Honey gingerbread sandwich cookies with a pale honey buttercream center between tender round cookie halves.
Tender round cookie halves enclose a pale honey buttercream in this sandwich version. Pair the cooled halves by size before dividing the filling between them. The honey flavor is carried through both components, while the filled sandwiches are stored covered in the refrigerator.
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Honey Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Per tray: 10–12 minutes · 3 trays of 10 two-and-a-half-inch round halves
Allow 196 minutes: 45 hands-on, 90 chilling, 36 for all baking trays, 25 cooling. Cooling includes the pan rest. Optional decoration, ingredient warm-up and extra trays add time.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Electric mixer and mixing bowls
- Rolling pin, parchment and 1/4-inch guides
- 3-inch heart cutter
- 2 1/2-inch round cutter
- Freezer space for a lined pan
- Cooling rack and US measures/scale
Ingredients
Cookie dough
Spice blend
Honey buttercream
Scale ingredients and US equivalents, including eggs. Keep cookie size, thickness, oven temperature and baking time per tray unchanged. More trays add time; weigh beaten egg for fractional batches.
Instructions
Cream and combine
- Whisk flour, soda, salt and spices. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, honey and molasses. Mix in dry ingredients just until combined.
Firm the honey dough
- Divide dough into two wrapped flat portions and refrigerate 1 hour until firm.
Cut paired rounds
- Roll chilled dough between lightly floured parchment to 1/4 inch. Freeze the rolled sheets 15 minutes, then cut 30 rounds with a 2 1/2-inch cutter. Freeze cut rounds another 15 minutes before baking, as allowed in the ninety-minute chilling schedule.
Keep the color golden
- Heat to 350°F (175°C) conventional or 325°F (165°C) fan. Space rounds 1 inch apart on lined pans and bake 10–12 minutes until edges set and tops lose their wet sheen.
Finish lightly if desired
- Cool 10 minutes on the pan, then 15 minutes on a rack until fully cold. Pair similarly sized rounds before filling.
Sandwich with honey cream
- Beat filling butter until smooth, then beat in confectioners sugar and honey until fluffy. Divide among 15 cold bases, about 1 tablespoon each, and top with matching rounds. Refrigerate finished sandwiches airtight.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Match the halves
Pair similarly sized rounds before dividing filling.
Fill cold cookies
Warm gingerbread melts buttercream and causes sliding.
Soften for serving
A short room-temperature rest lets chilled honey buttercream become creamy.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Up to 2 hours | Serve briefly, then refrigerate. Above 90°F, limit to 1 hour. |
| Refrigeration | 3–4 days | Refrigerate honey buttercream sandwiches airtight. |
| Raw freezing | Up to 1 month | Freeze sealed unbaked portions airtight. Thaw covered in the refrigerator before baking. |
| Baked freezing | Up to 2 months | Freeze unfilled baked rounds, thaw covered and add freshly made honey buttercream. |
| Restoring | 10–15 minutes | Let refrigerated cookies soften briefly before serving. Do not overheat the filling. |
Notes
- Honey flavors both the rolled gingerbread dough and the buttercream. This sandwich format differs from the plain honey cut-outs. No raw egg is used in the filling. Refrigerate filled cookies and bring to room temperature briefly for serving.
Nutrition
Estimated nutrition per serving; brands and portion sizes vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many finished cookies does this make?
Thirty baked rounds make fifteen filled sandwich cookies.
Can I fill them warm?
No. Both halves must cool fully before adding buttercream.
Do they need refrigeration?
Keep the honey buttercream sandwiches refrigerated airtight and serve briefly at room temperature.
Browse more cookie ideas in the Gingerbread Cookies Ideas collection.
