Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies are a fun way to bring two favorites together! These cookies are soft and chewy, with plenty of ginger, cinnamon, and molasses in every bite. A simple spiced icing on top makes them even more special.
I love a good oatmeal cookie, and my Oatmeal Cookies are always a favorite. These cookies bring all those cozy oatmeal cookie flavors with a little gingerbread added in. And if you are ready for more holiday baking, check out my Gingerbread Recipes for even more treats to make!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-purpose flour: Gives the cookies structure while keeping them soft and chewy. Stick with all-purpose flour for the best results.
- Old-fashioned oats: Give the cookies their hearty oatmeal texture. I recommend old-fashioned oats rather than quick or instant oats.
- Gingerbread spices: Ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice give these cookies their warm gingerbread flavor.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Help the cookies rise and spread just enough while baking.
- Kosher salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the spices.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter at room temperature so it creams easily with the brown sugar. If using salted butter, you may want to reduce the amount of salt.
- Brown sugar: Adds sweetness and helps keep the cookies soft and chewy. Light brown sugar works best.
- Eggs: Use room-temperature eggs for a smoother, more evenly mixed dough. Out of eggs? Try one of my egg substitutes!
- Molasses: Gives the cookies their classic gingerbread flavor and a deeper sweetness. I recommend regular unsulphured molasses rather than blackstrap molasses, which can be too bitter.
- Vanilla: Adds a little extra flavor and rounds out the spices.
- Icing: Confectioners’ sugar, milk or heavy cream, vanilla, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves make the simple spiced topping. Use milk for a lighter icing or heavy cream for a richer one. You can drizzle the icing over each cookie, or dunk each cookie in the icing (what I did).
FAQs
Can I use quick oats instead of old-fashioned oats?
I recommend using old-fashioned oats for the best texture. Quick oats are smaller and softer, so they can change the texture of the cookies and make them less chewy.
Can I make these cookies without molasses?
Molasses gives these cookies their classic gingerbread flavor, so I recommend keeping it in the recipe. I have not tested the cookies with a substitute.
Why do I need to flatten the cookies before baking?
The dough is fairly thick, so gently flattening the cookies helps them spread and bake evenly. It also gives you that soft, chewy center with slightly crisp edges.
Can I use a different icing on these cookies?
Absolutely! The spiced molasses icing pairs especially well with the gingerbread flavor, but you could use a simple vanilla icing or leave the cookies uniced.
How to Store Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
Room Temperature: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Place parchment paper between layers if needed to keep the icing from sticking.
Refrigerator: I don’t recommend refrigerating the cookies, as it can dry them out.
Freezer: For the best texture, freeze the cookies without the icing. Place them in a freezer-safe container or bag, separating layers with parchment paper, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then ice before serving.
Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 ½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (180 g) old-fashioned oats
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing
- 1 ½ cups (187.5 g) confectioners' sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk, as needed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon molasses
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground cloves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the molasses and vanilla.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Scoop out 1 ½-tablespoon portions of dough and place them onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each cookie. Gently flatten each cookie with your fingers or the bottom of a glass until they are about ¼ to ⅓ inch thick.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly underdone. The cookies will continue to set as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Icing
- To make the icing, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, vanilla, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Add more milk, a little at a time, until the icing is thick but pourable.
- Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies, or dunk the tops into the icing. Let the icing set before serving.
Did you make this recipe?
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