Gingerbread bars have all the flavor of the holidays in one delicious bite.
Perfectly chewy with a cream cheese frosting, these gingerbread bars are bursting with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Once you try these bars (which my brother deemed the best thing he’s ever eaten) they will quickly become part of your must-bake holiday treats!
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Ingredients
Take all the flavors of a nostalgic gingerbread house and bake them into these soft and chewy gingerbread cookie bars.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of these bars.
- Spices: Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg are the heart of gingerbread flavor.
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Butter: Unsalted butter is often preferred in baking to control the overall salt content. If using salted butter, skip the added salt.
- Brown Sugar
- Molasses: Provides flavor as well as makes these bars very moist.
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Cream Cheese Frosting
You will also need a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and a mixer.
How to Make Gingerbread Bars
No need to chill the dough or deal with finicky cutters and rolling pins in this easy recipe.
- Whisk together dry ingredients.
- Cream together wet ingredients.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to wet.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Spread cream cheese frosting over bars.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
More Holiday Treats
Soft and Chewy Gingersnap Cookies – my favorite Christmas cookie!
Lemon Bars – quick & easy
Magic Bars – a family favorite
Raspberry Fluff Salad – an easy side or dessert
Gingerbread Bars
Equipment
- stand mixer
- 9×13 baking pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set dry ingredient mixture aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, which should take about 2 minutes.
- Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture, and continue to beat until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until well combined.
- Press the gingerbread dough evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- In the meantime, make the cream cheese frosting. In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy.
- On low speed, add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture.
- Once your gingerbread bars have completely cooled, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top of the bars.
Notes
Nutrition
