There’s something absolutely cozy and magical about these Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe. The warm spices paired with the tangy, creamy frosting make them perfect for sharing during chilly afternoons or holiday gatherings. Let me show you how easy and rewarding these bars are to bake!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients & Why They Work
- Make It Your Way
- Step-by-Step: How I Make Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
- Top Tip
- How to Serve Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
- Make Ahead and Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions:
- Final Thoughts
- Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Why You'll Love This Recipe
These gingerbread bars aren’t your average cookie. They combine all the joy of gingerbread cookies with the ease of baking a single-pan treat and that dreamy cream cheese frosting on top is just the cherry on top. Honestly, every time I make this recipe, the house instantly smells like the holidays!
- Simple to Make: No rolling or cutting circles — just mix the dough, spread it, and bake.
- Perfect Balance of Flavors: Warm spices with a hint of molasses and a smooth, tangy frosting.
- Great for Gifting or Gatherings: Easy to slice, easy to share, and looks beautiful with frosting and sprinkles.
- Customizable: You can tweak spices or frosting to make it your own winter favorite.
Ingredients & Why They Work
With every ingredient chosen thoughtfully, this Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe achieves a perfect texture and flavor harmony. Picking quality ingredients not only boosts taste but ensures your bars come out just right every time.
- All-purpose flour: Gives structure without weighing the bars down; easy to find and versatile.
- Baking soda: Helps the bars rise just enough for a tender crumb without puffing them into cakey territory.
- Ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper: These spices create that classic gingerbread warmth, with black pepper adding subtle depth.
- Unsalted butter: Melted to blend smoothly with sugars, it provides rich flavor and moistness.
- Brown and granulated sugar: Brown sugar adds molasses notes, granulated sugar balances sweetness and texture.
- Unsulphured molasses: The soul of gingerbread, it brings deep, complex sweetness — Grandma’s brand is my go-to.
- Egg: Binds everything together while contributing to a soft yet sturdy texture.
- Vanilla extract: Elevates and rounds out all the spices beautifully.
- Cream cheese: Use brick cream cheese for a richer, tangier frosting that spreads easily.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Sweetens and smooths the frosting for that dreamy finish.
- Additional spices in frosting: A pinch of ginger, cinnamon, and allspice echoes the cookie’s flavors for balance.
Make It Your Way
While I adore the classic gingerbread spice blend and that luscious cream cheese frosting, feel free to make these bars your own. I often swap a pinch of pepper for a dash of cayenne for a gentle kick or sprinkle chopped crystallized ginger on top of the frosting for some zing.
- Variation: Once, I swapped cream cheese frosting for a simple drizzle of white chocolate — it was divine but I always come back to my beloved cream cheese version.
- Diet-friendly swap: You can try coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and use dairy-free cream cheese to keep it vegan friendly.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Step 1: Gather and prep your ingredients
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining a 9×13 pan with parchment paper — this helps you lift out the bars easily later. Measure out all your spices and dry ingredients. Having everything ready makes the process smooth and fun.
Step 2: Mix dry ingredients
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and all the wonderful spices—ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. I love inhaling this aromatic mix; it tastes like cozy memories in the making!
Step 3: Blend wet ingredients
Melt the butter just until bubbly and pour it into a bowl with both sugars and molasses. Whisk until smooth with no lumps, then add your egg and vanilla. Mix well — this sticky, shiny potion is what makes your bars so tender and flavorful.
Step 4: Combine and bake
Slowly fold the wet mixture into the dry, stirring until no flour streaks remain. The dough will be thick but don’t worry—it’s supposed to be thin once pressed in the pan. Bake for about 23-26 minutes or until the edges are set but the center still looks a bit soft. Remember, the bars firm up as they cool.
Step 5: Make the cream cheese frosting
With a mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add confectioners’ sugar and spices, then whip until perfectly smooth. If the frosting tastes too sweet, a pinch of salt works wonders to balance it out.
Step 6: Frost and chill
Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled bars. For a festive touch, sprinkle gingerbread or holiday-themed sprinkles right on top. Pop them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cutting to help the frosting set nicely.
Top Tip
From my experience, the secret to perfect gingerbread cookie bars lies in getting the baking time right and making sure your butter isn’t too cool before mixing. Slightly underbaking and allowing the bars to cool fully lets them stay soft and chewy rather than dry.
- Butter Temperature: Use melted butter right away, don’t let it cool completely or your dough will be crumbly.
