Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Rich, chewy, and delicious, these gingerbread cookie bars are the perfect holiday treat! Gingerbread Cookie Bars‘Tis the season for lots of baking…fa la la la la…! The holiday season is upon us which means all kinds of delicious flavors and treats. One of our favorites is gingerbread! And these gingerbread cookie bars with cream cheese frosting are SOoooo good! Six Sisters' Stuff 12 Days of ChristmasThe recipe for these tasty treats comes from the lovely gals over at Six Sisters Stuff and their latest cookbook, 12 Days of Christmas with Six Sisters’ Stuff (affiliate link)! The book has a whole, fun “12 Days of Christmas” theme featuring things like 12 Christmas Cookie Recipes, 12 tasty dinner ideas, 12 holiday traditions, etc. There’s also quite a few cute Christmas crafts & gift ideas! I’ve had the pleasure of meeting 2 of the Six Sisters and they are so nice, so I definitely recommend their book to add to your holiday planning collection. The recipes all look so good, but the gingerbread cookie bars are what really caught my eye. Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

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4.66 from 32 votes

Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

These soft & chewy gingerbread cookie bars are delicious! And, they're so easy to make!
Course: Dessert
Servings: 24
Author: Sara @ Mom Endeavors

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter melted
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • ¼ cup butter softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13″ baking pan and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and molasses.
  • Add the egg and stir until completely incorporated.
  • Add baking soda, flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt and mix until well combined. Spread dough evenly into the greased pan, pressing all the way to the edges.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes (Do not over cook). Remove& let cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Mix butter and cream cheese together in a large mixing bowl (I use my stand mixer). Add vanilla.
  • While mixing, gradually add in powdered sugar. Mix until creamy & well-combined.
  • Once the bars have cooled, frost the tops. Garnish with holiday sprinkles or a pinch of cinnamon.
  • Cut into squares and serve.
Making this recipe? Share your creation!Post on Instagram - Mention @MomEndeavors or tag #momendeavors!

Soft Gingerbread Cookie BarsYUM!! This recipe is SO easy to make – perfect for holiday parties or even your cookie exchange! Everyone in our family loved these. So, this one is a keeper! ENJOY! 



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I’m Sara, a mom to three adorable boys living in the Arizona desert. As a former teacher, I love sharing my passions with others. So, have a look around for creative inspiration about cooking, creating, celebrating, traveling with kids, and more everyday mom endeavors!

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30 Responses

    1. Heather – if you add the cream cheese frosting, that is probably the safest. But, we left ours out for a while and were ok! They certainly would keep for longer in the fridge!

  1. Do you absolutely need to use the molasses? Is it a key ingredient or could I substitute for honey or syrup and get the same outcome?

    1. Paige -Molasses I think is very key. I’ve never seen any gingerbread/snap/etc. recipe without molasses in it.

  2. I made this recipe once and it was delicious! However, I was unsure of what the consistency was supposed to be. I baked them for the whole 20 minutes. They puffed up and then sunk (which I’m assuming was supposed to happen). When they cooled, they seemed really doughy, especially in the middle. Are they supposed to be that doughy or should they be baked a little longer? I don’t want to bake them too long and make them too crisp around the outside. Thanks!

    1. Hmmm, I’m not sure what happened! I’d describe them as soft and sort of chewy, but certainly not doughy. Maybe they did need a little more baking time?

  3. I just made these last night and frosted them in the AM before taking them into work. I never got around to it during the “holiday season” but just couldn’t get them off my mind!!! So glad I made them because they are delicious. I put them out to “share” but will probably eat a lot of it myself…

    I had to bake mine a lot longer than the listed time- I added about 10 minutes. I did use a smaller pan than you suggested so mine were thicker and I’m sure that was part of why it took so long. I just didn’t think it was enough dough to fill the full 9×13 when I started to spread it out- do you usually do a pretty thin layer?

    To Amy above, mine did stay more liquid inside for a lot longer than I expected so I stuck them back in the oven til the top was a bit darker and the consistency was more cookie cake-like than liquidy. But as mentioned I also altered the thickness so I think that was part of it for me at least.

    1. Hi Nancy,
      I haven’t tried that with these, but I’m pretty sure they could be. Just freeze the dough or the cooked bars. Then frost them once thawed and ready to serve!

  4. What type of molasses should you use? I know some gingerbread recipes require “dark molasses not blackstrap” does that apply to this recipe?

    1. Sorry, Natalie! I’m not sure! I think the brand I used was Grandma’s (the dark molasses with the yellow lid).

  5. I am making these tomorrow!!! Any tips/suggestions are welcome!!! I really want them to turn out yummy!!!! Thanks!!!!

  6. 5 stars
    Awesome!!!! So delicious, they taste just like a cookie I’ve been trying to copy from a local bakery for years. They taste good with a little drizzle of icing too. Thanks for sharing!

  7. 5 stars
    Perfectly delicious, moist and spiced just right. I added a couple tbs minced crystallized ginger to the frosting. Can’t wait to make again. Thank you!

  8. I made these and everybody loved them! I put a cream cheese frosting on top. So so delicious, thanks for the recipe!

  9. 5 stars
    I’ve made these cookie bars every year for the past 5 or so years, and they are sooo good! My husband’s family keeps requesting I make them. Definitely a new tradition!

  10. 5 stars
    These were so good I made them twice in one week. The second time I only used about 2/3 of the frosting and I liked it better. After they were cooled and frosted, I put them in the frig and they were easier to cut up. These will be my go-to Christmas dessert from now on.

  11. 5 stars
    This “Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting” recipe seems amazing , a perfect family sweet . Will love to try this one. Thanks for sharing this.

  12. 5 stars
    love this Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe , definitely gonna try this one . Thanks for sharing this one .

  13. 5 stars
    Love this Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting, perfect dessert I think for my family . Thanks for sharing this one , will love to make this

  14. 5 stars
    Love this Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting, this one seems super delicious and amazing. Super excited to try this one, thanks for sharing this one.

  15. Can’t wait to try this! Wondering if anyone has made these with a gingerbread cookie mix from a box? I’m short on time and hoping it will be just as good! And how many days ahead is best?

    1. I’m sure you could, but haven’t tried it! If you do, please report back and let us know how it goes!

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