Gingerbread Bars

Gingerbread Bars – These Christmas bars are full of gingerbread flavor and has a chewy cream cheese frosting. Gingerbread bars that are soft  and perfect for a festive Christmas dessert. Make these gingerbread cookie bars for your next holiday gathering.

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If you’re wanting to make gingerbread desserts this holiday season, you have to try out these perfectly festive Gingerbread Bars. They are deliciously spicy with just the right amount of cream cheese frosting. And are perfect for cookie trays and all holiday gatherings. Gingerbread cookie bars that are topped with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting for the perfect Christmas treat. It’s an easy alternative for when you want to make something more with gingerbread molasses other than the classic gingerbread cookies.

This post is about how to make Gingerbread Bars for Christmas.

CHRISTMAS Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting

If you’ve been loving our Eggnog Desserts lineup, and want to try out more Christmas treats, you need to make these chewy, gooey Gingerbread Cookie Bars. They have the perfect texture and are perfectly spiced for a delicious holiday dessert. I am in love with the thick cream cheese frosting that takes the bars to the next level. You will need to press the cookie dough in a pan and then bake it. How simple is that?! This recipe is way more easier to make than the classic gingerbread cookies. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy the classic cookies, but the texture of these bars! Oh my! And it’s still extremely easy to serve for a large crowd. This recipe can also be called a gingerbread brownie covered in delicious cream cheese frosting. How yum is that?!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• A fantastic twist to the classic gingerbread cookies.
• Easy to serve for a large crowd.
• These bars has a luscious cream cheese frosting.
• Fun to make with your kids.
• They are perfectly chewy, gooey and has a gorgeous texture.

INGREDIENTS NOTES

Here’s you shopping list to make this fantastic Christmas treat.

For The Bars – 

All-Purpose Flour

Vanilla Extract

Baking Soda

Salt

Honey

Spices – Ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves – or you can prepare your own Gingerbread Spice Mix and use it for many Christmas goodies

Unsalted  Butter

Granulated Sugar

an Egg

For The Cream Cheese Icing – 

Cream Cheese

Powdered Sugar

Unsalted Butter

Christmas Sprinkles for decorating

HOW TO MAKE GINGERBREAD BARS

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, and mix until well combined.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing.

Spread the gingerbread batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Use a spatula to smooth the top.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are set and the center is slightly soft. Be careful not to over bake if  you want the bars to be chewy and thick.

While the bars are cooling, prepare the cream cheese icing. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar until creamy and well blended.

Add the cream cheese and mix until smooth and fluffy.. If you prefer a sweeter flavor you can add one teaspoon of vanilla extract with the cream cheese

Once the gingerbread bars have cooled completely, spread the cream cheese icing evenly over the top.

Optionally, you can sprinkle some sprinkles,  ground cinnamon or ginger on top of the icing for added flavor and decoration.

Allow the icing to set before cutting the bars into squares.

Serve and enjoy!

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• Make sure to properly measure the flour using the spoon-and-level method to ensure accurate results.
• If you prefer stronger flavors, you can increase the amounts of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves according to your taste.
• For a more pronounced molasses flavor, use dark molasses instead of light molasses.
• Allow the gingerbread bars to cool completely before spreading the cream cheese icing to prevent the icing from melting.
• To easily spread the cream cheese icing, you can use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
• If you don’t have honey you can use molasses as a substitute for honey. If you decide to use molasses as a substitute, you can use the same amount as the honey called for in the recipe. So, you would substitute 1/2 cup of honey with 1/2 cup of molasses.

*Keep in mind that molasses has a stronger flavor and is less sweet compared to honey. The substitution may result in a slightly stronger and less sweet taste in the gingerbread bars. You may want to adjust the amount of granulated sugar in the recipe if you prefer a sweeter result.

decoration ideas

To make these Christmas cookie bars even more festive, you can choose some fun decorations. Here are some ideas –

• Christmas sprinkles
• Gingerbread man cookies
• Cream cheese glaze
• Gingerbread spice mix sprinkled over

RECIPE FAQ’S

What kind of molasses do you use for gingerbread cookies?

You can use both cooking molasses for gingerbread cookies – black molasses and light molasses. If you decide to use blackstrap molasses, keep in mind that the flavor is going to be more bitter than the other too molasses. It’s dark and full of flavor, perfect for gingerbread cookies. But I would suggest using light or dark molasses for bars!

TO STORE ANY LEFTOVERS..

• Allow the bars to cool completely before storing to prevent moisture buildup.
• Once cooled, you can store the bars in an airtight container or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. This will help maintain their freshness and prevent them from drying out.
• Store the gingerbread bars at room temperature. They can typically be kept at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
• If you need to store the bars for a longer period, you can place them in the refrigerator. Refrigerated gingerbread bars can last for up to 1 week. Just make sure to keep them well-covered to avoid any absorption of odors from other foods in the fridge.
• If you prefer to freeze the bars, individually wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
• When ready to enjoy, thaw the frozen bars in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.

Gingerbread Bars

Gingerbread Bars - These Christmas bars are full of festive gingerbread flavor and has a chewy cream cheese frosting. Gingerbread bars that are soft, chewy and perfect for a festive Christmas dessert. Make these gingerbread cookie bars for your next holiday gathering.

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16 bars

Ingredients

  

For The Gingerbread Bars

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For The Cream Cheese Icing

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar

For Decorating

• Christmas sprinkles

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, and mix until well combined.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
• Spread the gingerbread batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Use a spatula to smooth the top.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are set and the center is slightly soft. Be careful not to over bake if  you want the bars to be chewy and thick.
• While the bars are cooling, prepare the cream cheese icing. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar until creamy and well blended.
• Add the cream cheese and mix until smooth and fluffy.. If you prefer a sweeter flavor you can add one teaspoon of vanilla extract with the cream cheese
• Once the gingerbread bars have cooled completely, spread the cream cheese icing evenly over the top.
• Optionally, you can sprinkle some sprinkles,  ground cinnamon or ginger on top of the icing for added flavor and decoration.

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