Gingerbread Crinkle Cookie Sandwiches

When autumn rolls around, I am all about the season’s warm spices. Pumpkin spice? Yes, please. All kinds of cinnamon recipes? Don’t mind if I do. But if I had to pick a favorite, I’d say you really can’t beat the combination of ginger, clove, cinnamon and molasses in gingerbread recipes. Not only does gingerbread taste delicious, but the aromas it creates as it bakes will make your whole house smell like a holiday wonderland.

These gingerbread crinkle sandwich cookies take everything I love about gingerbread one step further with the addition of a rich buttercream filling that’s flavored with vanilla bean paste and flecked with real vanilla beans. These tasty cookies are perfect for sharing at any fall party or family holiday gathering.

Ingredients for Gingerbread Crinkle Cookie Sandwiches

• Brown sugar: Brown sugar is simply white sugar with molasses added to it. The molasses gives it a richer flavor than granulated sugar.
• Vegetable oil: Using vegetable oil in place of butter brings the cookie dough together quickly.
• Egg: An egg helps bind all the ingredients together.
• Molasses: This thick, sticky and flavorful liquid is actually a by-product of the sugar-making process. Use a light type of molasses for this recipe.
• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour is the base of this cookie dough recipe.
• Baking soda: Baking soda helps the cookies rise as they bake, resulting in their crinkled appearance. It also contributes to the cookies’ crisp outer texture.
• Warm spices: The gingerbread cookies are seasoned with warm spices, including ground ginger, ground cinnamon and ground cloves.
• Salt: Salt enhances and balances the overall flavor of the cookies.
• Confectioners’ sugar: The cookies are rolled in confectioners’ sugar before baking for a touch of sweetness and to show off their signature crinkled top.
• Vanilla bean buttercream: The sandwich cookies are filled with a rich buttercream filling made with unsalted butter, powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, milk and vanilla bean paste. If you don’t have vanilla bean paste on hand, you can substitute vanilla extract.

Directions

Step 1: Make the cookie dough

In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and oil until they’re blended. Beat in the egg and molasses until the mixture is smooth, one to two minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

Gradually add to wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Step 2: Bake the gingerbread crinkle cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and roll them in confectioners’ sugar. Place them 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or coated with cooking spray. Slightly flatten each cookie. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes or until they’re set and the tops are cracked. Transfer them to wire racks to cool.

Step 3: Make the buttercream filling

While the cookies bake, make the buttercream filling. Place the butter in a medium bowl and beat it until it’s light and fluffy, about one to two minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, salt, milk and vanilla bean paste. Beat the mixture until it’s smooth, starting at a low speed, and then increasing in speed after the confectioners’ sugar is incorporated.

Editor’s Tip: For a thicker filling, add up to 1/4 cup of additional powdered sugar. For a thinner filling, add more milk.

Step 4: Sandwich the cookies

After the cookies have cooled completely, use an offset spatula to spread about one tablespoon of filling onto the flat side of a cookie. Top with another cookie, flat-side down, to make a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Gingerbread Crinkle Cookie Sandwiches Variations

• Spice up the filling: Add a pinch of ground cinnamon, ground ginger or pumpkin pie spice to the buttercream filling for even more gingerbread flavor.
• Skip the buttercream: Skip the buttercream filling and use a dollop of apple butter or pumpkin butter instead. A rich cream cheese frosting in place of the buttercream would provide a tangy contrast to the gingerbread.
• Add a sweet crunch: Roll the cookie dough balls in your favorite type of sugar, whether it’s white sanding sugar, turbinado sugar or demerara sugar, before rolling them in the confectioners’ sugar for added texture.
• Make them mini: To make smaller sandwich cookies, shape the dough into 1/2-inch balls and bake them for six to eight minutes.
• Go gluten-free: Substitute your favorite gluten-free baking flour blend to make gluten-free gingerbread cookies. They’re perfect if you need a gluten-free Christmas cookie for your friends and family.

How to Store Gingerbread Crinkle Cookie Sandwiches

Baked and filled gingerbread crinkle cookie sandwiches can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for up to one month. You can also freeze baked and unfilled gingerbread crinkle cookies. Transfer completely cooled cookies to a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to three months. Allow the cookies to thaw in the refrigerator before adding the buttercream filling and sandwiching them together.

Can you make gingerbread crinkle cookie sandwiches ahead of time?

You can make the cookie dough up to two days in advance and store it covered in the fridge until ready to use. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for a few minutes so that it’s pliable enough before proceeding with the recipe. If you are really planning ahead or if your baking plans change, you can also freeze the dough in a freezer-safe container for up to one month.

The buttercream filling is best made the day you plan to use it. You can make it a few hours in advance, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then whip it back up just before using it. Feel free to bake the gingerbread crinkle cookies in advance and spread the filling on the cookies just before serving.

Gingerbread Crinkle Cookie Sandwiches Tips

Why didn’t my cookies crinkle?

To ensure that your cookies crinkle when baking, do not skip chilling the dough. You should also refrigerate the dough between batches. Don’t flatten the balls completely before baking—they should just be slightly flattened. The cookie’s signature crinkles form as the dough warms, and the cookie collapses as it bakes, so there should be some height to them when they first go in the oven.