These Salted Caramel Gingerbread Cookies are the perfect festive holiday cookie recipe. They’re a soft and chewy gingerbread cookie with salted caramel cream cheese frosting, a swirl of salted caramel and a pinch of salt. These Christmas cookies are such a crowd pleaser and so easy to make.
These cookies take two festive flavors: gingerbread and caramel, and roll them up into one delicious Christmas cookie. The warm spicy cookies pair perfectly with the creamy smooth frosting, making these so good.
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IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN. Welcome back to my 4th annual 12 days of Christmas Cookies series!! If only you knew how pumped I am that you are here. I can’t wait for you to try out the fun and festive cookie recipes I share this year. I hope you are as excited as I am for all baking season has in store.
Every year I do a cookie series called my 12 days of Christmas Cookie Series where I create 12 different cookie recipes you can make for Christmas. It’s such a fun way to celebrate the season and get into the spirit of Christmas. AND who doesn’t love cookies?
One of my favorite parts about doing this series is getting to see you make them and enjoy them with your loved ones. It’s so special to hear about your christmas memories. One thing I love about Christmas and food is that they both bring people together. I absolutely love seeing you tag me in your cookie posts every year, sharing what you made!!
If you are tuning in from IG or TikTok, welcome!! I am so so happy you are here and I hope you love my recipes and find some that become staples for you and your loved ones. Cookies are something that are so fun and easy to make but also, versatile and helps bring people together. Dessert makes life more festive. Thank you again for being here, I hope you feel so welcome and find cookie recipes to make for generations to come.
This recipe is in partnership with Diamond Crystal Salt Co. Their salt is absolutely amazing. I love using their Baking Salt and Kosher salt in my recipes. Here is their website: diamondcrystal.com so you can find out more.
Diamond Crystal Kosher salt is NOW available at Publix which is so exciting. Definitely be sure to check your local Publix to purchase. It’s in the baking isle near the spices and I CAN’T WAIT for you guys to try it out. Click Here to Purchase
What Should I Make These For?
This is the PERFECT cookie recipe for the holiday season. The flavors are festive and are sure to please a crowd. You could make these cookies for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or anytime throughout the season. They would be a wonderful recipe for a holiday family get together.
Making them with your kids, best friend or lover would be such a fun festive activity!! OR you could even make them for your neighbors, a cookie exchange, essential workers in your community, your church family or school teachers. Cookies always make such a kind and thoughtful gift. They’re also personal and affordable. The holidays are the best time to give homemade gift and spread the spirit of Christmas.
You can serve these cozy cookies warm or chilled. You could even sandwich two together with frosting in between. There is a gingerbread caramel cookie sandwich that I love in Germany at Epcot in Disney World that taste similar to these. It’s like a homemade, at home version of them.
To get my cookies to be super round and all the same shape, I like using a round glass, a biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to the lid of a mason jar!! It’s definitely not required but just a fun little tip, I like to use. I’ll share a link HERE to some on amazon if you’d like to try out this simple yet effective baking hack. (affiliate code)
Whether you are a fan of gingerbread cookies and warm flavors of ginger and cinnamon and nutmeg or a fan of the classic buttery brown sugar caramel flavor, then you will LOVEEE these Salted Caramel Gingerbread Cookies. They have the perfect balance of sweet, spices and salt.
The cream cheese frosting balances the spice so well. I love that classic nostalgic taste. But, if you aren’t a fan of cream cheese frosting, then you can also swap out the cream cheese for additional butter in the frosting recipe to make a buttercream instead.
My 12 days of Christmas Cookie series is such a highlight of my year. I am so grateful you are here and trying out my recipe. Here are a few others from the series that I hope you enjoy and love as much as I do!!
