Soft Ginger Cookies with Nutella Buttercream

Soft, melt-in-your-mouth molasses ginger cookies filled with fluffy, rich Nutella buttercream frosting! You’ll love the combo of ginger and spice with cocoa and hazelnut in these Soft Ginger Cookies with Nutella Buttercream! An unconventional collection of flavors that come together so deliciously!

Aaaaah, how did it get to be December 20th already? I haven’t felt this unprepared for Christmas in a few years now. The last few years, I actually felt quite ready for Christmas by the time it arrived – other than gifts. I’m perpetually behind on gift-shopping.

But in all other ways, I felt ready. This year, I’m SO not ready. I haven’t accomplished half of what I wanted to, and I’m not mentally prepared for Christmas to be in 5 days either. Eek. Did it arrive faster this year than ever before?

I had so many other recipes that I wanted to make this holiday season – I bought the ingredients and mapped out a plan and everything. Days kept going by where I’d get caught up doing other things, and I finally got the recipes made (like, two days ago), but now it’s too late to share them, so I’m just socking them away for next year.

Yep, next year. I’ve got a preposterously early start on next year’s Christmas recipes. 🙂

That said, this is my last Christmas-y or holiday recipe for the season… these Soft Ginger Cookies with Nutella Buttercream! I made these same cookies, these Soft Molasses Ginger Cookies with Cookie Butter Buttercream last year, but with cookie butter, obviously. I personally adore those soft ginger cookies on their own, but they’re awesome as sandwich cookies with frosting in-between. I’ve had some positive comments recently from readers who really like them too!

I’ve been on a Nutella bender in 2017, and in my typical fashion of beating an ingredient silly, I had to recreate those soft ginger cookies, but with Nutella frosting instead of Cookie Butter Frosting. So these Soft Ginger Cookies with Nutella Buttercream combine those favorite melt-in-your-mouth ginger cookies with my Nutella Buttercream recipe.

I know these flavors don’t sound like they’d naturally go together, but you’ve got to believe me when I tell you that you’ll love the combo of soft, melt-in-your-mouth, spicy ginger cookies with fluffy chocolate-hazelnut frosting. I discovered the beauty of chocolate and ginger together last year with these Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies, but this recipe for Soft Ginger Cookies with Nutella Buttercream takes it all a step further.

Anyway, if you’re still looking for other cookie recipes for Christmas, and you’re a fan of ginger things, check out my family’s all-time favorite Cracked Top Ginger Cookies. So soft and chewy, and with crispy edges! If you’re looking for other Nutella things, try these Pumpkin Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream, Nutella Brownies with Nutella Buttercream, or this Double Layer No Bake Nutella Pumpkin Cheesecake!

Soft Ginger Cookies with Nutella Buttercream

Sarah

Soft, melt-in-your-mouth molasses ginger cookies filled with fluffy, rich Nutella buttercream frosting! You'll love the combo of ginger and spice with cocoa and hazelnut in these Soft Ginger Cookies with Nutella Buttercream! An unconventional collection of flavors, but they come together so deliciously!

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Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Course Cookies

Servings 18 sandwich cookies

Ingredients

  

For cookies:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling

For buttercream:

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup Nutella or chocolate-hazelnut spread
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar approximately
• 2-3 tbsp. heavy cream

Instructions

 

For cookies:

• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and brown sugar til fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Add molasses, egg, and vanilla, beating until combined.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
• Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, and beat until just combined - do not overmix.
• Chill dough for at least one hour, or ideally, overnight. Dough *must* be chilled.
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Roll dough into 1-inch balls, and roll in granulated sugar.
• Place on baking sheets two inches apart.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are golden, and the centers are just appearing set. They'll continue to cook on the baking sheets while cooling.
• Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 3-4 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

For buttercream:

• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy.
• Add Nutella, vanilla, and powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
• The frosting should be thick, but fluffy and pipeable. You can add a tablespoon or two of cream to adjust the consistency, if needed.
• Spread or pipe frosting between two cookies to form cookie sandwiches!