In the land of cookie sandwiches there are three distinct sizes: the Little Debbie, the tea time, and the fat kid. These, my friends, are the fat kid.
This recipe combines two of my favorite things: Chewy ginger cookies and sweet citrus frosting. Thought they don’t fit my current dairy-free bill, I made them a while back for a party I attended and were mostly devoured by fellow guests. I made some with modest amounts of frosting and others with obscene amounts. Guess which ones went first? OBSCENE. Fat kids are popular, what can I say?
Not only are these cookie sandwiches fun to look at, they’re also quite delectable. Fluffy orange-flavored buttercream makes the perfect glue between two chewy ginger cookies. The flavor combo just works. Plus, they’re quite simple to throw together, requiring just one bowl and about 30 minutes to prepare. This is a the kind of party favor I can get behind.
If you’re not a fan of the cookie sandwich, simply top each single cookie with a touch of the frosting. Or, if frosting makes you gag, simply opt out of it altogether (who ARE you?). The cookies themselves are pure perfection on their own.
Ginger Cookie Sandwiches with Orange Buttercream
Ingredients
GINGER COOKIES
- 1/2 cup butter (softened* // 1 stick equals 1/2 cup)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 medium egg*
- 1/4 scant cup molasses
- 1 1/2 scant cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp each ground cinnamon and ginger
ORANGE BUTTERCREAM
- 1/2 cup butter (softened* // 1 stick equals 1/2 cup)
- 2 1/2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 large orange (zested)
- 2-3 Tbsp orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). In a bowl, cream butter. Then add sugar and egg and mix again. Add molasses and mix until well combined.
- Add flour, salt, baking soda and spices to a sifter and gradually sift over wet ingredients while mixing. Beat until well combined, scraping sides as needed.
- Chill dough for 10-15 minutes while oven continues to preheat.
- Scoop rounded 1 Tablespoon balls of dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet – press down slightly with your finger to flatten. (Rolling in sugar is optional, but not necessary.)
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, being careful not to over bake. Cook completely on a cooling rack and then prepare buttercream by creaming butter and zest, then adding in powdered sugar in 1/2 cup measurements. Thin out to desired consistency with orange juice. Mix until well combined and fluffy, scraping down sides as needed.
- Once cookies are cooled, place a generous amount of buttercream on the bottom of half the cookies and top with the other half (you will have leftover frosting). Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. However, they’re best when served fresh.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
B says
Don’t make this recipe. Why confused everyone. Measurements are way off. Waste of food flat mess!!! My bad. Should had read the reviews first!!!!
We’re so sorry you had a negative experience with this recipe. Did you make any modifications? Were you using the US or metric measurements? Most readers have had success with this recipe, but we’ll be sure to retest to see if we can figure out what’s causing it to not work for some.
msgtdoug says
Was hoping to see more info on the flour issue. As the formula calls for a “scant” cup, I was quite surprised to click on the metric and find 204 grams… which works out at 4.8 ounces of flour. I weigh flour anytime its more than a tablespoon and use the King Arthur weights listing which puts AP flour at 4.25 ounces for a cup.
Frustrating because its darn near impossible to have everyone agree how much a cup of flour actually weighs!
Meredith says
I noticed that the metric measurements for the flour and sugar seemed way off, (3/4 cup flour is typically 180 g and 204 is listed), so I made it with the metric measurements exactly thinking that was everyone else’s problem with the flour causing cookies to be flat. Nope, same results. I even chilled the dough twice as long. I think this recipe needs a re-do so we can get the same results. The cookies are still good, just VERY flat and not as visually appealing.
Meredith says
Whoops, meant to write 1.5 cups flour, not 3/4.
Thank you for the feedback and sorry to hear that was your experience, Meredith! We’ll give it another look and see if we can make improvements.
Jennifer W. says
Can you use coconut oil instead of vegan butter? I don’t have regular butter or vegan butter. And brown sugar in place of molasses? Thanks!
Brown sugar in place of molasses isn’t ideal because it’s one of the key flavors in ginger cookies. And you can likely try coconut oil, but I often find it makes cookies more oily. If you try either swap, let us know how it goes!
Bertha says
I made these vegan & GF & left them as plain cookies without the filling. They were not as fluffy as store bought molasses crinkles, but tasted just as delicious & I’m being asked to make more :) This blog is my favorite! Why can’t I find the cookbook for sale anywhere?
