Description
Warm and soft gingerbread cookie bars topped with creamy frosting, perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- small pinch of ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (113g/80ml) unsulphured molasses
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 ounces (170g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- small pinch each of ground ginger, cinnamon, & allspice
- Optional for garnish: sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, sugars, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until no flour shows.
- Press the dough into the prepared pan evenly.
- Bake for 23–26 minutes, until the top is set but soft, and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the bars cool in the pan on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour.
- For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then add the confectioners’ sugar and spices, and mix until creamy.
- Spread frosting on the cooled bars and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before slicing.
- Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
Serve with hot drinks; bars can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 26 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 20mg