These easy gingerbread cookie bars deliver warm molasses and ginger flavor with a soft, chewy texture. Instead of royal icing, they’re finished with a thick cream cheese frosting — the perfect holiday treat!
Gingerbread cookie bars with cream cheese frosting are a simple, delicious alternative to traditional gingerbread cookies. They skip the chilling, rolling, and cutting steps: the dough is pressed into a 9×13-inch pan and baked. The result is softer and chewier than cut-out cookies, and the tangy cream cheese frosting balances the warm spices perfectly.
Making Gingerbread Cookie Bars
The process is similar to making gingerbread cookies but much easier:
- Whisk the dry ingredients together: all-purpose flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and baking soda. The combination of spices gives the bars that classic gingerbread profile.
- In a separate bowl, beat softened butter with brown sugar until fluffy. Brown sugar adds moisture and contributes to the chewy texture. Add unsulphured molasses, vanilla, one egg and an extra egg yolk — the extra yolk helps create a softer, chewier bar.
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, adding about half at a time to avoid a floury mess.
- Press the dough evenly into a lightly greased 9×13-inch pan and bake until set.
Once cooled, spread a thick layer of cream cheese frosting over the bars. The creamy, slightly tangy frosting complements the ginger and cinnamon, making these bars a festive favorite.
Baking Tips
- Use unsulphered (sometimes labeled “fancy” or “cooking”) molasses. Do not use blackstrap molasses, which is too strong for this recipe.
- Either glass or metal pans work. Metal pans brown the edges more and bake slightly faster than glass.
- To press the dough without sticky fingers, lightly spray your hands with non-stick cooking spray before pressing into the pan.
- For best results with the frosting, use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese. Lower-fat varieties can make the frosting too thin.
If you enjoy these bars, you might also like other holiday bar recipes such as sugar cookie bars or other gingerbread variations. These cookie bars store and serve easily, making them great for potlucks and cookie exchanges.
Gingerbread Cookie Bars
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Ingredients
Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 1/3 cup unsulphered molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk, discard the egg white
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz brick-style cream cheese, full-fat
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons whipping cream, or milk
Instructions
Gingerbread Cookie Bars
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
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Grease a 9×13-inch pan with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and baking soda.
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In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
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Beat in the molasses and vanilla, then add the egg and egg yolk and mix until combined.
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Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture gradually, mixing until just combined.
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Spread or press the dough into the prepared pan. If using your hands, lightly spray them with non-stick cooking spray.
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Bake 22–25 minutes, or until the edges pull away slightly or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Cool completely in the pan before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
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Beat the butter until fluffy, then beat in the cream cheese until smooth.
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On low speed, add powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time, alternating with 1 tablespoon of cream, until you reach the desired sweetness and consistency.
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Spread the frosting over the cooled bars and, if desired, decorate with sprinkles.
Notes
- Nutrition values are estimates per bar (with frosting) assuming the pan is cut into 15 pieces.
- Store frosted bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 8 hours, then refrigerate for up to 3 days. Unfrosted bars can be frozen for up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator.