Easy Gingerbread Cookie Bars

Chewy Gingerbread Cookie Bars are the ultimate easy holiday dessert that transforms classic gingerbread cookie dough into one large sheet pan treat topped with tangy cream cheese frosting, delivering all the warm spice flavors you crave without the fuss of rolling and cutting individual cookies. These soft and chewy gingerbread bars combine rich molasses with aromatic spices—cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves—creating that signature gingerbread flavor everyone loves during the holiday season. The tangy cream cheese frosting provides perfect creamy contrast to the spicy cookie base, while optional holiday sprinkles add festive flair that makes these bars party-ready.

Whether you’re preparing treats for holiday cookie exchanges, feeding a crowd at gatherings, or simply wanting gingerbread flavor without the work of traditional cookies, these bars deliver bakery-quality results in just 30 minutes of active time. They yield 24 generous servings perfect for sharing and stay fresh for up to 5 days, making them ideal for make-ahead holiday entertaining.

Why You’ll Love This Gingerbread Cookie Bars Recipe

These gingerbread bars prove that impressive holiday desserts don’t require complicated techniques or hours of hands-on work. By baking all the dough in one pan instead of rolling, cutting, and baking multiple sheets of individual cookies, you save tremendous time and effort while achieving the same delicious gingerbread flavor. The entire process—from mixing to frosting—takes about 90 minutes including cooling time, with only 10 minutes of active prep work.

The texture is perfectly soft and chewy rather than crispy, creating that tender, cake-like quality that makes these bars irresistible. The generous amount of warm spices creates authentic gingerbread flavor that fills your kitchen with holiday aroma while baking. The molasses adds rich depth and moisture that keeps these bars soft for days without drying out.

The cream cheese frosting is what truly elevates these from good to extraordinary. The tangy cream cheese cuts through the sweet spices beautifully, while the smooth, creamy texture provides wonderful contrast to the chewy cookie base. Unlike plain gingerbread cookies, these frosted bars feel special and celebration-worthy, perfect for potlucks, cookie exchanges, or holiday dessert tables.

Ingredients for Gingerbread Cookie Bars

Cookie Bar Base

• ½ cup butter, melted – Creates rich flavor and tender texture
• ¾ cup granulated sugar – Provides sweetness
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar – Adds moisture and molasses notes
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract – Enhances overall flavor
• ⅓ cup molasses – Creates signature gingerbread flavor and color
• 1 large egg – Binds ingredients and adds structure
• 2 cups all-purpose flour – Creates tender crumb
• 2 teaspoons baking soda – Provides lift and tender texture
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon – Main warm spice
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger – Adds characteristic gingerbread spice
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg – Provides aromatic depth
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves – Adds sophisticated spice note
• ½ teaspoon salt – Enhances all flavors

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 6 oz cream cheese, softened – Creates tangy, creamy frosting base
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened – Adds richness and smooth texture
• 2¼ cups powdered sugar – Sweetens and thickens frosting
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla – Enhances flavor
• Holiday sprinkles (optional) – Adds festive decoration

Ingredient Notes

Molasses Selection: Use regular (mild or original) molasses rather than blackstrap molasses, which is too bitter and strong for these bars. The molasses creates both flavor and moisture that makes these bars tender.

Melted Butter: Unlike many cookie recipes that require softened butter for creaming, this recipe uses melted butter that mixes easily into the batter and creates chewier texture.

Brown Sugar: Dark brown sugar provides more molasses flavor than light brown, but either works. The combination of granulated and brown sugar creates ideal texture and flavor balance.

Spice Proportions: The recipe uses generous cinnamon with smaller amounts of ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. If you love intense ginger flavor, increase ground ginger to 1 teaspoon for spicier bars.

Cream Cheese Temperature: Softened cream cheese (room temperature for 30-60 minutes) is crucial for smooth frosting without lumps. Cold cream cheese won’t cream properly with the butter.

Pan Size: The 9×13-inch jelly roll pan (rimmed cookie sheet) is essential for proper thickness. Using a different size pan will affect baking time and texture.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 – Prepare Oven and Pan

Move your oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9×13-inch jelly roll pan (rimmed cookie sheet) with non-stick cooking spray, making sure to coat the bottom and sides thoroughly. Set aside.

Step 2 – Mix Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt until evenly distributed. The whisking helps distribute the spices uniformly throughout the flour. Set this bowl aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.

Step 3 – Cream Butter and Sugars

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using handheld beaters), cream together the melted butter, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, vanilla extract, and molasses on medium speed. Beat for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined. The mixture should lighten slightly in color and texture.

Step 4 – Add Egg

Add the egg to the butter mixture and mix on medium speed until completely combined and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.

Step 5 – Incorporate Dry Ingredients

Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Pulse the mixer (or use handheld beaters on low speed) several times just to begin incorporating the flour without sending it flying everywhere. Once the flour begins to combine, increase the mixing speed to medium and mix until well combined, about 1 minute. The dough should be uniform with no flour streaks visible.

Step 6 – Spread and Bake

Using a rubber spatula, spread the dough evenly into your prepared pan, pushing it all the way to the edges and corners. The dough will be thick but spreadable. Use the spatula to smooth the top as much as possible for even baking. Bake for 15-20 minutes, checking at 15 minutes. The bars are done when they’ve darkened in color and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter, but not completely clean either).

Step 7 – Cool Completely

Remove the pan from the oven and immediately move it to a wire cooling rack. Let the bars cool completely in the pan before frosting—this is crucial. Frosting warm bars causes the frosting to melt and slide off. Complete cooling takes about 1 hour at room temperature.

