These Gingerbread Cookie Bars are the perfect Christmas dessert idea if you are looking to include gingerbread men in your seasonal mix. Add a little powdered sugar or homemade whipped cream for an extra dollop of holiday cheer.
How to do you make gingerbread cookie bars? You combine ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger with melted butter and flour and bake for 20 minutes until the center is set.
These cream cheese sugar cookies are something that my children ask for every year. It feels like this chewy spice bars recipe has almost every holiday flavor wrapped into one bite.
If we aren’t working on these gingerbread bars, we love to whip up our Gingerbread Poke Cake. Be sure to check out that recipe as well if you are hosting a family gathering.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup, 1 stick, butter, melted
- 1-1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- cream cheese frosting, about half a tub
- gingerbread icing decorations, optional
How To Make Gingerbread Cookie Bars
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Add dry ingredients in a small bowl and mix well: flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
Cream butter, brown and white sugar together in a mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. add egg, molasses, and vanilla and beat well. Add dry ingredients and beat just until combined. The dough will be stiff.
Press dough into prepared pan evenly with fingers. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the center is set. Cool completely.
Cut into 48 triangles. First, cut into 24 squares and cut each square into a triangle. Place half a tub of frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe a dollop of frosting onto each triangle and top with a gingerbread decoration if using.
Serve immediately or store covered, until ready to serve.
Makes 48 triangle bars.
Do I Need To Add The Cream Cheese Frosting To This Gingerbread Dessert?
There is a bit of a debate when it comes to the amount of cream cheese frosting that is needed on gingerbread cookies. Some people like to completely fill their bars from edge to edge. I am in that group.
However, my husband doesn’t like a lot of frosting. He only likes a dollop. Sometimes, he opts for a bit of homemade whipped cream instead. You could even just sprinkle some powdered sugar. Are you a gingerbread purist?! Time will tell.
How To Store Gingerbread Cookie Bars
If you have any leftovers, simply store your gingerbread bars in an airtight container. They will last for about one week at room temperature.
You could freeze these holiday dessert bars but you must wrap your bars in plastic wrap first and then foil before placing them in your freezer bag. If you do this, you will able to successfully store your bars for about a month.
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Gingerbread Cookie Bars
These Gingerbread Cookie Bars are the perfect Christmas dessert idea if you are looking to include gingerbread men in your seasonal mix. Add a little powdered sugar or homemade whipped cream for an extra dollop of holiday cheer.
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup, 1 stick, butter, melted
- 1-1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- cream cheese frosting, about half a tub
- gingerbread icing decorations, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add dry ingredients in a small bowl and mix well: flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Cream butter, brown and white sugar together in a mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. add egg, molasses, and vanilla and beat well. Add dry ingredients and beat just until combined. The dough will be stiff.
- Press dough into prepared pan evenly with fingers. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the center is set. Cool completely.
- Cut into 48 triangles. First, cut into 24 squares and cut each square into a triangle. Place half a tub of frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe a dollop of frosting onto each triangle and top with a gingerbread decoration if using.
- Serve immediately or store covered, until ready to serve.
