Think of these iced gingerbread oatmeal cookies as the holiday version of regular iced oatmeal cookies. They’re every bit as chewy, soft, nostalgic, and wholesome, but brimming with gingerbread spices and topped with spiced vanilla icing. Pair with peanut butter blossoms and Christmas sugar cookies for a trio of classic Christmas cookie flavors.
It’s time to shift gears from pie crust to all things cookies! This recipe is part of my annual holiday cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. Every year since 2013, I work on a handful of new cookie recipes and publish the 10 best ones for readers to enjoy. It’s the biggest, tastiest event of the year on my website!
Iced gingerbread oatmeal cookies are definitely part of my cookie trays this year and I’m thrilled to share the new recipe with you. After 1 bite I immediately said “this is the best cookie I’ve ever made.” And I’ve made A LOT! Maybe it was my exhaustion talking… I had just spent the day testing 3 new recipes and vacuuming spilled sprinkles… TWICE… but oats + spices + molasses + icing is certainly a recipe for something delicious.
I think you’re going to love them too.
Tell Me About These Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
- Flavor: These are gingerbread cookies and plain iced oatmeal cookies in 1. Generous amounts of ground ginger and cinnamon plus nutmeg, cloves, molasses, and brown sugar supply each cookie with cozy, comforting flavors. Truly—and I don’t say this often—you could skip the icing and be plenty satisfied.
- Texture: Like the regular version, these are mega chewy oatmeal cookies with buttery soft centers and slightly crisp edges. The key to their texture is pulsing the oats in a food processor or blender to gently break them down. The result is an uneven mixture of broken oats and coarse crumbs, a texture medley giving us a compact and chewy oatmeal cookie.
- Ease: The prep is simple and pulsing the oats takes a few brief seconds. Make sure you set aside about 30-45 minutes to chill the cookie dough before baking. Molasses makes the dough quite sticky and without time in the refrigerator, the cookies will over-spread. Luckily, it’s a quick chill time and these flavorful Christmas cookies will be ready soon!
Key Ingredients in Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is a key ingredient in many cookie recipes because not only does it sweeten the cookies, it adds flavor, softness, and a little moisture too.
- Spices: I found the best ratio of spices is 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves. These are the same spices you use when making gingerbread whoopie pies and chocolate ginger cookies. I like a little extra ground cloves in my gingerbread recipes, so I usually add another pinch. It’s a strong flavor, so be careful if you decide to add a little more.
- Molasses: Molasses adds deep, rich flavor. Use dark molasses that’s labeled unsulphured. Avoid blackstrap molasses in this cookie recipe because it will overpower everything else.
- Oats: As mentioned above, taking an extra few seconds to pulse the oats will completely transform the texture of your finished cookies. No matter if you use whole oats or quick oats, pulse them a few times in your food processor to obtain the correct consistency.
Here’s what the oats will look like:
Success Tip: Use a Cookie Scoop
Use a cookie scoop because this is a textured and sticky dough. A cookie scoop not only prevents a mess, it helps ensure all cookies are the same size and shape. I recommend a medium cookie scoop which holds 1.5 Tablespoons of cookie dough. The cookies spread nicely, so keep each baking sheet/batch at around 8-9 cookies.
- If you’re shopping for new baking sheets, I love Nordic Ware and line them with silicone baking mats or these parchment paper sheets.
Spiced Vanilla Icing
Thick vanilla icing is the iconic finishing touch on regular iced oatmeal cookies. But since we’re crafting a generously spiced version, let’s not miss the opportunity for extra flavor on top. I love adding a pinch each of ground cinnamon and ginger to this icing. It doesn’t alter the texture at all—the icing will still set/dry nicely on the cookies—but it does elevate the flavor.
If dipped lightly, the thick icing will set on the cookies so you can easily stack, transport, or gift these flavorful beauties. Instead of dipping, feel free to drizzle the icing on top. Enjoy!
If you are looking for even more festive holiday flavors, try these spiced eggnog oatmeal cream pies next!
Sally’s Cookie Palooza
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page including:
- Brown Butter Sugar Cookies
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Spritz Cookies
- Hot Cocoa Cookies
And here are 75+ Christmas cookies with all my best success guides & tips.
Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Yield: 30 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These iced gingerbread oatmeal cookies are chewy, soft, and brimming with gingerbread flavor from molasses, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. If dipped lightly, the icing will set so you can stack, transport, and/or gift the cookies.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (170g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1 and 2/3 cups (210g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
Icing
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) sifted confectioners’ sugar*
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1.5 – 2 Tablespoons milk
- small pinch each: ground cinnamon and ground ginger, plus extra cinnamon for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Make the cookies: Pulse the oats in a food processor 10-12 times until you have a variety of texture– chopped oats with some oat flour. See photo above for a visual.
