The tree is up, and holiday baking has begun! And I could not be more excited to share these Chewy Molasses Cookie Sandwiches with Lemon Buttercream!
These cookies feature crispy edges and a delightfully chewy center, flavored with molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, and sandwiched with a not-too-sweet lemon buttercream—truly what dreams are made of. I’d been eyeing my grandmother’s molasses crinkle cookie recipe for a year and finally gave it a spin this Fall.
While the flavors were spot-on, the consistency was off as the cookies spread and merged into one giant sheet on the baking pan. After playing with the flour, I landed at the perfect ratio to allow for some spread, but not too much!
Once I perfect the cookie, I was about to post when I remembered a ginger cookie sandwich I’d enjoyed at Baked & Wired in DC filled with a delicious lemon buttercream. I knew I had to recreate those flavors for the perfect holiday cookie!
I find buttercream to be a little sickly sweet sometimes, so this version is lightly sweetened (perfect with the cookie but more butter-like on it’s own) with a hint of lemon that goes perfectly with the cookies without overpowering! I hope you love them.
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Chewy Molasses Cookie Sandwiches with Lemon Buttercream
(6 votes, average: 3.67 out of 5)
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- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 26 to 28 cookies (13 to 14 sandwiches) 1x
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (211g) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
- 2 cups, 2 tablespoons (276g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (10g) baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 cup Turbinado sugar, such as Sugar In The Raw (for rolling)
For the frosting:
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups (210g) sifted powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Zest of one lemon
Instructions
FOR THE COOKIES
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter and 1 cup (211g) light brown sugar. Beat until well combined, creamy, and lightened, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
- With the mixer on low, add 1 large egg and mix until combined. Add 1/4 cup unsulphured molasses and mix until combined. Scrape down the bowl if needed
- In a separate bowl, sift together 2 cups, 2 tablespoons (276g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons (10g) baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C) and adjust oven racks to the bottom third and top third of the oven. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Pour 1/2 cup Turbinado sugar in a small, wide bowl. With your hands, roll dough into walnut-sized balls (about 1 ounce each) and roll in the bowl with Turbinado sugar until fully coated. Place on prepared sheet pan and gently press down, creating a flat disk. Place 6 to 8 balls evenly spaced on each baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies have puffed up and edges begin to darken. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the pan. They will flatten out. Once cooled, remove to a wire rack and repeat with remaining dough and bake.
MAKE THE FROSTING
- Beat 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed, about 1 minute. With the mixer on low, gradually add 2 1/4 cups (210g) sifted powdered sugar, mixing until fully incorporated and smooth. Add a pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, and zest of one lemon, and mix until combined.
TO ASSEMBLE
- On a large work surface, flip half of the cookies over. Top each one in the center with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of frosting (I used OXO’s #40 cookie scoop for even circles which make the next step much easier).
- Place unfrosted cookies on top and gently press down until the frosting reaches the edge of the cookie.
Enjoy!
Notes
Storing: Store assembled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 7 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the fully assembled cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chill time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: baking