- Underbake Slightly: Take the bars out when the center still looks a little soft—it yields that perfect chewy texture.
- Frosting Balance: Add a pinch of salt to your cream cheese frosting if it’s too sweet—it really brightens up the flavors.
- Cooling Time: Patience is key! Letting the bars cool completely before frosting stops the cream cheese from melting.
How to Serve Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Garnishes
I personally love adding a sprinkle of festive gingerbread-shaped sprinkles or a dusting of extra cinnamon on top for that seasonal vibe. Sometimes, chopped toasted pecans add a lovely crunch and nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with the spiced frosting.
Side Dishes
These bars are great served alongside a warm cup of chai tea or hot cocoa. For holiday brunch, I like to pair them with spiced cider or creamy lattes – the flavors complement each other perfectly!
Creative Ways to Present
For holiday parties, I arrange the bars on a rustic wooden platter lined with evergreen sprigs and mini cinnamon sticks. It not only looks charming but instantly invites everyone to dig in. You can also stack them like little cookies in a glass jar for an adorable gift idea.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
The leftover Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting keep wonderfully in the fridge wrapped tightly or sealed in an airtight container. In my kitchen, they last up to 5 days — though honestly, they rarely last that long! If you skipped frosting, you can store them at room temperature for a few days.
Freezing
These bars freeze beautifully. I wrap them individually or in blocks of a few, then place them in a freezer-safe bag. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature for best texture and flavor.
Reheating
I usually eat these bars cold or at room temperature because that’s when the frosting is just perfect. But if you want a warm treat, pop a single bar in the microwave for about 10 seconds — warm but still intact, it tastes like a fresh bakery batch.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Blackstrap molasses has a much stronger, bitter flavor compared to unsulphured or regular dark molasses, which this recipe calls for. It can overpower the spice blend and make the bars taste too intense. I recommend sticking with unsulphured molasses for the best flavor balance.
The bars should look set on the edges and top but still slightly soft in the center—like moist crumbs when you insert a toothpick. They continue firming up as they cool, so it’s better to err on the side of underbaking to keep them chewy and tender.
Yes! These bars freeze very well whether frosted or plain. Just wrap them tightly or store in airtight containers. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature before serving for the best taste and texture.
Store the frosted bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The frosting can soften at room temperature, so chilling helps maintain its creamy texture. They usually stay fresh and delicious for up to 5 days.
Final Thoughts
This Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe is one I come back to year after year because of the simplicity and that magical combination of spices and creamy frosting. I hope you enjoy baking (and eating) these as much as I do — they’re like a warm hug on a chilly day. Grab your apron and give them a try; I promise you’ll want to make them again and again!
Print
Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 26 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 24 bars
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Delicious Gingerbread Cookie Bars with warm spices and a creamy spiced cream cheese frosting, perfect for festive occasions and holiday treats.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 and ¼ cups (281g) all-purpose flour
- 1 and ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- small pinch of ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (100g) packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ 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 ½ cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- small pinch each of ground ginger, cinnamon, & allspice
- optional for garnish: sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and position the rack in the center. Line a 9×13-inch metal or glass baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars out later.
- 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 the melted butter, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and molasses until smooth and lump-free. Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Make the Dough: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredient bowl and stir with a large spoon or silicone spatula until there are no visible traces of flour and the dough is thick and shiny.
- Shape the Bars: Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press it into a smooth, even, thin layer using the back of the spoon or spatula.
- Bake: Bake for 26 minutes until the top is set but still soft and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with some moist crumbs. Bars will puff in the oven but settle as they cool.
- Cool: Allow the bars to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour.
- Prepare Frosting: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add Frosting Ingredients: Add confectioners’ sugar, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes until creamy and smooth. Adjust sweetness with a pinch of salt if needed.
- Frost Bars: Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled bars. Optionally, garnish with sprinkles. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to help set the frosting.
- Serve: Lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment overhang and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 18-24 squares. Store leftover frosted bars tightly covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days; unfrosted bars store at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerated up to 1 week.
Notes
- You can make the dough ahead and chill in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to come to room temperature before baking.
- Baked and cooled bars freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature before serving.
- To halve the recipe, use an 8-inch or thinner 9-inch pan; begin checking for doneness at 22 minutes.
- Avoid letting melted butter cool before mixing, as this can cause crumbly dough and cakey bars.
- Use unsulphured or dark molasses for best flavor; avoid bitter blackstrap molasses.
- Use full-fat brick cream cheese, not spreadable tub variety, for the frosting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
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