Description
Warm holiday memories melt into these delightful Gingerbread Cookie Bars, blending rich spices with sweet nostalgia. Comforting layers of molasses and cinnamon invite you to savor a classic seasonal treat that sparks joy with each delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2.25 cups (281 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) unsulphured or dark molasses
- 1 large egg
Spices and Seasonings:
- 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 0.25 teaspoon ground allspice
- 0.25 teaspoon ground cloves
- 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 0.25 teaspoon salt
- Small pinch of ground black pepper
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
- 6 ounces (170 grams) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1.5 cups (180 grams) confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Small pinch each of ground ginger, cinnamon, & allspice
Optional Garnish:
- 0.25 cup (43 grams) sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare the baking environment by preheating the oven to 350°F and lining the pan with parchment paper, ensuring slight overhang for easy removal.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, warm spices, and salt in a large mixing bowl, creating a fragrant dry ingredient base.
- In a separate bowl, whisk melted butter, brown and granulated sugars, and molasses until thoroughly combined and glossy.
- Incorporate egg and vanilla extract into the wet mixture, stirring until the texture becomes smooth and consistent.
- Gently fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mixing until a uniform dough forms with no visible flour streaks.
- Spread the dense, aromatic dough evenly across the prepared pan, ensuring a consistent layer that will rise slightly during baking.
- Bake for 23-26 minutes, watching for a toothpick test that reveals a few moist crumbs, indicating perfect doneness.
- Allow bars to cool completely in the pan for approximately one hour, which helps set the texture.
- Prepare the cream cheese frosting by beating cream cheese and butter until silky, then gradually adding powdered sugar, warming spices, and vanilla.
- Once bars are fully cooled, generously spread the spiced frosting across the surface.
- Optional: Decorate with festive sprinkles for extra visual appeal.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set the frosting, then lift from pan and slice into elegant squares.
Notes
- Perfectly soften butter and cream cheese at room temperature to ensure smooth, lump-free mixing for both dough and frosting.
- Swap molasses with honey or maple syrup for a lighter flavor profile if traditional molasses feels too intense.
- Reduce spices by half if you prefer a milder gingerbread taste, allowing the sweetness to shine through more prominently.
- For gluten-free version, replace all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend to maintain the bars’ tender texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 16
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: <1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg