These iced gingerbread oatmeal cookies combine warm ginger-molasses flavor, chewy oats and a sweet vanilla icing. They’re a classic iced oatmeal cookie with a festive gingerbread twist—perfect for the holidays.
Iced oatmeal cookies are a timeless favorite. These gingerbread oatmeal cookies keep the chewy texture of classic oatmeal cookies but add molasses and warm spices for a Christmas-ready flavor. The cookies bake soft and chewy, with notes of molasses, brown sugar, vanilla and spice. A simple vanilla icing is dipped on top and sets slightly firm, giving a polished, stackable finish that looks lovely on holiday trays.
The rough surface of the oatmeal cookie lets the icing settle unevenly, showing glimpses of the cookie beneath and creating an attractive, homemade look. Use a combination of quick oats and large rolled oats for the best balance of shape and texture, or swap for two cups of one kind if you prefer.
Ingredients Needed
- All-purpose flour – measure carefully
- Spices – ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg
- Baking soda – for lift
- Salt – to balance sweetness
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar – brown adds depth, granulated helps edges crisp
- Eggs
- Molasses – use cooking or fancy molasses, not blackstrap
- Vanilla extract
- Oats – a mix of quick oats and large rolled oats for best texture
- Powdered sugar – for the icing
- Milk – for thinning the icing
Recipe Tip
Quick oats help cookies hold a uniform shape while large rolled oats add texture and an uneven top that holds icing nicely. A 50/50 mix gives a balanced result, but you can substitute two cups of one type if needed.
Method – with Photos
This dough doesn’t require chilling, though chilling for 30 minutes to 48 hours will yield thicker cookies if you prefer.
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or baking mats—molasses can make the cookies stick if the surface is unlined.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. Combine flour, spices, baking soda and salt so the spices distribute evenly.
- Cream butter and sugars. Use softened butter (not melting) and beat with brown and granulated sugar until light and creamy.
- Add eggs, molasses and vanilla. If measuring molasses, grease the measuring cup lightly so it slides out easily.
- Incorporate the dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture on low speed until no streaks of flour remain.
- Stir in the oats. Mix by hand or with a mixer until evenly combined.
- Form dough balls. Use about 1½ tablespoons of dough per cookie (a 1½ tablespoon scoop works well). The dough will be sticky—space cookies about 2 inches apart on the sheet.
- Bake. Bake 11–13 minutes, or until the tops look just set. Allow to cool before icing.
Once cooled, prepare and apply the icing.
- Make the icing. Whisk powdered sugar with milk and vanilla until the glaze is thick but still pourable. Adjust with more powdered sugar to thicken or more milk to thin.
- Dip the cookies. Quickly dip the tops of cooled cookies into the icing and place them on a cooling rack to set.
Make Ahead Tips
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days—ensure the icing is fully set before stacking.
- Prepared dough can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days.
- Portion dough into balls and chill 30 minutes, then freeze in a bag for up to 2 months; bake from frozen according to the recipe.
- Baked, uniced cookies freeze well for up to 2 months. Layer with parchment between cookies, thaw in the fridge, then ice after thawing.
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Equipment
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Cookie sheets
Ingredients
Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
- 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (344 grams)
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams), softened
- 1 1/2 cup brown sugar (315 grams), preferably dark
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup molasses (80 ml), do not use blackstrap
- 1 cup quick oats (about 100 grams)
- 1 cup large rolled oats (about 90 grams)
Vanilla Icing
- 2 – 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (220 – 275 grams)
- 2 – 3 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or baking mats.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, beat the butter with the brown and granulated sugars until creamed.
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Stir in the eggs, vanilla and molasses until combined.
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Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture until no flour streaks remain.
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Mix in the quick oats and large rolled oats until evenly distributed.
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Spoon the dough into balls of about 1½ tablespoons, roll into balls and place about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared sheets.
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Bake in the center of the preheated oven for about 11–13 minutes, or until the tops look just set. Cool completely before icing.
Vanilla Icing
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Whisk together 1½ cups powdered sugar, 1½ tablespoons milk and the vanilla extract. Adjust with more milk if too thick or more powdered sugar if too thin. The icing should be thick but still drizzle.
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Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the icing and place on a cooling rack to set.
Notes
- Molasses: Use molasses labeled fancy or cooking for baking. Blackstrap molasses is very bitter and not recommended for sweet baked goods.
- Oats: You can substitute 2 cups quick oats or 2 cups large rolled oats if you prefer not to mix oat types.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Ensure the icing is fully hardened before stacking.
- Nutrition: Nutrition shown is an estimate per cookie with icing assuming the recipe yields 40 cookies of similar size.
Nutrition
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