Gingerbread Cookie Bars
Gingerbread Cookie Bars have a soft and chewy, spiced molasses cookie base topped with the BEST cream cheese frosting. Add red and green sprinkles or nonpareils for a festive Christmas dessert!
Gingerbread men cut-out cookies are nice and all, but a lot of work. I’m all for shortcuts and simplifying, yet keeping the flavors we all know and love. These Gingerbread Cookie Bars are definitely easy, and delicious too!
I took my favorite soft baked gingersnap cookie recipe and baked it in a 13×9-inch dish. Then I topped it with the BEST cream cheese frosting to make these Gingerbread Cookie Bars.
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It was really hard to not eat more than one! So good! I made my husband take these gingerbread cookie bars to work so they would get out of the house and stop tempting me. He said he had several recipe requests from co-workers after sharing these bars. Another great holiday recipe for the books!
Gingerbread Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Cookie:
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, (1 stick) room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar, gently packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (59 ml) molasses
- 1 ¾ cup (210 g) all-purpose flour, (stir, spoon, & level)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz (226 g) block-style cream cheese, cold (I typically use Neufchatel cream cheese)
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, (1 stick) room temperature
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- FOR THE COOKIE: Cream butter and brown sugar together until fluffy. Mix in egg, vanilla, and molasses until completely combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add to wet ingredients until combined.
- Press evenly into a greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-22 minutes or until the edges and top are starting to brown. Do not over-bake. Cool completely.
- FOR THE FROSTING: Place the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the butter 2 Tablespoons at a time, and continue beating until smooth and well-blended. Add powdered sugar and vanilla all at once. Blend until combined and smooth.
- Cut the very edges off of the bars. (Optional. Snack or discard.) Spread frosting over the top of the cooled bars. Cut into desired size. (3×4=12 bars OR 3×5=15 bars OR 4×6=24 bars) Keep leftovers covered. You can either refrigerate OR store bars at room temperature, depending on personal preference.
Notes
Did you make this?
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Do I cut the bars in the pan?
Yes inside the pan, unless you use parchment paper to lift it out with.
Hi! I love these and make them every year. Would it be ok to make the cookie ahead of time(the night before) and then frost the following day if kept covered in an airtight container?
Yep! That would be just fine. I’m glad to hear that this recipe has become a favorite of yours.