Hi Bertha! Thanks for the review. Find the cookbook, here!
sandra forte says
Stop it!! These are fabulous. Added two extra tablespoons of flour after reading some reviews. I wanted them to keep there form….like yours….and they worked out perfectly. Dana you are making me look like a pro! xx
=) Thanks, Sandra! xo
Micaela Ray says
These are so freaking G O O D. I swear Dana, I refuse to bake anything anymore unless it’s one of your recipes! After a few lame recipes from Pinterest this week…I was feeling defeated. Until these…so delicious, so simple, so easy. Another favorite added to the books.
I used King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour…I don’t normally use this brand but had it on hand and it worked great.
I used Earth Balance butter to make them dairy free…and rolled them in sugar. P E R F E C T I O N.
Thanks again! You’re the best.
Aw, thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review, Micaela! We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes!
Jules says
The flavor of these cookies was amazing, but they spread out incredibly thin. I’d make them again, but use more flour next time.
Thanks for the feedback! Yes, more flour and/or chilling for longer before baking can help.
Emma says
Hi there, I made this recipe today but used Gluten Free flour instead (I’m not GF but have a lot of friends who are) and I used a teaspoon to make the balls (it is quite sticky the dough and it had been in the fridge for over half an hour). I found that my cookies ‘spread’ out on the baking tray during the baking process. I asked hubby who is a qualified pastry chef why that would be and he said that would be caused by either too much butter or too much sugar. The recipe asks for 1/2 cup of butter which is not too much however the 3/4 cup sugar could have been reduced to 1/2 cup because there is also Molasses in this recipe. I’ll try that next time. I also wondered if it was the fact that I used GF Flour?, Should I have added in extra GF flour to compensate? I also added in some grated ‘fresh’ ginger (maybe 1 & 1/2 tsp) as well as the 1 x tsp of ground ginger. The texture is lovely and crunchy/chewy and the intense ginger smell and taste is just yummy. They were too flat to be iced up but equally delicious on their own. Wonderful recipe, many thanks.
Hannah says
I made these for a Christmas cookie exchange party & they were voted the best cookie of the party! So soft, chewy and flavorful. I made The first cookie sheet tablespoon measurements and they turned out pretty big. So the next cookie sheet, I measured a bit less than a tablespoon and loved to have a smaller cookie option. They’ve been delicious leftover.
Monica says
My daughter and I will make these. But, we will be making them with grapefruit. Yes. Grapefruit. I’m too tired to go to the store to get an orange. Lol. This looks awesome. Thank you.
Kathleen says
These were very tasty – loved the combo of ginger and orange. I substituted an egg for a flax egg, and the cookies turned out very, very flat… not sure if this is due to the flax egg or something else. However, they were still delicious and so easy to make!
Jen says
You have a new fan! Fantastic recipes. This was the first I attempted and goodness, I can’t wait for my boyfriend to get home and give ’em a whirl….if there’s any left! Thank you!
Jen says
Also, grated some fresh ginger in there and put the tiniest bit of lime zest in the frosting, too. Didn’t have molasses so didn’t get that rich color in the cookies, but pure maple syrup/a bit of brown sugar did the trick :)
Reinette says
I made these with only two changes. I doubled the ginger and put minced candied ginger in the batter. It was soooo good. I am going to use a smaller ice cream scoop this am because I am hoping I will then be able to eat only one at a time and don’t feel so quilty about eating the whole big cookie. It is so divine with the orange frosting. My husband begged me to make another batch.
Thanks for sharing.
Stephanie Hocom says
Made these after a mishap with a recipe that my daughter pinned (it was gluten-free). Cookies and buttercream came out amazing! (thank you Kitchen aid mixer ) Love the color/texture of the whole combination. Definitely a winner with the family. Can’t wait make for a crowd.
Lovely! So glad you liked them!
Breanna says
These cookies are delicious. I used a flax egg instead and vegan butter. Soo yummy, I just want to eat them all.
Nancy says
Hi – I made these and mine turned out very flat – not nice and thick like yours. Any ideas as to what I did wrong? Thanks very much, Nancy
lorrie says
not enough flour
Kristi says
I was searching for the perfect molasses cookie and knew minimalist baker would have a recipe and would not disappoint! Indeed, expectations exceeded!
These are the best molasses cookies – so soft on the inside yet still a crunch, and perfect flavor and lovely!
