These soft, chewy Ginger Cream Cookies are ideal for the holidays and beyond. No electric mixer needed—the dough comes together quickly—and a brown sugar buttercream complements the warm ginger and spices perfectly.
Frosted molasses and ginger cookies are my top pick for the Christmas season. I often skip sugar cookies in favor of a soft, chewy ginger cookie finished with a generous spread of buttercream. These ginger cream cookies are simple to make, have a nice sugar-coated exterior, and are finished with a rich brown sugar buttercream—what’s not to love?
If you want to elevate them, make sandwich cookies with the buttercream for a delightful treat.
Why You Will Love These Ginger Cream Cookies:
- Soft, chewy texture. Excellent spice flavor and a tender bite, especially once topped with buttercream.
- Simple preparation. The recipe uses melted butter, so no electric mixer is required for the cookie dough—easy and fast.
- Freezer friendly. Make ahead and freeze dough or baked cookies for easy holiday prep.
- Perfect for holiday trays and year-round baking. Add red and green sprinkles for a festive look or decorate however you like.
Ginger Cookie Ingredients:
- Butter: Unsalted preferred; if using salted butter, reduce added salt.
- Sugars: Granulated sugar and brown sugar (light or dark).
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract for best flavor.
- Egg: 1 large, room temperature.
- Molasses: Unsulfured molasses gives the classic flavor.
- Flour: All-purpose flour. Spoon and level if measuring by cup. A 1:1 gluten-free flour can work as a substitute.
- Spices: Ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves (optional nutmeg).
- Baking soda: Make sure it’s fresh.
- Salt: Sea salt or table salt.
Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:
- Salted butter: I use salted in the frosting; if using unsalted, add a pinch of salt.
- Powdered sugar: Provides structure and sweetness for piping or spreading.
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract adds depth.
- Brown sugar: Adds a subtle molasses flavor; beat well so it dissolves (a slight texture is fine if you prefer).
- Heavy cream: Gives a rich, stable buttercream. Substitute half-and-half or whole milk if needed.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add molasses, egg, and vanilla; whisk to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined.
- Chill the dough at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours (or covered up to 3 days). If chilled longer than 2 hours, let the dough sit at room temperature briefly before scooping.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Use a 1.5 tablespoon scoop (or roll into 1½-inch balls) and roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat.
- Place cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined sheet. Bake 8–10 minutes until slightly puffy with crinkled tops and edges just turning golden; I find about 8½ minutes is ideal.
- Cool on the baking sheet a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Prepare the Brown Sugar Buttercream:
Patience is key: beat until the brown sugar dissolves (or nearly so) for a smooth buttercream. If you don’t mind a subtle crunch, you can stop earlier.
- Cream the butter with a mixer until smooth. Add brown sugar and vanilla; beat 3–5 minutes until the brown sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Add powdered sugar gradually, beating until smooth. Add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time to reach desired consistency.
- Pipe or spread onto completely cooled cookies and decorate with sprinkles if desired.
Recipe Tips:
- Chill the dough. Chilling makes it easy to roll into balls; if still sticky, chill longer or add a tablespoon of flour.
- Use dark brown sugar for more molasses flavor. Dark brown sugar intensifies the molasses notes.
- Skip the sugar coating if you prefer a softer exterior. For extra crunch, roll the dough in raw sugar instead.
Storage:
Baked Cookies:
Store frosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days or refrigerate up to 1 week. Unfrosted cookies keep about 5 days at room temperature.
To freeze baked cookies: cool completely, flash-freeze on a tray for 1–2 hours, then transfer to an airtight container with wax paper between layers. Freeze up to 3 months.
Cookie Dough:
For chilled storage, roll dough into balls, cover, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Let sit 15–30 minutes at room temperature before baking. Roll in sugar just before baking.
To freeze dough balls: freeze on a tray for 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature before baking.
Ginger Cream Cookies with Brown Sugar Buttercream
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- ¾ cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup granulated white sugar, plus more for rolling
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup unsulfured molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour (315 g), spooned and leveled
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp sea salt
For the Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup salted butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2–3 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
For the Cookies:
- Whisk melted butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Add egg, molasses, and vanilla; mix to combine.
- Whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and baking soda. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined. Chill 30 minutes to 2 hours (up to 3 days covered).
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Scoop or roll into 1½-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined sheets.
- Bake 8–10 minutes until edges are just turning golden and tops are crinkled. Cool a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
For the Brown Sugar Buttercream:
- Cream butter until smooth. Add brown sugar and vanilla and beat 3–5 minutes until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Add powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time, beating until combined. Add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches your desired consistency. Pipe or spread on cooled cookies.
- Store frosting in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 1 week (bring to room temperature before serving).
Notes
Storage: Frosted cookies last 2–3 days at room temperature or 1 week in the fridge. Unfrosted cookies keep about 5 days. Freeze baked cookies or dough up to 3 months; see instructions above for flash-freezing.
- Do not skip chilling the dough. It makes rolling easier; if sticky, chill longer or add a little flour.
- Dark brown sugar intensifies molasses flavor.
- Omit rolling in sugar for a softer exterior, or use raw sugar for extra crunch.
Nutrition noted below is an estimate for a cookie with heavy piped frosting and should be used as an approximation only.
Nutrition
Calories: 241 kcal; Carbohydrates: 33 g; Protein: 1 g; Fat: 12 g; Saturated Fat: 8 g; Sugar: 24 g (approximate).
Nutrition information is an approximation.