I love icing, but not fluffy cake. I know, I’m the odd one out, but stick with me here. To fulfill my cravings I frost another delicious dessert, cookies! Recently, I got the wild idea to create some unique frosted fillings for holiday sandwich cookies, and these delicious beauties were born: Mint Chocolate Chip, Lemon-Iced Gingerbread, Berry Sugars, and Maple-Doodles.
I used an assortment of Enjoy Life Cookies in these recipes because a) they come in so many awesome mix & match flavors for making holiday sandwich cookies with both crunchy and soft options; b) they are just so darn good that EVERYONE likes them (and almost everyone can eat them – they’re allergy-friendly); c) they’re dairy-free and gluten-free so both Tony and I get to indulge; and d) they are perfect for joining in the virtual Gluten-Free Cookie Exchange!
Check out all 18 recipes in our virtual gluten-free cookie exchange, listed in the order they appear in the photo, left to right, row by row:
- Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies Recipe from Vegetarian Mamma
- Dairy-free Gluten-free Vegan Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe from Sarah Bakes Gluten Free
- Gluten-free Snickerdoodles Recipe from Only Taste Matters
- Dairy-Free Gluten-free Vegan Ninjabread Men Recipe from Flippin’ Delicious
- Dairy-Free Gluten-free Vanilla Wafers Recipe from gfJules
- Dairy-Free Gluten-free Cranberry Bliss Oatmeal Cookies Recipe from Making It Milk Free
- Dairy-Free Gluten-free Strawberry Thumbprints Recipe from Learning to Eat Allergy-Free
- Dairy-Free Gluten-free Holiday Sandwich Cookie Assortment Recipes from Go Dairy Free
- Gluten-free Cranberry Lime Cornmeal Cookies Recipe from Cafe Johnsonia
- Gluten-free Caramel Hot Chocolate Cookies Recipe from Faithfully Gluten Free
- Dairy-Free Gluten-free No Bake S’mores Cookies Recipe from My Gluten-free Kitchen
- Dairy-free Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies Recipe from Allergy Free Alaska
- Gluten-free Pfeffernusse Recipe from Fearless Dining
- Gluten-free Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Recipe from Maebells
- Dairy-Free Gluten-free Flourless Chocolate Pecan Cookies Recipe from Around My Family Table
- Dairy-Free (option) Gluten-free Chocolate Gingerbread Bars Recipe from Gluten-Free Palate
- Gluten-free Snickerdoodles Recipe from Gluten-Free Homemaker
- Gluten-free Christmas Wreath Cookies Recipe from Gluten-free Frenzy
So which holiday sandwich cookies are my favorites? I have to go with the Mint Chocolate Chip filling with Soft Baked Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies (pictured at the top of this post and in the image below; with crunchy cookies just above – awesome from frozen!) followed by the Berry Creme Filling with Sugar Crisp Hand-Crafted Crunchy Cookies (pictured just above). But I must admit, they’re all pretty darn amazing.
This post is sponsored by Enjoy Life Foods, but we have been big fans (and consumers) of their cookies for years!
Special Diet Notes: Holiday Sandwich Cookies with Fun Homemade Cookie Fillings
By ingredients, all of the flavors below are dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan / plant-based, vegetarian, and generally top food allergy-friendly.
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup non-hydrogenated shortening*
- Pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- Matcha powder, optional (for color, but tasty too!)
- 2 tablespoons Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract (or to taste)
- Turmeric, optional (for color)*
- ¼ cup freeze-dried raspberries, ground into a powder**
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla flavoring or extract
- ½ teaspoon maple flavoring
- To make the filling, place the powdered sugar, shortening, and salt in a medium bowl and mix until smooth (a hand mixer helps). It will be dry at first, but should come together.
- Stir in the add-ins for your desired flavor (using the color ingredients as needed to get the shade you desire). The mixture should be quite thick, like an Oreo icing. But if too thick, you can add a little more shortening - it will still be quite sweet!
- Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip - I use Enjoy Life Soft Baked Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies or Handcrafted Crunchy Double Chocolate Cookies
- Lemon-Iced Gingerbread - I use Enjoy Life Soft Baked Gingerbread Spice Cookies
- Raspberry Sugars - I use Enjoy Life Handcrafted Crunchy Sugar Crisp Cookies
- Maple-Doodles - I use Enjoy Life Soft Baked Snickerdoodles
**I use a spice grinder to quickly grind the freeze-dried raspberries into a powder. Can't find raspberries? Sub in your favorite freeze-dried berries!
146 Comments
Ginger Molasses are a favorite!
Mine, too Chris!
Holiday bark and gingerbread cookies
Ooh, I forget about bark. I really need to make some dairy-free!
My favorite holiday cookies are chocolate chip gingerbread.
Oh wow, I’ve never had gingerbread with chocolate chips!!
I have a few holiday cookies I make every year. The good ole’ fashioned Candy Cane, M&M, and snickerdoodles. Last year I experimented with Rosemary Shortbreads.. I love this time of year. Merry Christmas =)
I’ve actually never tried candy cane cookies. I do love this time of year, too, Lisa. Merry Christmas!
Love any kind of dairy free sugar cookies! Mixed with peppermint, chocolate, orange, or just about any other flavor including the every lovely cinnamon sugar topping.
Mmm, those flavors all sound good, lemon also 🙂
I love gingerbread cookies!
My favorite holiday cookies are Italian Wedding Cookies (aka Cocoa Wedding Cakes or Snowball Cookies).
I never made sandwich cookies, but my favorite is cream cheese cookies made with Tofutti non dairy cc.
I love all cookies like others have said…but some of the favorites in this house are the peanut butter blossoms or made with Hershey kisses and the Mexican wedding cakes rolled into a ball with a Hershey kiss inside. 🙂 Merry Christmas! I am hosting Christmas this year and have a niece coming from out of state who has an allergy to dairy so I will be trying some of your recipes this year!
Michele
That’s great – I hope you enjoy Michele!
I love gingerbread men cookies. Simple and delicious.
I don’t think I’ve found too many cookies I don’t love but this time of year it’s all about cranberry chocolate chip and spice cookies.
I love the traditional cut-out cookies, but I found a new one I love, too. Surpise Cookies……soft chocolate cookies with a marshmallow on top, frosted with chocolate frosting. I like to add a little peppermint extract to it!
Those sound amazing April!
My favorite holiday cookies are snickerdoodle cookies.
We do like oatmeal raisin cookies but we like to do candy candy cane cookies for the holidays.
Ooh, how fun! Oatmeal raisin were a staple in my house growing up as they’re my dad’s favorite, too!
My favorite holiday cookie is the gingerbread man.
I love all cookies! I just wish I had more allergy free bakers in my life! My favorite is chocolate chip peanut butter.
Haha, so true – much nicer to have some bakers on hand.
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Cookies look great!! Some great recipe ideas for cookies, try German or Turkish cookies. some Turkish cookies have a syrup on them and the sweetness perfectly camouflages the gluten free cookie.
Ooh, I’ve never tried those – thanks for the tip Seyma!
My favorite holiday cookie variety is a German Stollen cookie! Nuts, raisins, dried fruit and powdered sugar!
My favorite holiday cookie really is gingerbread (or, for those busy days, Enjoy Life’s dof baked snickerdoodle). But for sandwich cookies, I adore chewy peanut butter cookies with a creamy chocolate filling. Although, I have a recent crush for a red velvet cookie with vegan creamcheese filling…
Yum! The PB chocolates sound like inside out PB cups!