(warning, jumping to recipe can result in missing important information including alternative ingredients and tips. Also, as an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases made via the links on this website.)
Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting is a tasty dessert for the Christmas holiday season.
These bars taste like moist and chewy gingerbread with a lush and sweet cream cheese based frosting.
Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
This is a simple dessert bar recipe based upon a traditional gingerbread cookie recipe.
The gingerbread is baked as a bar cake and then frosted with with cream cheese frosting.
Did you try my Frosted Gingerbread Cupcakes?
That cupcake recipe is similar to this bar recipe as they are both gingerbread based recipes and have a cream cheese frosting.
These bars are topped with holiday sprinkles. You can find a selection of holiday sprinkles here.
Frequently asked questions about Gingerbread.
Gingerbread is an idea that seems to be synonymous with Christmas and the holiday season. We see gingerbread cookies, cakes, and even bread.
What most gingerbread recipe have in common are the seasonings and flavorings added. These ingredients may include, ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, as well as molasses.
Certainly, gingerbread is a popular 'flavor' especially during the holiday season. This may have something to do with the combination of flavors that all add a festive taste and scent for the season.
The popularity of gingerbread everything may have something to do with fairy tales that feature gingerbread people (think Hansel and Gretel for example).
However, since we can enjoy gingerbread in so many ways, from cookies to bread loaves, it has become a holiday season standard.
Tips for making gingerbread.
You can prep your baking pan using nonstick spray or grease. However, I like to line my baking sheet with parchment paper as this makes it easy to transfer the bars for cutting and a also, an easier clean up.😉
More tips for you
- While my bars have frosting on top, you can omit the frosting. Another option is to make two gingerbread layers (double the ingredients and use two pans for baking) and adding a frosting layer between them.
- The bars should be fully cooled before frosting them. This will help prevent the frosting from melting on top of the bars.
- If you are using parchment paper to line your pan, make sure that the paper hangs over the sides of the pan. This will make it easier for you to lift the bars out of the pan for cutting later on.
Personalize these homemade gingerbread bars.
These bars are easy to make and taste great.
However, you can make yours even better!
Try one of these ideas.
- Add a few drops of food coloring to the frosting to make it more festing.
- Throw in some chopped nuts or raisins before baking the bars.
- Instead of frosting, add a layer of vanilla ice cream.
👇You may also be interested in these ideas!👇
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About this Gingerbread Christmas dessert recipe.
These dessert bars are based upon a basic gingerbread cookie recipe.
They are sweetened with molasses and brown sugar, just as the cookies are.
The gingerbread is baked as a cake bar using a baking pan.
Once cooled, they are then frosted with a cream cheese based frosting. The frosting does a nice job at balancing out the flavors of the gingerbread in making a tasty dessert bar.
Ingredients needed to make gingerbread cookie bars.
- Flour. All purpose flour was used to make my bars.
- Baking soda. The leavener used for the bars.
- Ground Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. The spices added to help make this a festive dessert.
- Sugar. Both granulated and packed brown sugar are used.
- Butter. Your butter should be melted.
- Molasses. Adds flavor, sweetness, and color to this recipe.
- Vanilla Extract. Helps to balance out the other flavors.
- Egg Yolk. Helps to hold the other ingredients together.
- For the frosting; cream cheese, butter (softened), powdered sugar, vanilla extract. and sprinkles as desired.
How to make Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 16 servings
Prep - 20 minutes
Bake - 15-17 minutes.
Step One: prepare.
Preheat your oven to 350. Prep a square baking pan (8" for thicker bars) for nonstick. I like to use parchment paper for my pan.
Step Two: make the batter.
- In a medium bowl, use a whisk to mix together the flour, baking soda, and seasonings.
- Next, in a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, melted butter, and molasses until creamy. Then add the egg yolk and vanilla.
- Folk in the dry ingredients from the first bowl until just combined.
- Evenly distribute the batter in the prepared baking pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean (15-17 minutes). Allow the bars to fully cool before frosting and cutting.
Expert Tip 👉 Refrigerate the frosted cookie bars for 20 minutes to help them set prior to cutting.
Step Three: frost and cut the bars.
Beat together the frosting ingredients until creamy, scaping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then frost and cut the cooled and frosted bars before serving.
Expert Tip 👉 These bars can be frozen in an airtight container or zip top freezer bag for about four months or refrigerated for about a week.
👇👇Related Ideas.👇👇
Table of contents for this recipe.
Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting, a tasty and easy Gingerbread Christmas dessert or snack recipe idea.
Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 ½ tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Ginger
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
- ½ tsp Cloves
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- 2 tsbp Brown Sugar -packed
- ¼ cup Butter -melted
- 2 ½ tbsp Molasses
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Egg Yolk
For the frosting; cream cheese (4oz), butter (¼ cup softened), powdered sugar (2 cups), vanilla extract (½ tsp). and sprinkles as desired.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350. Prep a square baking pan (8" for thicker bars) for nonstick. I like to use parchment paper for my pan.
- In a medium bowl, use a whisk to mix together the flour, baking soda, and seasonings.
- Next, in a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, melted butter, and molasses until creamy. Then add the egg yolk and vanilla.Folk in the dry ingredients from the first bowl until just combined.
- Evenly distribute the batter in the prepared baking pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean (15-17 minutes). Allow the bars to fully cool before frosting and cutting.
- Beat together the frosting ingredients until creamy, scaping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then frost and cut the cooled and frosted bars before serving.
Recipe Notes
Also, please see the actual recipe post for further details on this recipe. Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that are used. See DiyandFun.com for details on this recipe.
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that the links on this website, and specifically on this post, that lead to other sites may be affiliate links.
Nutrition
Please note: Nutritional data has been calculated using a tool that comes with this recipe card and not by me. This means that Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that you use. The accuracy of this tool may differ from other tools as expected. Also note that there is no instructional value to the video that may be attached to this recipe. It is only there for visual pleasure. For more information about the images in this recipe, please refer the the recipe instructions. Thank you!
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