These cream wafer sandwich cookies are my favorite cookie recipe ever. Ever! Make this delicious Christmas sandwich cookie this holiday season for your next party—or to keep all to yourself.
I’m sharing my absolute favorite cookie—cream wafers. I will use any excuse to make this sandwich cookie, and I will pass up every other cookie if these are available. Sorry, chocolate chip.
It’s two light and flaky cookies sandwiched together with rich and sweet buttercream. These are a must-make Christmas cookie that you’re going to love at much as I do!
I originally shared this recipe with tree-shaped cream wafer cookies. However, when I make them for Christmas, I make a circle cookie with green and red filling.
As you will see throughout this post, there is a mix of tree-shaped cookies and round-shaped cookies. The recipe is exactly the same; I just used a different-shaped cookie cutter.
Why are these cookies so yummy? Well, they are basically sugar and butter with a little flour to hold them together. How bad can that be? Soft, flaky cookies sandwiched together with heavenly buttercream. Sometimes simple is best, and this recipe proves it!
I bake these cookies every year, but as I mentioned, I typically make them round. For a special occasion, or just to have fun, you can get creative with shapes as I did with the trees. I made them fairly small, too, for easy eating, of course. You can pop them whole, right into your mouth.
How do you get such intense colors?
One question I’m often asked is, “how do you get such intense filling color?” It’s all about the food coloring. THIS is the food coloring I used. I love it! Just add until you achieve the saturation of color you desire.
You may be surprised how short this ingredient list is for a sandwich cookie. The cookie alone is only four ingredients!
Sandwich cookie ingredients:
- Butter: Softened butter really comes through these cookies as the main flavor. I like Kerrygold.
- Heavy Cream: With a high-fat content, this makes the cookies extra rich and buttery.
- Flour: Each sandwich cookie ends up with a very flaky consistency, just like pastries.
- Sugar: The sugar in this recipe is only for dusting. Meaning there’s no sugar inside the cookie! Instead, you get the sweet flavor from the buttercream icing.
Filling ingredients:
- Butter: Because you can’t have buttercream without butter!
- Confectioner’s Sugar: Depending on the desired consistency, you can add more or less confectioner’s sugar.
- Vanilla: A hint of vanilla extract for flavor.
- Heavy Cream: A little bit of cream also amps up the richness of the filling as well as the cookie.
- Food Coloring: Color the frosting any way you like! I always go for a classic green and red for the holidays. THIS is my favorite food coloring.
These cream wafer sandwich cookies are my all-time favorite cookie recipe. And I don’t say that lightly! If I were to only eat one cookie for the rest of my life, it would probably be these.
Making this sandwich cookie recipe is simple, but it takes a little time and patience. You can find more detailed instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Here are some of my top tips for making these sandwich cookies!
1. Chill the dough
Be sure to chill your dough before attempting to roll it out; it makes a huge difference. It can be tempting to skip this step or only let it chill for a few moments, but it helps to make the dough easier to roll, and the cookies will also hold their shape better.
When the dough has time to rest, it also relaxes the gluten. This means your sandwich cookie won’t shrink while baking.
After taking the dough out of the fridge, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to prevent it from cracking when you roll it out.
2. Poke cookies with a fork
Prior to putting the cookies in the oven, poke them a few times with a fork. This will prevent air bubbles and the cookies from puffing up too much due to their high butter content.
3. Use a piping bag
Since these have a somewhat intricate shape, I decided to use a piping bag to add the filling. Normally, when working with round cookies, I use a butter knife, but piping makes the process go faster. Plus, it cuts down on mess.
4. Change up the fillings
Now I like to stick to the original recipe with these cookies (don’t mess with perfection). But if you want to get creative with the fillings, I encourage you to give them a try.
You can substitute the vanilla extract in the icing for a slightly different flavor, such as lemon. Or you can fill the centers with something else entirely. Nutella, a cookie butter, and chocolate are all good additions.
Be sure to avoid any kind of jam since this can make your sandwich cookie soggy.
Cookie perfection. I hope you’ll try these sandwich cookies if you’ve never tasted or made them. They might become your new favorite. I almost feel a little protective over sharing my favorite cookie recipe! I promise you, they’ll be an instant classic in your household.
Ready to make them? Take a peek at the recipe below!
Looking for more Christmas cookie recipes? Try these:
- Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Italian Sprinkle Christmas Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- Cherry Walnut Snowball Cookies
Love this Christmas cookie and want more?
