Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
These iced gingerbread oatmeal cookies are great for a cold winter day, put in cook exchanges, or as a holiday dessert.
Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
These Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies are perfect for the holiday season.
I love oatmeal cookies and these iced gingerbread oatmeal cookies are delicious!
These cookies are easy to make and great for sharing with family and friends.
You can enjoy them with a cup of hot cocoa or as a special treat anytime.
Ingredients
Unsalted butter: Make sure to take the butter out of the fridge about 30-60 minutes before starting so it has time to come up to room temperature..
Dark brown sugar: If you only have light brown sugar, you can use that, but the flavor won’t be as deep.
White granulated sugar: The white sugar adds a bit of sweetness and helps with texture.
Egg: Make sure to use a large egg to keep the proportions right.
Molasses: Molasses is key to that classic gingerbread flavor.
Rolled oats: Use old-fashioned rolled oats for a chewy texture.
All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour works best for this recipe.
Baking soda: Baking soda helps the cookies rise and gives them a soft, light texture.
Seasonings: The seasonings for these cookies are salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
Powdered sugar: Sift it before mixing to avoid lumps.
Vanilla extract: If possible, use pure vanilla extract.
Milk: Milk helps thin the icing to the right consistency.
Cinnamon (for icing): You can leave it out if you prefer a plain glaze.
How to Make
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, dark brown sugar, and white granulated sugar using a hand mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the egg and molasses, and mix until fully combined, making sure everything is smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, folding them in until a thick dough forms and no flour remains.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes to make it easier to roll out.
Once the dough is chilled, roll it out on a floured surface to about an inch thick.
Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter or any shape you prefer to cut out the cookies.
Arrange the cut cookies on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one.
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cookies cool, make the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, milk, and cinnamon in a separate bowl until smooth.
Once the cookies are cool, dip each one into the icing, letting any excess drip off before placing them back on the rack to set.
Let the icing harden before enjoying your cookies.
Tips & Tricks
Here are some tips for making these cookies:
Chill the dough: Chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking, gives them a thicker, chewier texture.
Use softened butter: Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature for easier mixing and a smoother dough.
Make ahead: You can prepare the dough a day or two ahead of time and keep it in the fridge.
Skip the rolling: If you're short on time, just scoop spoonful's of dough onto the baking sheet and press them flat with the back of a spoon for an easy, no-roll version of these cookies.
Freeze dough for later: If you want, you can freeze the cookie dough in small ball shapes, and bake directly from the freezer—just add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
Leftovers/Storage
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
To freeze, wrap the cooled cookies individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
You can also store the cookie dough in the freezer. Just form them into small balls, about a tablespoon in size and freeze them on a baking sheet. Then, store them in a freezer safe bag. They can be stored for up to 3 months in the freezer.
When you're ready, just bake them as normal, but add on a couple minutes to the baking time.
F.A.Qs.
Can I skip the icing?
Yes, if you prefer a less sweet cookie, you can skip the icing altogether. The cookies will still be flavorful without it.
What can I do if my dough is too thick to mix properly?
If the dough is too thick, you can add a tiny bit of milk (1-2 teaspoons at a time) to loosen it up, but be careful not to add too much.
Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
Icing
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl add the butter and sugar. Blend together with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add the egg and molasses, mixing again until combined.
- Pour in the dry ingredients of oats, flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Fold together until a thick cookie dough forms and all the dry ingredients are combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove from the fridge and place on a clean, floured surface. Roll out the dough to about an inch thick. Cut out the cookies with the gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place the cut cookies onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned on the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
- While these cookies cool, make the icing. In a separate mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar, vanilla, milk and cinnamon. Whisk together until combined and a thick glaze is formed.
- Dip each cookie into the glaze and let the excess fall off, placing on a cooking rack for the icing to set.
