Gingerbread Iced Oatmeal Cookies
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Gingerbread cookies and iced oatmeal cookies had a baby and the result might just be the best holiday cookie of all time. Made with a soft, spiced gingerbread oatmeal cookie and finished off with a perfectly sweet vanilla glaze.
Gingerbread Iced Oatmeal Cookies
Ugh you guys. I am literally salivating looking at these cookies. They might be my favorite holiday cookie of the year which is saying something because our December recipes this year are FIRE. But these cookies are so soft, chewy, spiced, tender and festive. They’re an absolute delight. These cookies bring together the warm, spiced flavors of gingerbread with the nostalgic chewiness of iced oatmeal cookies. They’re the perfect addition to any Christmas cookie box or for leaving out on Christmas eve for Santa.
What are gingerbread iced oatmeal cookies?
These cookies take the best part of gingerbread cookies (the flavor) and add a little cozy, oatmeal cookie flavor to them. Finish them off with a sweet vanilla icing that perfectly complements the zingy ginger spice and treacly molasses and you’re in heaven. Plus, they’re a super easy drop cookie that’s made in one bowl (okay you’ll need another small bowl for icing, but like…shhhh) so no rolling out and laboriously cutting into shapes or chilling the dough AKA my favorite kind of cookie.
- The perfect texture: A chewy center, slightly crisp edges, and a sweet glaze on top – these cookies truly have it all. A combination of brown sugar (chew), granulated sugar (slightly crunchy edge), and molasses (softness) gives theses cookies the ideal cookie texture.
- Packs a flavorful punch: Thanks to molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, every bite is packed with warm, cozy spices.
- Soft for days: These cookies are perfect for baking in advance because they maintain their soft, chewy texture long after they’re baked.
- Easy to make: No fancy mixers (you’ll just need a bowl and stirring utensil!), no chilling the dough overnight, no rolling out and cutting into shapes–these cookies are remarkably easy to make. And even easier to eat 🙂
What ingredients will you need for these gingerbread iced oatmeal cookies
You’ll need a handful of speciality ingredients like molasses, ginger and cloves to make these holiday cookies, but otherwise we’re looking at the usual cast of characters: flour, butter, sugar, eggs, etc. Here’s your shopping list:
- Old-Fashioned Oats: The heart of any oatmeal cookie! Make sure you’re using old fashioned oats and *not* quick oats–they’ll totally change the texture of your cookies!
- Molasses: Adds that deep, rich gingerbread flavor while keeping the cookies soft and moist.
- Brown Sugar: The key to that caramel-y sweetness and chewy texture.
- Holiday Spices: A blend of cinnamon, ginger and cloves makes every bite taste like Christmas.
- All-Purpose Flour: Just enough to hold everything together without making the cookies dense.
- Powdered Sugar and Milk: The simple yet essential ingredients for that dreamy glaze.
Tips and Tricks for Perfect Cookies
These iced gingerbread oatmeal cookies are pretty easy to make, but we’ve rounded up our top tips to ensure you get the best cookies you can.
- Don’t overmix the batter: The key to soft, tender cookies is only mixing until just combined. The longer you mix the more gluten that develops in the dough which can lead to a tougher, drier cookie.
- Let the dough sit for ten minutes before baking: You might be tempted to add more flour or oats when you first mix it together because the dough will seem wet but it is correct! Letting the dough sit for a few minutes while the oven preheats will allow the dry ingredients to absorb the wet and thicken up the dough!
- Underbake them slightly: Baked goods continue to bake as they cool so you’ll want the cookies to be slightly underdone when you take them out of the oven–they’ll cool to chewy perfection!
- Ice them while they’re still warm: Icing the cookies while they’re still warm will ensures the glaze sets beautifully and hardens so they’re easy to stack and store!
How to store these holiday cookies so they stay soft for days
You’ve got two options when it comes to storing: on the counter (we’ll talk though…) and in the freezer. When stored properly these cookies can stay fresh, soft and chewy for days so make sure to follow our tips for best results!
- Room Temperature: Store your iced cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The glaze should harden enough that they’re okay to stack, but if you want to be super careful you can separate the layers with parchment paper to keep the icing intact! Better yet though–put them in an airtight container in the fridge and these will keep as maximum freshness for 7 days without going stale!
- Freezer: These cookies freeze beautifully! Freeze cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw completely to room temperature!
Whether you’re making them for a holiday party, gifting them to loved ones, or just treating yourself, these Gingerbread Iced Oatmeal Cookies are sure to become a new seasonal favorite. Happy baking!
xxx
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 15 cookies
Category: dessert
Method: oven
Cuisine: american
Units:
Ingredients
for the cookies
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
for the icing
- 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and molasses. Use a silicone spatula to mix together. Add the egg, extra egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well.
- Add the flour, oats, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt and fold until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. The dough will seem wet–don’t worry this is right! Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes while you preheat the oven. The flour and oats will absorb some of the wet ingredients and the dough will thicken before your eyes!
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Use a 1 ½ ounce cookie scoop to portion out equal amounts of dough. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing the dough 2 inches apart.
- Bake until the cookies have puffed up and are light golden brown around the edges but still somewhat soft in the middle, 9 to 10 minutes. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes to firm up slightly before icing.
- While the cookies are baking, make the icing. Combine the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Spoon the icing over the warm cookies (this will help the icing to harden!), spreading it to the edges. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet until the icing is fully set and the cookies are cool. Devour!
Notes
- We like to use dark molasses in these because it has a deep, rich flavor. Blackstrap molasses will have a more intense, bitter flavor!
