Description
These Gingerbread Oatmeal Cream Pies are soft, spiced gingerbread cookies packed with hearty oats, sandwiched together with a light and fluffy vanilla cream filling. Perfectly balancing warm holiday spices with creamy sweetness, these sandwich cookies make a delightful treat for festive gatherings or cozy afternoons.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, (at room temperature)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses, (unsulfured)
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
Frosting
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, (at room temperature)
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk, (at room temperature)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper to prevent sticking and set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, kosher salt, nutmeg, and ground cloves thoroughly. Set this dry mixture aside for later.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to beat the room temperature butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes light and creamy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Into the creamed butter and sugars, add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract. Beat until all ingredients are well combined, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate everything evenly.
- Combine Dry and Wet: Add the prepared dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookie texture tender. Gently fold in the old fashioned oats with a spatula.
- Portion Cookies: Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop heaping tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart as they will spread during baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Cookies should be set around the edges but still soft in the center. Begin checking at 10 minutes to prevent overbaking.
- Cool Cookies: Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Frosting: While cookies cool, prepare the cream filling. Beat the room temperature butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and mix on medium for 1–2 minutes. Then add the heavy cream (or milk), vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt, beating on high for another 2 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Assemble Sandwiches: Spread about 1 heaping tablespoon of the cream filling onto the flat side of half the cookies. Use a spoon, piping bag, or small scoop for even distribution.
- Complete Pies: Top each filled cookie with another cookie, right side up, gently pressing together to form sandwich cookies. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Ensure butter is at room temperature for easy creaming.
- Check cookies early to prevent overbaking as ovens vary.
- For softer filling, use heavy cream; for lighter, whole milk works well.
- These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
- To make these gluten-free, substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend suitable for baking.
