Ginger Molasses Cookie Sandwiches with Cream Cheese Filling

These Molasses Cookie Sandwiches are the spectacular seasonal treat you didn’t know you needed! Prepare yourself for a spicy-sweet flavor explosion—cinnamon cream cheese frosting is stuffed between chewy, gingery spice cookies for a decadent fall dessert. 

Is it just me, or is anyone else jumping for joy now that fall has arrived? While summer has much to offer (like these frozen treats), as a pastry chef I can’t help but be pumped for cooler temps. Now I can run my oven as often as my little heart desires without sweating my tushie off!

The arrival of autumn is to bakers what awards season is to actors—the very best time to showcase our skills. It’s the season of sourdough, pies, and plenty of holiday cookies. Speaking of, these frosting cookie sandwiches are little marvels you’ll want to show off at every family gathering from now till New Year’s Eve.

These quasi-gingerbread whoopie pies are made by stuffing my favorite chewy molasses cookies with icing— cinnamon cream cheese icing, to be exact. They’re a veritable cornucopia of cozy, spicy deliciousness, and I couldn’t wait to share them with you! 

⭐ Why You’ll Love This Cookie Sandwich Recipe 

• Perfectly Primed For Holidays - Whether you’re looking to shake up your Thanksgiving dessert spread or spread cheer with a plate of Christmas whoopie pie goodness, the cinnamon-ginger combo can’t be beat.
• Fantastically Flavorful - Ginger cinnamon spice cookies are already a melody of sugar, spice, and everything nice. Add tangy cream cheese buttercream to the mix, and you’ve got yourself a Billboard top hit!
• Beautifully Basic - No need to bust out your French pâtisserie skills here. We’re keeping it simple with a basic drop cookie and frosting—easy enough for even baking beginners to master!

🍴Ingredients 

• All Purpose-Flour - Plain white flour is all you need.
• Baking Soda - For helping our cookies puff to perfection. If you haven’t baked in awhile, check that yours is still active! Place a small amount in a bowl and add a splash of vinegar—it should bubble and fizz.
• Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, & Nutmeg - This spicy little team brings big flavor to the table. In a pinch, you can swap in pumpkin pie spice for all 4. 
• Unsalted Butter & Salt - Starting with unsalted butter and adding salt is the best way to ensure consistent results. I recommend reaching for grass-fed, organic, cultured, and/or European-style butter and fine sea salt for the best results.
• Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar - Each of these sugars plays an important role in the chemical reaction as the cookies bake, creating the perfect chewy consistency with a beautifully crackly top.  
• Egg - One large egg is all it takes to bind the dough. If you’re using liquid eggs from a carton, you’ll need a scant quarter cup.
• Molasses - I prefer using unsulphered molasses which is milder and less bitter than blackstrap.
• Candied Minced Ginger - These crystalized little nuggets add a deliciously chewy texture and bright, concentrated spicy-sweet ginger flavor.
• Cream Cheese - Go for block-style cream cheese rather than the whipped variety. You can also use slightly lighter Neufchatel cheese if you prefer.
• Powdered Sugar - Also known as “icing sugar,” as it’s necessary for a smooth (not grainy) frosting. If you’re fresh out, simply blitz sugar and corn- or potato starch in a food processor until fluffy. Use 1 Tablespoon of starch per cup of sugar.
• Vanilla Extract - For adding rich, aromatic depth to our cream cheese whoopie pie filling.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

⏲️ Substitutions & Variations

• Gluten-Free - You should be able to swap in your favorite cup-for-cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend with no issues. Just make sure to let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes before baking to give it time to rehydrate—this will prevent a grainy texture. 
• Dairy-Free - Simply use plant-based butter and cream cheese substitutes for all the flavor with none of the milk!
• Different Filling - If you want to make this cinnamon spice cookie recipe more suitable for warm-weather occasions like Easter or Mother’s Day, try swapping in a tart lemon frosting instead! 

This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!

📖 Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Molasses Ginger Cookies. Start by mixing together your molasses ginger cookies. Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, roll your chilled dough into small balls. Place the cinnamon sugar into a small bowl, and one by one, coat each cookie completely in sugar. 

Step 2: Mix together Frosting. Whip your cream cheese & butter in a mixing bowl and add powdered sugar with vanilla extract. Set aside.

Step 3: Bake & Cool Cookies. Bake your candied molasses cookies and let them cool completely on a cooling rack before continuing.

Step 4: Piping Frosting. Place cream cheese frosting in a plastic bag or pastry bag with a piping tip and pipe onto your baked molasses cookies and place the other half on top.

Step 5: Assembly and Chilling. Refrigerate cookie sandwiches for about 30 minutes to 1 hour after assembling. This chill time helps the filling set, making the sandwiches easier to handle and gives the flavors time to meld together!

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Baking Tips

• Start with room-temperature ingredients. Why? Soft butter is essential for the creaming step, which not only mixes the sugar and butter, but also creates pockets of air that help with leavening. Room-temperature eggs will mix into cookie dough more easily, preventing overmixing. Finally, softened cream cheese and butter are necessary for a lusciously smooth frosting consistency. 
• Aim for consistency! Use a spring-loaded cookie scoop to help ensure your cookies are evenly sized, which in turn makes for a prettier sandwich cookie. 
• Match your cookies to their best pair before you start piping. Despite our best efforts, some variation is inevitable. I like to match up the bottoms of the cookies with each other before filling them so I don’t have to search around. 
• Parchment paper is a baker’s best friend! Not only does it make for easy clean-up, but can also be folded to make a DIY piping bag. 

💭 Recipe FAQs

❄️ Storing Instructions

Do they have to be refrigerated? Refrigerate cookie sandwiches for about 30 minutes to 1 hour after assembling. This chill time helps the filling set, making the sandwiches easier to handle and gives the flavors time to meld together! If you need to store them longer, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can you freeze homemade cookie sandwiches? You can absolutely freeze cookie sandwiches! Once assembled, place the sandwiches on a baking sheet and freeze them for about 1 hour, or until the filling is firm. After that, wrap each sandwich individually in plastic wrap or parchment paper to prevent freezer burn, and store them in an airtight container or freezer bag.

They can be frozen for up to 2 months. When you're ready to enjoy them, thaw the cookie sandwiches in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. For the best texture, let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving!

More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love

If you try the recipe for this Molasses Sandwich Cookies, please leave a 🌟 review and share your creation with me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter! 📧