Description
These gingerbread cookie bars offer the warm spice of gingerbread with a soft, chewy texture, topped with a smooth cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Scale
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup unsulfured molasses
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Holiday sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides.
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, and molasses until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until glossy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until evenly combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined. The batter will be thick—avoid overmixing.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 22–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan before frosting.
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Spread the frosting evenly over cooled bars. Add sprinkles or crushed cookies for decoration. Chill briefly before slicing into squares for clean cuts.
Notes
These bars can be modified with mix-ins like nuts or chocolate chips. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 45mg