Gingerbread Cookie Bars -- soft, chewy, perfectly spiced ginger cookies in bar form topped with the best cream cheese frosting!
I'm so excited to be sharing my first Christmas recipe of 2020 with all of my lovely readers (yes, YOU!) today!
Even though this year has been quite difficult and this Christmas will be different than normal, I hope we can all still enjoy the many simpler joys of Christmas, like baking!! I am so thankful for and honoured by everyone who has made my recipes this year and I would be so honoured if my recipes became a part of your Christmas traditions, too!
Nothing makes my day like receiving a comment on one of my recipes letting me know that someone has made and enjoyed it! It is such an encouragement to hear that people are making my recipes, so, please do not ever hesitate to leave a comment on my recipe if you have made it!
And if you have already made some of my recipes and commented/reviewed them, THANK YOU!! I am so thankful for each and every comment!
Gingerbread Cookie Bars
These bars are made with a cookie dough that is very similar to my Best Ever Ginger Cookies. If you love those cookies, I am sure you will love these cookie bars, too! I did omit the chipotle pepper because I didn't want these bars to be spicy, but I did add some ground cardamom to the recipe for a better overall spiced flavour.
So in love with the Christmas ornaments in these photos!! 😍 The sparkly ones are my favourite! Sometimes I like to play around with photographing my props if they are super pretty.
These bars would be a lovely addition to Christmas cookie platters! I added some festive red, green, and white sprinkles on top to make them pretty for the photos and you could definitely do the same! Or they are definitely just as delicious plain!
If you make this recipe, I invite you to please share an authentic review and star rating in the comments below. Or share on social media using my hashtag: #kneadsomesweets and be sure to tag me. Thank you for supporting Knead Some Sweets! ♡
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Gingerbread Cookie Bars
Equipment
- 9x13-inch baking pan
- non-stick spray
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups & spoons
- silicone spatula
- electric handheld mixer
Ingredients
For the Bars:
- ½ cup salted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 whole egg
- ⅓ cup molasses (I use fancy molasses)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
Instructions
To make the Bars:
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease a 9X13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray or butter.
- In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter, sugar, egg, and molasses until well combined.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and spices. Add to the wet ingredients and stir just until fully incorporated with no streaks of flour remaining.
- Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading it well into the corners of the pan and smoothing the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean and the top is no longer wet looking. Let cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack for at least 1 hour or to room temperature before topping with the frosting.
To make the Frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl using an electric handheld mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and butter on high speed for 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated before turning the mixer up to high speed and beating for another 1 minute. Spread the frosting onto the cooled bars using an offset spatula. Top with sprinkles, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Love and Cookies,
Naomi ♡
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Love these! They're such a cute, Christmas treat!! 😄 Merry Christmas!
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Liz! Thank you for leaving a comment!
Happy New Year!!
Naomi
Do these freeze well?
Hi Roxanne,
Yes, I believe this recipe would freeze well.
Let me know if you try it!
Naomi
Finally got to do some Christmas baking, and these were first on the list. Wow! They are amazing--perfectly moist, perfectly spiced, and such a great treat for the holidays. Definitely recommend! Just watch that you don't overbake the edges; my edges were a bit crispy, but the inside was the perfect texture. 👌
Yay for Christmas baking, I'm so glad you loved this recipe!! Thank you for sharing that tip. 👌🏻
Naomi