- Grease your molasses cup. Lightly coat your measuring cup so the molasses slides right out.
- Fully cool before filling. Warm cookies melt the filling, and then it’s slipping, sliding, and total sadness. Cool them down!!
- Filling too soft? Use colder cream cheese or add a little more powdered sugar until it holds a swirl.
What to Serve with Ginger Molasses Cookie Sandwiches
These cookies are rich, so they pair best with something cozy to sip or something simple on the side:
- Hot cocoa
- Eggnog
- A warm gingerbread latte
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream
- A holiday dessert board with other Christmas cookies and candy
Making a cozy drink to go with them? My crock pot hot chocolate is perfect for a crowd, and this gingerbread syrup for coffee turns any latte into a gingerbread latte. Filling out a dessert board? Add a few pieces from my Christmas fudge recipes.
Ginger Molasses Cookie Sandwiches FAQs
Place ginger molasses cookie sandwiches on a covered tray in the fridge overnight, then keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I love them straight from the fridge!
Yes! Freeze assembled ginger molasses cookie sandwiches in layers with parchment between them for 1 to 2 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before serving.
Absolutely. Ginger molasses cookie sandwiches are best made a day ahead, since the filling softens the cookies overnight. You can also freeze the dough balls for up to 3 months and allow to get back to room temperature before baking. For a more even spread, gently press them down a bit to flatten the top (don’t press down too much).
I use a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop for bakery-size ginger molasses cookie sandwiches. For smaller ones, use a 1 tablespoon scoop and start checking them a minute or two early.
Use a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped for the cleanest look. If you’d rather spread it, an offset spatula works best.
More Holiday Cookie Recipe Favorites
If you tried these Ginger Molasses Cookie Sandwiches or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments! I love hearing from you!
Ginger Molasses Cookie Sandwiches
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Cookies:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sanding sugar
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
Prepare the Gingerbread Cookie Dough:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, and mix until combined.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
- Scoop using a small cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough), roll in the sanding sugar, place on the prepared baking sheet, and bake for 8 minutes.1/2 cup sanding sugar
Make the Cream Cheese Filling:
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.8 oz cream cheese, 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag (no tip needed), or use a zip-top bag with the corner cut off.1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Assemble the Sandwich Cookies:
- Pipe some cream cheese filling onto the flat side of half of the cookies.
- Top those cookies with another cookie, flat side down, to create sandwiches.
- Place the cookies in an airtight container or in a flat baking sheet and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for 1-2 days to allow those flavors to meld together. This will also keep your cookie sandwiches from having the filling ooze out when you take a bite. So be patient and let them rest in the fridge for at least 24 hours!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are amazing. Mine went flat but that’s ok. I used freshly milled flour so that’s probably why. No matter – they ended up looking like Little Debbie’s oatmeal cookies only MUCH better. I also had a happy accident – I was in a hurry and forgot to add the powdered sugar with the cream cheese and butter. I think it tastes great without it. It would be too sweet for our liking with that much more sugar. Definitely a repeat recipe. Thanks so much!
Haha love a happy accident! Skipping the powdered sugar is a great call if you like it less sweet. Thank you for sharing all your notes!
So good, will be making these forever!
Thank youuu 🙂
Made just the cookies so far and they’re great! In the future, can I bake the cookies one day and then assemble them with the frosting on the following day?
Absolutely that’s exactly how I would do it
Made these for the first time a few days ago for Thanksgiving and they are already gone and now I’ve been requested to make another batch for this weekend. They are delicious! Loved the tip to chill overnight. The only gripe I have is trying to write this review cause the ads and pop-ups are a little ridiculous in amount.
This is one of my absolute favorite recipes on my whole site and I’m so happy to hear that your family enjoyed them as well! Apologies for the ad quantity.
Wow!! Just did a test run of this recipe for the holidays and it should get 10 stars! Perfect texture and flavor. Rich and comforting. So festive and delicious. Definitely recommend.
Hi Ali!! I am so glad that you loved these as much as we did!! They’re seriously our faves!!
Thanks for the recipe! I think you meant to write the flavors “meld together,” not melt together.
Thanks for the heads up!!
Can you freeze these with the frosting in the middle?
You sure can! Just thaw them in the fridge overnight before serving!
I made these for an event and everyone loved them! I used about about a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop for these but I found that the cookies came out rather larger and I only got about 10. I cut them in half to serve. What size scoop do you use? Hoping to make them smaller next time (maybe just one tablespoon)? Do you think that would work fine?
Can you freeze this dough?
Absolutely! To do so, scoop and shape them into balls, place them on a baking sheet, and put it in the freezer for a few hours or overnight. Put plastic wrap under the balls on the baking sheet and over them for easier removal and to prevent freezer burn. Once they’re frozen solid and won’t stick to each other, you can transfer them into a ziplock bag, place back in the freezer, and keep frozen for up to 3 months before baking.
These cookies were great! We actually chose to not make them into a cookie-witch but left them as a glazed cookie as they are pretty rich. Definitely going to add them to our Christmas cookie rotation!
These were my family’s favorite this past year! So glad you enjoyed them as well 🙂