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.
One reader, LS, commented: “Absolutely incredible! Nothing else to add, just that if you are on the fence about making them, do it. Just do it. And don’t you dare think about skipping the icing! 🙂 ★★★★★“
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 gingerbread latte cookies or spiced eggnog oatmeal cream pies next!
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.
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 (80g) 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 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Made this for church and people loved them! Going to try and make them for a GF friend. They are so good I want her to enjoy them as well.
My wife has made these in the past & we really like them. I was wondering if we could could roll the dough out and use a cookie cutter instead?
Hi Nathan, No, this dough is not suitable for a rolling pin and cookie cutters. It is much too sticky. We recommend our gingerbread cookies instead.
Thanks for the clarification! That’s what my wife thought!
I made this recipe once as written and today I decided to brown the butter. The cookies came out great. I didn’t put any spices in the icing
Bake these so often my family and my hubbys coworkers love them. I wonder what would be the ratio of k wanted to add espresso to them
Simply the BEST! Having this cookie in the house is a real problem for me….can’t stop eating them! My new favourite cookie….
I made this recipe three times over the holidays and it was a hit every time!! These cookies are perfectly spiced and an absolutely amazing combination of flavors and textures. They are outstanding with or without the glaze! Excited to make these again any chance I get.
Baked these for my family on Christmas morning and they were such a hit! Had a craving for them again today, so thought I’d make them again, but this time decided to try gluten free since my mum has a gluten intolerance. I tried subbing the regular flour for oat flour (ground my own using whole rolled oats), but the cookies spread really thin, so I added 1/2 to 3/4 cups more oat flour to the next batch and they turned out perfectly! My mum was so thrilled to be able to enjoy a cookie again. We’ve tried using one to one flour for many cookie recipes, but they always come out feeling kind of sandy, so it was great to be able to use the oat flour this time. The rest of the family approved also. Love your recipes so much, Sally!
Will these be too hard to make using a hand mixer?
A hand mixer will work here!
These are one of my favorite cookies. Question though – could they be made easily into a cookie bar?
Hi Sarah, Yes they could be made as bars but we haven’t tested them that way. The dough would likely fit into either an 11×7 or a 9×9 pan. We are unsure of the bake time you would need but let us know if you give it a try!
Wondering if we can add raisins to the mix. How would that affect the original recipe and cook time?
Hi Roger, Absolutely! We recommend 1 cup (140g) of raisins. Bake time will be the same.
I think this is my favorite cookie recipe. Took the first batch to a party. People were swooning.
Came home and ate 4 myself. I’m a picky eater. It has to be worth the calories for consuming.
I would make these anytime of the year. Will try non gluten flour next time. Thank you!
Just made these today and it made my kitchen smell so good! I am Celiac and using 1 to 1 flour works well with all the recipes I have tried. Cannot wait to make these again! Thank you so much!
This recipe was a hit this weekend! Wondering if quick oats could be subbed for old fashioned in a pinch?
Hi Margaret, yes, you can use quick oats here. You’ll still want to give them a few pulses in the food processor.
Best cookies I’ve ever made
Could you add raisins to this recipe?
Hi Julie, Absolutely! We recommend 1 cup (140g) of raisins.
Sister made these cookies and did a orange rind in confectioners sugar, milk blended drizzle on top of the cookies. I think we are going to try for adding orange zest to the actual cookie. But what a great cookie
This may have been asked already but mine come out kinda flat, not as thick as the pics or as described. – I have done what the recipe suggests with the oats. just curious as to maybe what I am doing wrong. they taste great! thank you Sally!
Hi Jennifer, happy to help! 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!
Made these for Christmas this year. They are perfectly delicious. Seemed like a lot of spices at first when mixing them up, but they came out perfect! These are my new favorite Christmas cookie
This recipe is getting raves! It’s definitely going to be part of the holiday season cookie baking repertoire. Thanks so much!!!
These cookies are stupid. Stupid good. Icing dries perfectly for easy stacking and transporting. Nostalgic gift for neighbors. Yet again Sally knocks it out of the park…
I don’t get the all the rage on these cookies. They would not bake through and were just raw in the middle while the rest of the cookie over-browned. Flavor was good but definitely Not on repeat.
Hi Sally – I don’t have nutmeg on hand. Could I omit it? Thanks for your recipes!
Hi Caroline, you can omit the nutmeg in a pinch, and increase the other spices to make up for it. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
These are my new favourite cookie. Thanks so much!
Perfection!!!!! cookies are delicious plain, the icing makes them extra special!
Won my annual holiday cookie contest with this recipe! Perfect balance of spice and sweetness. The flavors take you right to Christmas and childhood.
Does it matter if the confectioners sugar is 10x?
That’s fine, Tonya!
This cookie could be called “Christmas in a Cookie” because of the traditional and memorable spices of the season that are perfectly balanced in this recipe. They look lovely, and the taste is outstanding. The recipe is easy to follow and they are fun to make. These gems make you want to put on your slippers, and watch a Christmas movie. Be prepared for rave reviews if you choose this recipe! Thanks Sally- you’ve outdone yourself!!!
Is it pertinent to chill the dough before baking? Was thinking of using this recipe for a teen baking class 🙂 and we wouldn’t have enough time to chill the dough. Thanks!
Hi Dana! Yes, the cookies will spread if the dough isn’t chilled at least 30 minutes. Here are all our no-chill cookie recipes!
Hi, you could make a batch of dough a head of time, let your class make a batch but only bake the batch you made early. Just a thought.
This is the 2nd year I’ve used these cookies on my Christmas cookie trays. Everyone raves about them. Awesome recipe!
Do you think unsulphered blackstrap molasses would work? I was trying to google to find another unsulphered alternative but I can’t find anything (and I’m Canadian).
Hi Zoe! We find the flavor of blackstrap molasses to be a little too dark, but some bakers enjoy baking with it.