Chewy Ginger Sandwich Cookies with Lemon Filling
Lemon cream cheese filling is sandwiched between soft and chewy grain-free and gluten-free ginger cookies! Don’t like lemons? Check out the dairy-free chocolate version!
I think these are my favorite grain-free cookies to date and my favorite ginger cookies, gluten-filled or not! I wish I could take credit for the recipe, but it was adapted from Sylvie’s chewy ginger molasses cookies. Instead of using oil or butter, the recipe uses almond butter. It’s pretty genius. I reduced the spices, molasses and sugar a little, but the rest is all Sylvie.
I’ve made these cookies as “just” ginger cookies, but I think the lemon cream cheese filling makes them a little more special. And more festive! :D
If you can’t or don’t want to eat powdered sugar, I suggest turning these into ginger chocolate cookies! Add 2/3 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips to the batter. I’ve made them that way and even my ginger- and molasses-hating husband loved them. If you use Enjoy Life chocolate chips, you’ve got yourself a dairy-free version!
These ginger sandwich cookies really do have the best texture. They’re so perfectly chewy, which I don’t think I’ve ever accomplished without a load of fat and sugar. If you don’t like almond butter, don’t worry! I don’t like it or the taste of almonds, but I love these. There’s so much wintry goodness in there that it covers up any almond flavor.
Chewy Ginger Sandwich Cookies with Lemon Filling
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup (256 grams) natural almond butter
- 2 tablespoons (44 grams) molasses regular molasses like Grandma's
- 2 large eggs 50 grams each, room temperature
- 2/3 cup (94 grams) coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup (30 grams) coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
For the filling:
- 4 ounces (125 grams) full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract optional
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or a piece of parchment paper.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with an electric hand mixer, beat together the almond butter, molasses, eggs, and coconut sugar.1 cup (256 grams) natural almond butter, 2 tablespoons (44 grams) molasses, 2 large eggs, 2/3 cup (94 grams) coconut sugar
- In a medium bowl, sift together the remaining cookie ingredients.1/4 cup (30 grams) coconut flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, pinch salt
- Slowly add this dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix on low just until combined.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate until the dough is firm enough to roll into balls, about 30 – 45 minutes, or wrap the dough in some plastic wrap, press flat, and freeze for about 5 – 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) and line a baking sheet with a Silpat or a piece of parchment paper.
- Remove the cookie dough from the freezer and roll into small balls (mine were 3/4″).
- Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes. The cookies will have started to crack a little and will look puffy.
- Remove the cookies from the oven. The cookies will continue to crackle just a little more and then “deflate.”
- Let the cookies cool for about 3 minutes on the cookie sheet and then remove to a wire rack to cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare the lemon cream cheese filling.
- Mix all the filling ingredients together, except for the powdered sugar, with an electric hand mixer until well combined.4 ounces (125 grams) full-fat cream cheese, 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- Gradually mix in the powdered sugar.1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
- Place the filling in the refrigerator until the cookies have completely cooled.
- To assemble the cookie sandwiches, place 1 teaspoon of lemon cream filling in the middle of each cookie and place another cookie on top. There should be just enough filling for a thin layer of icing.
- Place the cookie sandwiches in an airtight container and refrigerate for up for 1 week. Do not stack the cookies as they might stick together! If you need to stack them, separate each layer with a piece of plastic wrap, wax paper, etc.
Notes
- The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.
- Adapted from Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookie Recipe from Gourmande in the Kitchen.
Hi, would sunflower seed butter work instead of almond butter?
I’m sorry for just now seeing your question! I haven’t tried it but think it might. However, sometimes I find that I need to add a little extra flour when using sunflower seed butter instead of almond. I’d bake a test cookie and if it spreads too much, add a bit more flour.
Followed the recipe and they came out half-raw. I would up the baking time to 12 minutes in the recipe. Secondly, a little Pam spray on the silicone is advisable.
