Description
Delight in these moist and flavorful Gingerbread Cookie Bars featuring warm spices and a creamy spiced cream cheese frosting. Perfect for holiday gatherings or cozy treats, these bars combine the classic gingerbread taste with an easy-to-make bar form, topped with a smooth, spiced frosting for a festive finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- small pinch of ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (113g/80ml) unsulphured molasses
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 ounces (170g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- small pinch each of ground ginger, cinnamon, & allspice
- optional for garnish: sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare the pan and oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and place the oven rack in the center position. Line a 9×13-inch metal or glass baking pan with parchment paper, ensuring there is an overhang on the sides to lift the bars easily later. Set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk melted butter, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and molasses until smooth without lumps. Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Form the dough: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a large spoon or silicone spatula until no flour streaks remain. The dough will be thick and shiny. Transfer it into the prepared pan and press evenly into a smooth, thin layer.
- Bake the bars: Bake for 26 minutes or until the top is set but still soft and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with some moist crumbs. Avoid overbaking. Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour.
- Prepare the frosting: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla. Beat on low for 30 seconds, then high for 2 minutes until creamy. Adjust sweetness with a pinch of salt if needed.
- Frost the bars: Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled bars. Optionally, sprinkle festive sprinkles on top. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to help set the frosting.
- Serve and store: Use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out and cut into squares. Store leftover bars tightly covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Unfrosted bars can be kept at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerated up to 1 week.
Notes
- You can make the cookie dough ahead and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature before baking.
- Baked and cooled bars freeze well, with or without frosting, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
- It’s possible to halve the recipe for a smaller 8-inch or 9-inch batch; start checking for doneness at 22 minutes. Halving the egg may be challenging; consider making the full batch and freezing extras.
- Use melted butter promptly to avoid crumbly dough and cakey bars.
- Use unsulphured or dark molasses (Grandma’s brand recommended). Avoid blackstrap molasses due to bitterness.
- Use full-fat brick cream cheese for frosting, not the spreadable tub kind.
- For best results, refrigerate bars briefly before slicing to ensure clean cuts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