- Whisk the pulsed oats, flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until creamed, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and molasses and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Dough will be very thick and a little sticky. Cover and chill the dough for 30-45 minutes in the refrigerator (and up to 4 days). If chilling for longer than a few hours, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before scooping and baking because the dough will be quite hard.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Scoop cookie dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie, and place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
- Make the icing: Combine confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and 1 Tablespoon of milk in a medium bowl. Use a fork to whisk until combined. It will be impossible to fully combine because this isn’t enough liquid. Add only enough extra milk to make a very very thick icing. I only add about 1 more Tablespoon of milk. Whisk in a very small pinch each of ground cinnamon and ginger. (Taste and add more if desired.) Lightly dip the tops of the cookies into the icing or lightly drizzle icing on top. Feel free to dust/sprinkle more ground cinnamon on top of the icing for garnish. Icing will set after a few hours, so you can stack, transport, and/or gift the cookies.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue with step 5. Baked cookies with or without icing freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
- Oats: Pulsing the oats in step 1 is the trick to this recipe. If you don’t have a food processor, use a blender. If you don’t have either, give the oats a rough chop on a cutting board. Even if you’re using quick oats, pulsing the oats is necessary—you just won’t have to pulse them as much as whole oats. Do not use oat flour in place of the pulsed oats.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Sift confectioners’ sugar before measuring.
These cookies are sooo good! I’m already planning to make these again for Christmas next year!
This is the first time I’ve come across this recipe and had to try for my Christmas cookie boxes this year. What a fantastic addition! They were just the right amount of spice, crunch and chew. My house smells heavenly and the cookies are so pretty.
Thank you!
These cookies are delicious and easy to make.
I love your Iced Oatmeal cookies so these are a must-bake for the holidays. This year I used maple-flavored oat milk for the milk in the icing to add a hint of maple. Thanks for a great recipe!
I made this recipe in 2021 and fell in love with it. I adore the flavors and textures together! I always think of oatmeal cookies having raisins. So last year for a 2nd batch I added dried tart cherries and sweet ginger bits. They were sooooo good! I am getting ready to make them again this year and am wondering if anyone else has added any dried fruit? Otherwise I wouldn’t change a thing in this wonderful recipe! Thank you!
Can I use quick rolled oats instead of whole?
Hi Michelle, yes, you can use quick oats here. You’ll still want to give them a few pulses in the food processor.
Made a variety of your cookie recipes to give as Christmas gifts. I’m not a huge oatmeal cookie fan (or at least I thought I wasn’t), but I decided on this recipe so I could try something different than what I usually make. One of the cookies broke in two when I was dipping it in the icing, so I tried it. Oh my goodness…I have found my new favorite cookie. It was absolutely delicious. I will be making this cookie recipe many times in the future. Thanks so much.
These may make my permanent holiday rotation. Pulsing the oats really does deliver a great consistency. I loved the icing dip effect, just enough sweetness and easy to do. I doubled the batch and think I pushed my kitchen aid to its limits and maybe didn’t perfectly mix – resulting in some inconsistent cookies. But still delicious.
I love this recipe. The flavor is phenomimal. The only issue that I had was I pulsed the oatmeal too much and the result was too much oat flour. For this reason they were extremely flat and a bit crispy. I prefer soft thicker oatmeal cookies. I refrigerated the dough as listed in the recipe. The next batch I baked I changed the ball into a dome, much like a weeble and put them in the freezer for a few minutes. They seemed to be thicker but they flattened when cooled. How can I remedy this if I make this mistake again? Can I increase the baking soda? Would love to take these to a Christmas brunch.
Thank you.
Hi Sherry, We are glad you love this recipe! Unfortunately, if you pulse the oats too much there isn’t much you can do to fix them. We would recommend just starting over with new oats before mixing the batter together.
Just the right amount of spice.. Can’t wait to make these every fall now!
I’ve made these several times over the past year. My husband keeps asking me for them, because in his words “why would I have any other type of cookie when these are the best cookies.”
Lovely recipe! Made exactly as recipe instructed and they came out beautifully. Crispy outside and chewy inside.
Wow, I love these cookies! Mine were thinner and I got over 3 dozen. The only thing I added was the zest of 1 orange and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract. Maybe I made them too small. Also, when I scooped them I kinda flattened the top. Maybe I won’t do that next time and make them a little bigger. Wonder if dried cranberries would be good in them Thanks for an amazing recipe! They are nice and chewy, spicy and that kick of orange is divine!
These cookies are slightly chewy with slightly crispy edges. I refrigerated the dough overnight and left out on the counter until easier to scoop. They spread into perfect 2” cookies. I think chilling the dough was key for me. I just drizzled the tops with the icing. There wasn’t enough to actually spread on each cookie, but a drizzle was just enough anyway. I used maple extract 1/4 tsp in the icing instead of vanilla. The hint of maple flavor went very well with this cookie. I will certainly make them again. So good with coffee or tea.
I made these for my husband and kids, and they devoured them. I am vegan so I didn’t eat them, but every one of your recipes
I make, they eat !
