Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies with Brown Buttercream
I’ll use any excuse to add brown butter to almost anything, but the best use so far has been in these gingerbread sandwich cookies. The mix of the deep molasses flavor with the nutty brown butter is so delicious. These cookies are soft, slightly chewy, and pack a punch of gingerbread flavor.
The soft gingerbread cookies are a fantastic recipe all on their own. They have those cute wrinkles on top and have a perfectly soft and chewy center.
But why not take it up a notch with some brown butter? I made a super simple brown butter buttercream recipe to fill these cookies and I must say, I am very pleased with my decision. I mean…what flavor DOESN’T go with brown butter??
How to brown butter
Before we get to the cookies, let’s talk about brown butter.
First, melt your butter in a saucepan over medium heat. As the butter melts, it will start to foam. You want to keep mixing the butter so that it doesn’t burn.
The browning phase happens quickly so keep stirring until you get there. The color will turn from a golden yellow color to a rich amber. That’s when you know it’s ready.
Take it off the heat and pour it into a glass container, scraping down the pan. You especially want all of those brown bits at the bottom. That’s where all the flavor is.
Making the soft gingerbread cookies
For ONCE, I finally made cookies that are a normal size…but only under sandwich cookie circumstances.
I absolutely love this soft gingerbread cookie recipe because the texture is perfection. The use of brown sugar makes them slightly chewy and the molasses gives a rich flavor.
By slightly under baking them, you get that soft and gooey center that works perfectly for a sandwich cookie. No one wants a stiff cookie to where the cream in the middle just falls out when you take a bite.
I also made sure to use Watkins vanilla in both the cookies and the buttercream. I always have a big bottle stocked in my cabinet because I use it in EVERYTHING. Mainly because I know it doesn’t have any nasty filler ingredients and it makes my recipes taste delicious.
Assembling the gingerbread sandwich cookies
Before assembling, make sure your cookies are COMPLETELY cooled! Otherwise, your buttercream will slip right off and run all over.
If you’re baking the cookies a day ahead, store them in the fridge. They’re so soft that they’ll flatten if stacked on top of each other at room temperature.
Start by matching up similar sized cookies. Using an open star piping tip, pipe an even amount of buttercream on one cookie. Top it off with the matching cookie.
Store the cookies in the fridge so that the buttercream can set. They’re the best when served at room temperature.
Looking for more Holiday dessert recipes? Check out my:
Salted Caramel Cheesecake
Gingerbread Cupcakes
Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram if you make these gingerbread sandwich cookies. I love seeing my recipes come to life in YOUR kitchen! To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
This post is sponsored by The Watkins Co. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Butternut Bakery possible!
Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies with Brown Buttercream
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 sandwich cookies
Description
Soft gingerbread cookies with a delicious brown butter buttercream sandwiched in the middle
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cookies
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar + more for rolling
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
- 1 tsp Watkins pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cloves
Browned Butter Buttercream
- 2/3 cup butter, browned
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Watkins pure vanilla extract
- 3–4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- First, brown your butter. Pour into a glass container and pop it in the fridge.
Gingerbread Cookies
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- Using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the egg and then the molasses and vanilla until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again.
- Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until the dough just comes together. Pop the bowl in the fridge for a couple minutes and preheat the oven to 350F.
- Once preheated, scoop out your cookies using a standard cookie scoop and roll in some granulated sugar.
- Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten slightly with your palm. This recipe makes about 24 cookies.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
Browned Butter Buttercream
- Wait for the cookies to cool completely before making the buttercream. You’ll also want to wait until the brown butter in the fridge has solidified but is still soft in the middle.
- Using a hand or stand mixer, whip the butter until smooth (brown bits and all).
- Mix in the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and add in the heavy whipping cream 1 tbsp at a time in between mixes. Mix in the vanilla.
- Pipe an even swirl onto half of the cookies and top them off with the other half. Place the cookies in the fridge to set for about an hour then eat at room temperature. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
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Meet Jenna
I’m the creator, baker, and photographer behind Butternut Bakery. Here I share desserts for every diet because I believe everyone should have a chance to indulge!
These are so delicious! I made them last year around Christmas time (as well as many other treats/cookies), but they were what my family requested I make again this year. We delivered them to neighbors, and they’re already messaging for the recipe 🙂
I made these in a gluten free version – I have never made gingerbread before so it was fun and messy with the molasses. The cookies are delicious but I will try a smaller cookie scoop next time and not flatten the balls before baking. Mine flattened out quite a bit so they are quite a large sandwich cookie. A smaller bite would be perfect. The frosting is to die for. Thank you!
I love everything I made from your blog! I feel like I’m becoming a cookie creeper. 😀
These gingerbread sandwich cookies are sooo delicious!! The cookies alone are so good they don’t even need the filling, but it was a very welcome addition! The browned-butter buttercream was so amazing, it will be making its way into other tasty treats in the future! It’s unbelievable how it literally tastes like nuts!
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