Step 8 – Make Cream Cheese Frosting

While the bars cool, prepare the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using handheld beaters), cream together the softened cream cheese and softened butter on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light, fluffy, and completely smooth with no lumps.

Step 9 – Finish Frosting

Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture. Pulse the mixer several times to begin incorporating the powdered sugar without creating a sugar cloud. Once partially combined, increase the mixing speed to medium-high and mix until the frosting is creamy, smooth, and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.

Step 10 – Frost and Serve

Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the completely cooled gingerbread bars. If desired, immediately garnish with holiday sprinkles before the frosting sets. Use a sharp knife to cut into 24 bars (6 rows by 4 rows). Wipe the knife clean between cuts for the neatest squares.

Pro Tips for Success

Don’t Overbake: These bars should look slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven. They’ll continue cooking slightly from residual heat and will firm up as they cool. Overbaking creates dry, crumbly bars rather than soft, chewy ones.

Cool Completely Before Frosting: This cannot be emphasized enough. Even slightly warm bars will melt the frosting and create a mess. Plan for the full hour of cooling time.

Room Temperature Dairy: Both cream cheese and butter for the frosting should be fully softened to room temperature for smooth, lump-free results.

Even Spreading Matters: Take time to spread the dough evenly in the pan. Thicker areas will be underdone while thinner areas overbake, creating uneven texture.

Clean Cuts: For professional-looking bars, wipe your knife clean between each cut. This prevents frosting smears and creates neat, defined edges.

Make Ahead: Bake the bars 1-2 days ahead and store unfrosted in an airtight container. Add frosting a few hours before serving for freshest presentation.

Flavor Variations

Orange Gingerbread Bars: Add 1 tablespoon orange zest to the dough and ½ teaspoon orange extract to the frosting for bright citrus notes.

Chocolate Gingerbread Bars: Add ½ cup mini chocolate chips to the dough for decadent chocolate-ginger combination.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting: Replace vanilla in frosting with ½ teaspoon maple extract and drizzle with pure maple syrup before serving.

Crystallized Ginger Bars: Fold ¼ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger into the dough for intense ginger flavor and chewy texture.

Eggnog Frosting: Replace vanilla in frosting with ½ teaspoon rum extract and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg for festive eggnog flavor.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Gingerbread Cookie Bars cut into squares on decorative holiday platters for cookie exchanges, potlucks, or dessert tables. Their festive appearance and crowd-pleasing flavor make them perfect for holiday parties alongside our Easter Blossom Cookies and giant cookie cake for diverse dessert spreads.

Package individual bars wrapped in cellophane tied with ribbon for homemade holiday gifts, teacher appreciation, or neighbor treats. Stack them in decorative tins lined with parchment paper for impressive holiday gift boxes. They also make wonderful additions to Christmas cookie platters served with our red velvet cookies and snowball cookies.

For special presentation, dust the frosted bars lightly with cinnamon or place a small gingerbread cookie cutter on top for elegant finishing touch.

Storage and Freezing Instructions

Refrigerator Storage: Store frosted gingerbread bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The cream cheese frosting requires refrigeration to stay fresh. Bring to room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving for best flavor and texture.

Room Temperature: Unfrosted bars can be stored at room temperature in airtight containers for up to 3 days if your kitchen isn’t too warm.

Freezing Unfrosted Bars: Wrap cooled, unfrosted bars tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and add fresh frosting before serving.

Freezing Frosted Bars: While possible, freezing frosted bars can affect the frosting texture. If you must freeze frosted bars, place them in a single layer in airtight containers and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Make-Ahead Strategy: Bake bars 1-2 days ahead, store unfrosted, then frost a few hours before serving for easiest timing and freshest presentation.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	203
Protein	1g
Carbohydrates	31g
Fat	8g
Fiber	0.3g
Sodium	215mg

Based on 24 servings (1 bar each). Nutritional values are approximate.

FAQ About Gingerbread Cookie Bars

Can I make these bars without frosting?

Absolutely! The gingerbread bars are delicious on their own. For simpler presentation, dust cooled bars with powdered sugar or drizzle with simple vanilla glaze (powdered sugar mixed with milk and vanilla) instead of cream cheese frosting.

Why are my gingerbread bars dry and crumbly?

Dry bars typically result from overbaking or measuring too much flour. Remove bars when they still look slightly underdone—they firm up as they cool. Measure flour by spooning it into measuring cups and leveling off rather than scooping directly from the bag, which packs in excess flour.

Can I use margarine instead of butter?

Butter provides the best flavor, but margarine works if necessary. Use stick margarine (not tub or spread varieties) and make sure it contains at least 80% fat. The flavor won’t be quite as rich, but the texture will be similar.

How do I prevent the frosting from being lumpy?

Lumpy frosting results from cold cream cheese. Make sure both cream cheese and butter are completely softened to room temperature before mixing. If you still have lumps, continue beating on medium-high speed for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Gingerbread Cookie Bars transform beloved holiday gingerbread flavors into an easy, crowd-pleasing dessert that saves time without sacrificing flavor or presentation. The soft, chewy texture combined with warm spices and tangy cream cheese frosting creates treats that feel special and festive while requiring minimal effort. Whether you’re feeding holiday crowds, preparing cookie exchange contributions, or simply craving gingerbread without the fuss of individual cookies, these beautiful bars deliver homemade goodness that makes every celebration feel magical.

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