Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.

Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies are soft, chewy, and filled with warm gingerbread spice. Topped with a spiced vanilla icing and are the perfect cookies to add to your holiday cookie plate. 

PIN this Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookie recipe to try later!

If you love oatmeal cookies, try my Bakery-Style Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies.

Pin

iced gingerbread oatmeal cookies

These chewy Oatmeal Cookies are so perfect for the holiday season and taste like the classic old fashioned iced oatmeal cookies except these are packed with gingerbread flavor. 

We are gingerbread obsessed in our house this time of year, especially my kids! We love gingerbread houses, gingerbread cookies and we even decorate our entire kitchen with a gingerbread theme so these cookies are some of our favorite cookies to bake! Plus not to mention how amazing my house smells when these are baking.  

These cookies have an extra chewy texture with slightly buttery soft centers and crisp edges. These are also the best kind of cookies to put on cookie trays and on Santa’s cookie plate with a glass of milk!  

Pair these cookies with my Chocolate Chip Cookies and these Christmas Cake Mix Cookies for the perfect holiday cookie trio!

Pin

Pin

key ingredients

• All-purpose flour: Spoon and level the flour when measuring it. Be sure not to scoop it out of the bag using the measuring cup. This way, you won’t accidentally measure out too much. 
• Old Fashioned Oats: The star ingredient! Old-fashioned whole oats work best for this recipe. It adds a little extra wholesome chewy goodness and nuttiness flavor.
• Baking soda: Used as a leavening agent.
• Butter: I used salted butter so you don’t have to add salt but you can also use unsalted butter, just add 1/4 teaspoon of salt in the recipe. It’s best if the butter is at room temperature and slightly softened.
• Molasses: Adds moisture and sweet and warm flavors of gingerbread. 
• Sugar: We use both granulated white sugar and light or dark brown sugar to add the perfect amount of sweetness. Brown sugar will make a chewy texture which is what we want for this recipe.
• Eggs: You’ll need two large eggs at room temperature.
• Vanilla extract: Adds warm flavor and enhances the flavors. I love using vanilla bean paste for more flavor.
• Spices: We use ground cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to give spiced gingerbread flavors.
• Sweet Icing: Powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and milk.

Pin

how to make iced gingerbread oatmeal cookies

Cream butter and sugars: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl with an electric mixer or stand mixer, cream together the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and mix until light and fluffy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Add remaining wet ingredients: Add in eggs one a time, molasses, then vanilla extract or paste. Continue to beat until combined.

Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and baking soda together.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients: Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix again until just dough has formed a thick dough. Be sure not to over-mix. Scoop into 3 tablespoons of cookie dough (1 1/2 scoops of a small cookie scoop).

Prepare gingerbread cookie dough balls: Break the dough balls in half then gently smoosh back together with the ridges facing up. This will help give the classic iced cookie look once dunked in the icing. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are a light golden brown.

Make cookie icing: In the meantime, whisk together all of the icing ingredients until smooth. The icing should be thick.

Ice cookies and let set: Once the cookies are cooled, dunk each cookie in the icing and scraping any access off the side of the bowl. Place on a cooling rack and repeat. Let cookies sit until icing is set. Enjoy!

Pin

best tips & recipe variations

• Gluten-Free Cookies: Use gluten-free oats and flour to make these cookies gluten-free.
• Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies: Add chocolate chips (or raisins) to the cookie dough. Semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips will all work great. 
• Add Crunch: Add a handful of your favorite chopped nuts to the top. Chopped walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts work well with this recipe.
• Oats: Make sure to use old-fashioned oats- not quick oats, instant oats, or steel cut oats as it will completely change the texture.
• Room Temperature Ingredients: It’s always important that all of your ingredients are at room temperature. This will help the cookie mixture combine together more smoothly

Pin

make into ICED oatmeal cookie bars

Line a 9×13 cake pan with parchment paper. Prepare cookie dough batter according to the directions. Transfer the dough into the prepared pan and smooth out with a spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until top is very lightly browned and set. Cool fully before lifting parchment paper out of pan.

Once cooled, cut into bars and enjoy! 

Pin

leftovers & storage

Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter of a cool area for up to 1 week. 

Freezing Cookie Dough: This cookie dough freezes well so this is a great recipe to make ahead. To freeze unbaked dough, wrap dough ball in plastic wrap and then place the large ball of dough in a freezer bag. Or you can place the dough in an air-tight container to freeze. Thaw completely before scooping into cookie dough balls. 

To Freeze Cookie Dough Balls: Freeze cookie dough balls by placing the balls of dough on a cookie sheet and flash freeze for 30 minutes or until hardened. Transfer the cookie dough balls to a large ziplock bag or airtight freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Pin

Pin