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Marbled Cookies
- White Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies
- Funfetti Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Covered Pretzel Cookies
- Cinnamon Roll Cookies
- Gingerbread Cheesecake Stuffed Cookies
I like doing all different kinds of Christmas Cookie flavors from classics like chocolate chip and peanut butter to nostalgic Christmas flavors like ginger bread and peppermint to unique and fun cookies like Hot Cocoa, Muddy Buddies, and Coconut Dark Chocolate Almond. That way there is something for everyone to enjoy!!
What is Brown Butter & How Do You Make It?
Basically brown butter is just butter that’s been cooked on the stove. It foams up and the milk solids caramelize giving it it’s delicious deep nutty flavor. It takes a few quick minutes on the stove and the smell is like no other. Let’s just say it’s amazing and it’s a GAME CHANGER when baking. It’s hard to go back once you make it a few times and super simple to make so the extra step is optional but 100% worth it.
You can still make this recipe without using brown butter it just won’t have the nutty flavor but will still be delicious. If you also want the texture to be the same, I would use melted butter because the consistency of brown butter and melted will be the most similar.
Be careful not to walk away as it could burn or overflow when it foams. I have a quick video on how to make brown butter- HERE!! It takes just a few minutes to make but this video is a visual way to see if that helps you out!!
I love creating a list of all the ingredients you will need to make my recipe on the post before the recipe. That way you can clearly see everything you’ll need and what you may need to go grab at the store to make them.
What You’ll Need:
- butter
- brown sugar
- sugar
- vanilla extract
- eggs
- molasses
- ginger
- cinnamon
- cream of tartar
- nutmeg
- all spice
- baking soda
- baking powder
- cornstarch
- all purpose flour
- heavy whipping cream
- Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- vanilla
- cream cheese
- powdered sugar
- parchment paper
All the ingredients are very simple and easy to find at your local grocery store OR already in your kitchen ready to go. They are simple ingredients but together make such a delicious fun recipe and I’m so excited for you to try them out.
Let’s Get Started!!
Salted Caramel Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 350° F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a sauce pan over medium high heat, add your butter and let melt. Once it’s melted keep it on the heat and let it cook for 5-10 minutes until it foams up and then turns brown. Let cool.
- In a large bowl, add your brown butter, brown sugar, and white sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
- Add your egg, egg yolk, molasses and vanilla and whisk until well combined and frothy.
- Once all your wet ingredients are combined, add your spices and the rest of your dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Scoop your dough into 1-2 inch balls and place on your baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in the oven at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. (Make sure to under bake rather than over bake.) They will continue to cook on the pan even once they are out so if you want a soft cookies, don't over bake.
- Remove from oven and scoot each cookie with a round cookie cutter or glass. Let cool.
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer) add your cream cheese and softened butter and whip until well combined and light and fluffy.
- Add your vanilla, powdered sugar, and Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. Mix again. Add your heavy whipping cream to get that smooth and creamy texture.
- In a sauce pan over medium heat add your butter and brown sugar and let melt. Stir until they are fully combined and let mixture cook until it bubbles.
- Once it starts to bubble continue stirring and cooking for a couple more minutes and until it starts to foam and look like melted peanut butter. Don't walk away from stove as this could burn easily.
- Remove from heat and add your Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, vanilla extract and heavy cream and stir until it comes together.
- Once your caramel sauce has cooled, add about 1/3 to 1/2 of it to your cream cheese frosting and mix until combined.
- Frost each of your gingerbread cookies with the frosting. Add a swirl of caramel using a offset spatula or spoon and sprinkle with some Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt.
- Serve, Share and Enjoy!!
Did you enjoy this recipe? If so, I would So APPRECIATE if you write a review so others can try it out too! Don’t forget to smile because you are so loved! <3
I hope that you enjoy this recipe with your loved ones and that it brings people together. This recipe was meant to be enjoyed!!
If you make it, I would love to see! Please tag me on my socials: my instagram and TikTok handle is @whiskfullyblessed. I can’t wait to see how you like it and I’m so excited to reshare your cute photos and videos!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS and JESUS LOVES YOU!!
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