Made a batch of these last night, and they are already gone! I definitely had my share, but I also shared them with my neighbors, family, and co-workers, and they have been a big hit! lots of compliments. Easy to make, and I did refrigerate the dough for about 2+ hours, so it was easy to handle. took a little extra half and half to make the icing, but I finally got it just right and was really tasty. this recipe will be one of holiday “regulars” for sure. thanks!
I made such a mistake. I’m accustomed to adding 1 c. butter to cookie recipes and that’s what I did, absentmindedly. I also added 2 min to each batch except the last. I should have stuck to 13 min for chewy in middle. I need practice with icing pretty. Delicious recipe though some errors. Next time….
Would love to try, but can’t do eggs. Allergic child. What would you suggest for substitute? I typically use either cream cheese, Greek yogurt, or applesauce.
Hi Linda, we haven’t tested any egg substitutes in these cookies but let us know what you try!
Sally, this is a winner in my book.
A keeper. I just made them yesterday and wow! They came our as pictured, I let dough refrigerate for an hour. Made 2 pans kept the rest refrigerated till I did the next batch and perfect. I just used a larger scoop.
Absolutely delicious! I didn’t have nutmeg on hand so used all spice instead and they turned out great. I still need to add the icing but don’t think anything extra is needed. These will definitely be a nice addition to my Christmas cookie boxes !
These are delicious! I made them gf using an all-purpose gf flour blend and they turned out beautifully. My kids love them too.
If a cookie is worth baking it has to be four batches. I am finishing up my last two cookie sheets.
They are so good!!! My home smells like gingerbread and spices. They turned out so good. This recipe and Santa’s Whiskers are my two new recipes to try.
This recipe does not make a big batch. A batch of cookies in my opinion has to be 4-5 eggs in it.
I agree. I usually double a recipe to make it worth my time and effort. This recipe is worth it! Happy holidays!!
Hi! This is my next cookie project for sure! Any thoughts on using fresh grated ginger rather than ground ginger? Thanks!
Hi Laura, you should be able to use finely grated fresh ginger but keep in mind that ground ginger is much stronger in flavor than fresh ginger. Happy baking!
Can I use light brown sugar if I don’t have any dark brown sugar?
Yes, either works here.
Can I use almond flour for this recipe?
Hi Celia, we don’t recommend it. Almond flour has very different baking properties than all-purpose flour, and it would take quite a bit of recipe testing to properly use it in this recipe. Best to stick with all-purpose flour here.
Hi, Sally! I’d like to do this without the molasses. Any suggestions on alternatives? Thanks.
Hi Lala, Molasses is a key ingredient in these gingerbread oatmeal cookies. We haven’t tested it but some readers have used pure maple syrup as a replacement in similar cookie recipes. Of course the flavor will be different and the texture may be thinner also. Let us know what you try!
I finally tried this recipe. I used pure maple syrup – 1/8 c instead of 1/4. I also added finely chopped homemade crystallized ginger as I wanted a really intense ginger flavor. Turned out really well. I’ll try with molasses next time.
Hi Sally, I have been making pumpkin pie from the back of the can of pumpkin purée for years now I have trouble with it . I have craters popping up thru the pies. Like bubbles !! I am Baking them the same way I always have . No difference can you tell me what I am doing wrong g . Thanks. Sandy
Hi Sandy, Some small bubbles are normal in pumpkin pie. But if you are getting too many it could be because you are over beating the eggs. If your eggs get foamy when whisking, it’s too much.
Hi, Sally! I’m looking at this cookie recipe to make and bake for my daughter for Christmas and send them to her in Washington state. I’m in South Carolina. My question is the cookies look fairly thick in your recipe pictures, but the cookies you made on the video seemed to bake pretty thin. Will refrigerating them overnight bake them thick like the pictures? Thank you!
Hi Dionakaye, The longer you chill the dough the less it will spread. We recommend at about 30-45 minutes of chilling before baking. You can chill the dough for that long, scoop it into balls and then chill the balls for longer if you find they are spreading more than you like.
Very flavorful. However cookies were very thin (reminiscent of lace cookies). Should dough be chilled longer prior to baking?
Hi Vicki, we’re so glad you enjoyed the cookies. There are quite a few factors that can cause cookies to spread, but this post on how to prevent cookies from spreading should be helpful for troubleshooting. Increasing the chill time can definitely help for next time!
Loved the crackle top with glaze. Great fall spices. Yummy cookie.
These cookies are incredible. My husband has declared them his absolute favorite cookie (just ahead of your Seriously Soft Molasses cookies). I chose not to ice them and I did add raisins (husband’s request). They truly are the perfect combination of oatmeal and ginger spice cookies. I have made them twice (the first time without the raisins) and have discovered that chilling the dough overnight and then leaving it on the counter for about 45 minutes gave me the right spread and the perfect chewy texture with crunchy edges. Once again, thank you Sally for another terrific recipe!