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Cream Wafer Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter - softened
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar - for dusting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter - softened
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream
- Food coloring - optional
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter 3-5 minutes until it’s light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour and then the cream. Mix until just combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least two hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with a small tree-shaped cookie cutter. (Alternatively, you can use any style of cookie cutter you prefer.)
- Add the sugar to a separate small bowl. Press the cut out trees into the sugar. Then, place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Prick with a toothpick or fork.
- Bake 7-9 minutes, removing the cookies from the oven just before they start to brown. Remove them from the cookie sheet to cool.
- In the meantime, make the filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and salt until light and fluffy (This will take 3-5 minutes.) With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, and vanilla. Then add the food coloring. If the filling seems too thick, add more heavy cream until desired consistency is achieved.
- To easily frost the cookies, put the filling in a piping bag. Once the cookies are cool, pipe the filling on the back of one cookie. Top with another cookie and press to secure.
- Pack and store in an airtight container.
Please verify there is no sugar in the wafer dough
There is not sugar IN the dough, but (as the recipe states) the dough gets dusted with sugar before baking.
xo Michael
Can unbleached all purpose flour be used? If so, any additional ingredients needed?
Sorry to ask such a basic question, but what is the best type of flour to use?
I’ve made it with different kinds. Just use name brand quality all-purpose flour and you’ll be find.
xo Michael
Loving all your cookie inspiration!
Do these freeze well?
I’ve never had any left over to freeze. Lol. However, I wouldn’t recommend it. One of the great things about these is the delicate cookie. I’m afraid you’d lose that by freezing them.
xo Michael
We call these pain-in-the-butts or whiskey cutter cookies (used to use a shot glass to cut the circles) and my dad has been making them since I was born! We always freeze them and they freeze very well. Taste exactly the same to me after freezing.
I was just going to say the same. I’ve been making these for decades. For weddings, graduations, or other special events I color the icing to match. I make a huge batch of cookies one day, another day ice and sandwich them. Then I freeze them until the event. I use a box, wax paper between layers. They keep very well. And even tastes nice frozen.
I’ve tried many cutters over the years. The only way to keep a good shape is roll thicker. We prefer them really thin and crispy.
These Cookies are so sweet. I also love the Christmas tree with the different colors of the rainbow. You have such good ideas. I will not do something like that this year, but maybe when Christmas is over I will indulge in some new ornaments. Thanks for all your hard work and letting us in on it.
Hi! Question: No need for baking soda or baking powder for the cookies?
On the page I’m seeing on my iPad, there is no place to enter my email address.
These look delicious…and beautiful,as well. I have to say that every recipe you post just calls out to me! I’ve collected so many already. I don’t know if the drawing was Monday, Dec. 7th or today, Tuesday the 8th but I guess that posting a comment is the entry, right? Hope I’m not too late!
Dottie – you still have today to enter, however you need to use the entry form above. 🙂 Good luck!
xo Michael
I just discovered this site…what have I been missing? It’s awesome!
These are my favorite cookies. Made them with heart shaped cutters and various shades of red & pink frosting for Valentines day I took to the office and they wew gone in moments.
These look so deliciously perfect!
My mouth is watering looking at these cookies! Seriously, can’t wait to try this recipe my friend.
Loving the 12 Days of Giveaways! (Secretly hoping I win something! I never win!) Thanks for the inspiration. Killian Dog and I are loving the ideas and transforming the house into a magical wonderland! #IBCholiday
What a great group of you guys! I loved following this loop cookie exchange! It’s my first time here, WHAT!? Love your ideas!
Best cookies ever! I love the tree cutter – I make round ones with red and green frosting at Xmas and oval ones with pastel colored frosting at Easter. We’ve had these every year since I was a kid in the 60’s – just found out a few years ago that the original recipe came from Marjorie Johnson, known as the “Blue Ribbon Baker” here in MN for all the blue ribbons she’s won at the State Fair. She’s in her 90’s & is about 4’2 – you may have seen her on talk shows – she was a favorite of Leno. Just some randomness for your day!
These are so cute and festive!
These are so cute! I like the green theme you have going. (Green is my favorite color.)
all of these cookie recipes above are making me drool lol:)
i will have to look for and find a cookie cutter like yours…it does a wonderful job on the cookie shape!
These are one if my favorites too! Where did you get the cookie cutter? Yours are much cuter than mine!
It’s actually from Walmart! It worked perfectly.
xo Michael