Did they get puffy and crackle after 6 minutes? For me, once they puffed and crackled, they still appeared soft and gooey, but once cooled, they were perfect! I hope you still enjoyed them. :)
I LOVE the combo of ginger cookies and lemon frosting. I once had a whoopie pie very similar to this at a bakery named Sift in San Francisco, and everyone thought I was crazy for ordering it- but I was in heaven :) Hope you’re having a great holiday, Erin!
Crazy for ordering it?! Why? It sounds amazing. Hopefully that whoopie pie was better than the ones in Austin. ;) I’m enjoying my time off – thanks! I hope you are, too. :)
I’m so glad you liked the cookies, I love the idea of the lemon filling with them!
Thanks, Sylvie! I’m happy you approve of my variation. :D
I just can’t wait for test of yummy cookies. Lets do for my lovely family in next holiday :)
I hope your family will like them! :)
These look delicious and it is nice to be able to have a soy-free chocolate chips.
Thanks! What do you mean by soy-free chocolate chips? Are they not normally soy-free?
they look yummy!
Thanks, Dina! :)
Ginger and lemon- the perfect combination!
Thanks, Katrina! And I agree. I want ginger and lemon everything now! :)
I love these! The combo of ginger and lemon sounds so good together. The ginger cookies look incredibly soft and chewy, and the lemon filling looks so luscious!
These look fabulous..!!
Thanks! Happy you think so. :)
Love, Love, Love your site!
Thanks a bunch! So happy you found it. :)
Fantastic! I can’t wait to make these, hands down the best recipe I’ve seen in a while. I’m so glad the ingredients are healthy too, thank you so very much for sharing this!!
And thank you for the kind comments, LaCinda! I LOVE your enthusiasm for this recipe. It’s exactly how I feel about it! I can’t believe that these ingredients created something so yummy. I would much rather take these over any all-purpose cookie. So good! I hope you’ll love them. :)
These photos.. oh my goodness. These look to die for! Chewy ginger cookies are definitely one of my weaknesses. I’m not sure if I would like the lemon, but that could easily be left out! This is definitely going onto my Christmas baking list.
Thank you, Mel! :) And yeah… you could totally make these as just ginger or even ginger orange! But ginger orange isn’t nearly as nice as ginger lemon. ;) I hope you’ll love them as much as I did!
These cookies look so great! My mother used to make similar ones for me when I was younger and they bring back the great holiday memories every time I smell them baking.
Thanks, Jena! And don’t you love the memories baked goods bring back? :) I know I do!
Yum!! These look so adorable! I like my cookies chewy so this sounds perfect. Thanks for sharing ;). And your photos are gorgeous, Erin! Totally inspired.
Thank you! Honestly… I’m so perplexed as to how these pictures worked out. It was SO insanely dark outside. I think I need to learn some more about photography. ;) Thanks for the nice comment!
Yes please! These are so amazing Erin. I love that you’ve included several alternatives for different diatary needs. All of which would make me happy! Pinning! Thanks so much for joining in on this giveaway.
And thank you for having me, Katie! :) I’m happy you appreciate the dietary alternatives. I think you’re actually one of the first people to say that so thank YOU! :) (and thanks for pinning!)
Words can’t describe how amazing these look. I love that you used almond butter. You’re right, it’s pretty genius. The ginger/lemon combo is perfection. I so want to reach through the screen. Nom! Pinned.
Aww, thank you for saying that, Jennie! I had to take these pictures in almost complete darkness. I couldn’t believe that they actually came out! Maybe I should stop taking pictures when there’s actually sunshine. ;) Thanks for pinning!
Lemon + Ginger are total flavor BFF, and I love how thick and chewy these look! You’re rockin’ it girl (also, so sad that your hubs doesn’t like molasses! he’s missing out)
Haha. Agreed! And he doesn’t like any fall / winter spices except for cinnamon! Crazy, isn’t it?! And kind of annoying. ;) Thanks for the nice comment! :)