Gingerbread Cookie Bars

These Gingerbread Cookie Bars or full of molasses and warm spices then topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting. A festive holiday treat that is incredibly easy to make!

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Gingerbread Cookie Bars Recipe Ingredients

• Salted Butter
• Dark Brown Sugar
• White Sugar
• Molasses
• Large Eggs
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Ground Ginger
• Ground Cinnamon
• Ground Nutmeg
• Ground All Spice
• Unbleached All Purpose Flour
• Cream Cheese Block
• Powdered Sugar
• Pure Vanilla Extract
• Milk

​These easy gingerbread cookie bars are loaded with classic gingerbread flavor and topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting. It is the perfect holiday treat for the holiday season!

How to Make Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

1. First, preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a jelly roll pan (15x10 baking sheet) with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. I like to just grease the pan for these bars.
2. Next, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a large bowl and hand mixer, cream together the softened butter, dark brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy. About 2-3 minutes.
3. Then beat in the molasses until fully combined.
4. Now add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

5. Add the dry ingredients: baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground spices: ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice and the all purpose flour. Mix in on low speed until everything is fully combined.
6. Scoop the dough on to the prepared sheet pan and spread the dough out into an even layer. If the dough is a little sticky, grease your hands with some nonstick cooking spray.

7. Bake in preheated oven on center rack for 14-16 minutes until the center no longer looks wet, the edges are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with little to no crumbs.
8. Let cookie bars cool completely then frost with cream cheese frosting.

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with large mixing bowl and electric mixer, cream together the softened cream cheese and salted butter until smooth and creamy.
2. Then, add in the vanilla extract and 1 cup powdered sugar. Beat well on low speed.
3. Next, add the remaining powdered sugar 1 cup at a time alternating with a little milk.

4. Once all the powdered sugar is added, increase the speed on the mixer to medium and beat for about a minute or so until the frosting is airy and fluffy.
5. Evenly spread the frosting over cooled gingerbread bars and decorate with some holiday sprinkles.
6. Let the frosting set for a bit before slicing and serving.

If gingerbread is your flavor of choice during the holidays check out my other gingerbread recipes: Gingerbread Cut Out Cookies or Chewy Molasses Cookies. Both are so good, and full of warm spices and molasses flavors.

Storing Ginger Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Storing: The frosting has cream cheese so it can spoil, so the bars should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator when not being served. They'll last a week stored in the fridge. The bars will be fine sitting out the day you want to serve them. There's enough sugar in the frosting that it acts like a preservative.

Freezing: Place individual pieces of gingerbread cookie bars on a sheet pan and freeze them. Once they are frozen you can layer them between pieces of wax paper in a freezer safe airtight container or individually wrap them in plastic wrap and then add them to the container. They'll last 3-4 months in the freezer.

Thawing: Thaw the frosted cookie bars in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

More Christmas Cookies for Your Cookie Boxes

• Russian Tea Cakes
• Peanut Butter Temptations
• Italian Almond Cookies
• Hot Cocoa Cookies
• Sugar Cookie Cut Outs
• Raspberry Almond Thumbprints
• Frosted Sugar Drop Cookies
• Chocolate Peppermint Drops
• Frosted Pumpkin Drop Cookies
• Spritz Butter Cookies

Tips for Easy Gingerbread Bars

• Gather all the ingredients before you start preparing to bake. It is so much easier to bake when all the ingredients are ready. There is also less room for error, like forgetting an essential ingredient. I'm not saying I've done this, however, I am speaking from experience!
• Read the recipe from start to finish before you start. Again, I am speaking from experience.
• Use room temperature ingredients. It helps the dough come together better, and also helps with even baking.
• Easiest way to measure molasses: spray measuring cup with non stick cooking spray and then add molasses. The molasses will slide out of cup without the sticky mess. 
• Always fluff your flour and then spoon and level it to measure. Doing this will prevent too much flour being added and ultimately making the cookies too dry and crumbly. To fluff your flour, just scoop it and dump it a few times and then measure it out, or give it a fluff using a whisk.
• If your oven tends to bake unevenly, you can rotate the baking sheet a little over half way through the baking time. It helps with even baking.
• Decorate or add festive sprinkles immediately after spreading out the frosting. This way they will stick to the frosting and not fall off when stored or packaged.
• Slice into 35 smaller bars to serve a bigger crowd.

More Cookie Bar Recipes:

• Sugar Cookie Bars
• Brookie Bars
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars
• S'mores Bars
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Cranberry Bars