Gingerbread Christmas biscuits to entertain the kids!

Take an easy gingerbread biscuit to the next level by turning them into irresistible sandwich treats, filled with a sweet, lightly spiced ginger cream cheese filling and finished with a generous coating of jazzy, colourful sprinkles. Not only do they look festive and eye-catching, but they’re also incredibly simple to make, making them perfect if you can’t be bothered with fiddly piping bags or intricate decorations.

These gingerbread sandwich biscuits are a super fun activity for children, especially during the holidays when you’re looking for something hands-on to keep little ones busy. Kids will love spreading the filling, pressing the biscuits together, and rolling the edges in sprinkles, and you’ll love that it all ends with a delicious reward everyone can enjoy. It’s a great way to get them involved in the kitchen without too much mess or stress.

While the dough does need time to rest and prepare overnight for the best flavour and texture, the actual baking is quick and easy, with the biscuits only taking around 10–20 minutes to cook. That makes them ideal for planning ahead while still keeping things relaxed on the day. The result is a batch of festive, fun gingerbread treats that are as enjoyable to make as they are to eat.

Gingerbread Christmas biscuits- ingredient list-

Ingredients for the biscuits;
70g/2½oz softened unsalted butter
70g/2½oz of demerara sugar
Two teaspoons of cinnamon
Two teaspoons of ground ginger
Half a teaspoon of ground allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
90g/3¼oz of treacle
One huge yolk from a free-range egg
One teaspoon of vanilla extract
230g/8oz of regular flour + additional for dusting
Half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

Ingredients for the cream cheese filling;
60g/2¼oz softened unsalted butter
200g/7oz of icing sugar
Two teaspoons of ground ginger
¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp vanilla essence
80g/3oz softened cream cheese (see tip)
One or two teaspoons of whole milk (optional)
coloured sprinkles to adorn

Gingerbread Christmas biscuits- step by step instruction guide-

Step 1
To make the biscuits, beat together the butter, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt in a medium bowl until the mixture is light, fluffy and noticeably paler in colour. A handheld electric mixer works best for this step, as it helps incorporate air quickly and evenly, but you can also mix by hand if the butter is very soft and at room temperature. Take your time with this stage, as properly creaming the ingredients will give the biscuits a better texture and help them bake evenly.

Step 2
Next, add the treacle, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the butter and spice mixture, beating again until everything is fully incorporated into a smooth, sticky batter. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and bicarbonate of soda to ensure the raising agent is evenly distributed throughout the flour. Once both mixtures are ready, you’ll gradually combine them to form a soft, pliable dough that’s perfect for rolling and cutting into your gingerbread shapes.

Step 3
Gently stir the flour mixture into the butter-treacle mixture until it comes together as a very firm, slightly crumbly cookie dough. Once combined, shape the dough into a neat rectangle, wrap it tightly in cling film or a reusable food-safe bag, and place it in the fridge to chill. It needs at least 6 hours to firm up, but leaving it overnight is best, as this allows the flavours to develop fully and makes the dough much easier to roll and cut the next day.

Step 4
To make the gingerbread cream cheese filling, start by beating the butter and icing sugar together in a bowl until the mixture is smooth, light, and creamy. Next, beat in the ground ginger, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until fully combined, allowing the spices to infuse the butter-sugar base. Gently fold in the cream cheese, stirring just until the filling is smooth, thick, and spreadable. If the filling feels too stiff—cream cheese can vary in consistency—add a small splash of milk to loosen it slightly, ensuring it’s easy to pipe or spread. Once ready, transfer the filling to a piping bag or a plastic storage bag, snip off the tip, and chill it in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble your gingerbread sandwich biscuits.

Step 5
The next day, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/Gas 4 and take the chilled biscuit dough and gingerbread cream cheese filling out of the fridge. Line 2–3 large baking trays with baking paper to prevent sticking. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the biscuit dough evenly to about 2mm thickness and use a gingerbread-shaped cutter (or any fun shape you like) to cut out your biscuits. Gather any leftover scraps of dough, re-roll them, and continue cutting until all the dough is used. This step is a great opportunity for kids to get involved—they’ll have fun pressing out the shapes and watching the little biscuits take form before baking.

Step 6
Place the biscuits in the baking pans that have been prepared, allowing a minimum of 6 cm/2 in between each biscuit. For ten to twelve minutes, bake the biscuits. When the biscuits are a lovely golden-brown colour and their shape has solidified somewhat around the edges, they are done. Take them out of the oven and give them ten minutes to solidify on the tray. After moving the biscuits to a wire rack, let them cool completely.

Step 7
Once the biscuits have cooled completely, pipe the gingerbread cream cheese filling around the inside edge of half of them, then fill in the middle and gently sandwich another biscuit on top. Pour your sprinkles into a small bowl and carefully dip each sandwich biscuit into the sprinkles so they stick all along the edges, creating a fun, festive look. Repeat this process with the remaining biscuits, and you’ll have a colourful, delicious batch of gingerbread sandwich treats ready to enjoy.

Recipe tips-
The finished gingerbread sandwich biscuits can be stored in an airtight container for up to 10 days, keeping them fresh and delicious. For the best results, use a full-fat soft cheese or cream cheese, making sure it’s well drained of any excess liquid, and ensure the butter is very soft when preparing the filling. Be careful not to overbeat the cream cheese mixture, as this can make the icing runnier and harder to pipe. While you don’t have to use a piping bag to fill the biscuits, doing so will give a much neater, more professional-looking finish.