Best!
Didn’t make the orange buttercream as we only wanted the cookie, but oh boy, these cookies are SO worth it.
Rachel says
I love ginger cookies- snaps, crinkles, bread, you name it I love it! These maybe the BEST ever cookies. I love the freshness of the orange buttercream- but still buttery and sinful…I’m in HEAVEN! Can’t wait to try that butter cream on a dark chocolate cake!
Michelle says
This looks excellent! Have you tried this using the flax egg to make vegan?
Kashmira says
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I made these today and this recipe has revived my faith in my baking skills!
I did get molasses, and followed the recipe exactly. Soooooooooo good!
Yay! So glad you liked these friend!
Kashmira says
These look great!! Is there a substitute for molasses? I never bake, so don’t have it in my pantry. Have to go to a cookie bake tomorrow and want to make these. Am wondering if there is some everyday ingredient that I can use instead, since this recipe calls for a very little amount?
Thanks!
Kashmira
Maura says
We made them… These are fantastic and easy!
Whoop whoop!
Maura says
Yum! I can’t wait to make these with my little girls!
Jasmin says
Can you make this vegan?
susi says
This grown up fat kid can’t wait to make them!!
melissa says
I made these last night, and they were AHmazing! The cookies were a perfect chewy texture, and I love how the buttercream dried nicely after a while. The orange flavor was really unique, and all my party guests loved them. Thanks for a great recipe!
Lovely! So glad they turned out well :D
Lindsay says
How many cookies does this recipe make?
My batch made 14 individual cookies, so 7 sandwiches. But I made them quite large. If you shrink the size down it can yield closer to 2 dozen. Just watch your cooking time. Hope that helps!
Elizabeth says
The orange and ginger combo is so intriguing!
Rachel says
I downloaded the pdf 7 ingredients or less, looks amazing but unfortuntley the writing is un-readable!
Hi Rachel! I just sent you an email to see what the issue might be. I can’t notice anything wrong with the pdf, but I’m happy to look into it.
Thanks for the notice!
natalie@thesweetslife says
hmm i have some orange COLORED buttercream in my freezer…i think i need to add some orange flavoring to it and make these…i am ginger obsessed!
Monique @ Ambitious Kitchen says
Orange buttercream! Omg I’m in love.
MariJean says
There’s just something about ginger cookies. They are perfect with a cup of tea. (Of course, they’d probably be best tea sized, though fat kid would just go perfectly with a giant cup of tea! ;)
What a delectable twist! Orange buttercream…I never would’ve thought of that! Well done.
MJ
Sarah says
What a great combo! These look lovely!
Laura Dembowski says
OMG! Those sound amazing! Orange and gingerbread are such a great combo! And everything is better with frosting :)
Dina says
great flavor combo!
Kathryn says
Ginger & orange = perfection. I want one of those fat kid cookie sandwiches so badly!
cindy says
spicy ginger goods + citrus is one of my favorite (and underrated, imo) combinations…ever. plus, who can resist a sandwich cookie? lovely!
Genevieve says
Oh MY! These look heavenly. I will definitely be making these sometime. I’m pinning them right now.
Genevieve
britainknee says
My favorite desserts include citrus, and orange buttercream sounds incredible!
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
DANA! These seriously look AMAZING!
haha, thanks Kelli! They were!
Leisa @ Day by Day says
Wow… just wow. These look so good I can almost taste them! Two of my favorite flavors–organe and ginger…. mmmmmmm!
Leisa says
*orange* oops! A bit of dyslexia is coming through today ;-)
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
Dana they look amazing and last night I *almost* made ginger/molasses cookies because I just had a craving but went with something else. Now I am regretting it that I see these. I want them! They flavors, the contrast, the soft and chewy…oh yes!
Ashley says
Just love that last hand holding photo! The contrast in flavors sounds perfect!
Rachel Haley says
Made these tonight and the first batch was a disaster! Spread out into a pancake and turned very dark. I was using bobs gluten free one to one, so I redid a batch and added an extra 1/2 cup of flour and turned down the oven to 325. They stayed in an extra 2 mins and turned out PERFECT! Great recipe, but a little extra flour is definitely necessary if using measuring cups.
Hi Rachel, thank you so much for sharing your experience! We find most GF blends are less absorbent than all purpose flour, so that’s likely why it needed more of the GF blend.