Gingerbread Cookie Bars
These are spiced cookie bars full of cinnamon, clove, ginger, and topped with a creamy cinnamon frosting.
Is it a brownie? A blondie? A cookie bar? This dessert has the texture of a fudgy brownie without any chocolate, with the warm brown sugar flavor of a blondie, and the spice of a chewy gingerbread cookie. It of course cannot be classified as a brownie (lack of chocolate) or a blondie (addition of molasses and higher flour ratio), so I am guessing the best way to name these are cookie bars. They are every bit addicting and delicious as the desserts mentioned above and are a must have sweet treat for holiday parties.
One pan of this recipe will yield 16 two bite squares of deliciously spiced gingerbread cookie bars and the recipe can also be doubled to fit a 9×13 pan as well. The cream cheese cinnamon frosting can be prepared days in advance and the recipe for the frosting and cookie bars takes minutes prepare.
Also, these cookie bars will make your house smell heavenly as they bake up, capturing the cozy feeling of Christmas time getting near.
Why I Love This Recipe
Flavor-So many wonderful spices combined into one cookie, these cookie bars are bursting with flavor. Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice come together in a bouquet of warm holiday flavors that pair well with the brown sugar and molasses in the cookie dough. The cream cheese frosting has a wonderful creamy tang that ties together with the spice of the cookie by adding cinnamon. Paired together the cream cheese frosting rounds out the spicy bite of the cookie.
Texture-Somewhere between a brownie and a cookie is where these cookie bars reside in terms of texture. Soft, fudgy, chewy with crisp edge pieces, the texture is irresistible. The cream cheese icing creates a soft creaminess on top of the decadent bars.
Easy Recipe-This is so much easier than scooping or cutting out cookies! I was surprised when I made them how easy they were to put together and how much time I saved by not having to scoop or cut or stuff cookie dough. This is a dream recipe if you are short on time or don’t like being stuck in a recipe for too long.
Perfect for Sharing-These can be cut into 16 squares for sharing at a part or gathering. This recipe can also be doubled for larger crowds.
Ingredients You Need
-Butter- unsalted room temperature butter.
-Brown & Granulated Sugar-extra granulated sugar will be used to roll cookies in .
-Egg
-Molasses
-Vanilla Extract
-Salt-for flavor.
-Baking Soda
-Cream of Tartar
-Flour
-Nutmeg
-Cinnamon
-Ginger-you can use fresh grated ginger or powdered. I have used fresh ginger before and the cookies will have a much stronger ginger flavor, so delicious. I used powdered this time since I am trying to bake through my spice cabinet at the moment.
-Cloves
-Allspice-can be omitted if you don’t like this spice
-Cream Cheese
-Powdered Sugar
-Holiday Sprinkles-Optional for decorating.
Let’s Cookie
The easiest cookie dough recipe ever. I pay close attention to creaming the butter, sugar, and eggs for most of my recipes but with this one you want to do the opposite. No overmixing or creaming here since we want a tender and moist cookie bar.
I place the melted butter and both types of sugars into a bowl and mix them with a fork. I then add in the egg, vanilla extract, and salt and mix until no egg trace remains.
I scrape down the sides of the bowl then add in the spices, flour, and baking soda and mix with a spatula until it just forms a soft dough. Do not overmix as I want the cookie bars soft and tender.
Line an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment and I scoop the dough in, making sure to smooth the top of the dough with a spatula.
I bake at 350*F for 20-25 minutes. It will be very puffy from the baking soda reacting during baking. The top and edges will look dry but the middle might have a little jiggle, that’s ok. It will set and cool.
I let the cookie bars cool for at least an hour before frosting and cutting. Longer if you can.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
In the bowl of my stand mixer, I cream together the butter and cream cheese until very light and fluffy. This took me around 5 minutes on medium high speed. I want the mixture to be very pale and light.
I add in the vanilla extract and salt and continue to mix for another minute.
With the mixer off, I add in one cup of powdered sugar. I turn the mixer on low and mix until it is fully incorporated before turning to medium high to whip for a minute.
I repeat this step with the remaining powdered sugar.
After the sugar is all whipped in, I add the cinnamon and mix to combine. If your frosting is too stiff, add a tablespoon of heavy cream and beat on high until it is smooth and creamy. The frosting should be creamy, smooth, and fluffy when it is done.
Spoon the frosting on top of the cooled gingerbread bars and with the back of the spoon I like to create a soft swirling pattern in the frosting.
I top the frosting with a few pinches of holiday sprinkles to keep it festive.
Cutting the Gingerbread Cookie Bars
I have found the best way to cut any dessert bars or frosted treats is with a clean, hot, large knife. Let me explain.
I take the largest chefs knife in the kitchen, use whichever is the longest and sharpest in your kitchen. I run the knife under very hot water getting the metal nice and hot. This is important as it will slice through the fat in the cookies and frosting like buttah.
I also take a dishtowel and run it under the hot water as well. You can use paper towels for this part as well. I find the dish towel stays warmer and wipes the knife off better between cuts so I opt for dish towel when I have clean ones available.
I take the cookie out of the pan and set on a cutting board. Using my hot knife I slice the cookie in half horizontally, wipe the knife down with the warm dish towel, then slice in half again vertically.
I now have 4 large sections of cookie bars. I will cut each of those sections in half horizontally and vertically until I have 16 equal squares. The most important thing is to keep the knife warm and clean. If the cuts are getting messy, dip the knife under very hot running water and try again.
This will ensure your have clean slices of cookie bars. The cream cheese icing is soft and can get messy regardless, but the bars underneath will have pristine angles.
After I am done cutting them up, I gather the edges of the parchment and pop the sliced bars back into the pan. I cover with foil or plastic wrap if I am transporting them to an event.
These bars are best enjoyed the day of or after making them if frosted. Without frosting they will last for a week. Any leftovers can be boxed and placed in the fridge to keep the cream cheese frosting fresh.
Enjoy! Any leftover cookie bars make a great accompaniment for a hot cup of coffee.
If you try this recipe and love it as much as I do, please tag, follow, and like @sunshinetxcookies on Instagram and Facebook. New posts every Thursday so be sure to follow me for more delicious cookie recipes. Happy Baking!
Gingerbread Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter unsalted, melted, and cooled.
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp molasses
- 1 egg
- 1 tspn vanilla extract
- 1½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tspn ginger can also use fresh grated ginger.
- 2 tspns cinnamon
- ½ tspn cloves
- ½ tspn nutmeg
- ¼ tspn allspice
- 1 tspn baking soda
- ½ tspn salt
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 stick butter unsalted, room temperature
- 2½ powdered sugar
- 1 tspn vanilla extract
- ½ tspn cinnamon
- ¼ tspn salt
- milk or heavy cream optional if your frosting is too thick.
- holiday sprinkles optional.
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine melted butter and sugars. Mix until just incorporated.
- Add in the egg, salt, and vanilla extract, mix until just combined.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, and spices over the wet ingredients. Using a spatula combine until it just forms into a dough. Do not overmix.
- Line a 8x8 pan with parchment paper. Scoop the dough into the pan and smooth the top with the back of a spatula.
- Bake at 350*F for 30 minutes. It will puff up but will flatten as it cools.
- Allow to cool for an hour before frosting.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Either in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or using a handheld mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. This took me 5 minutes.
- Add in the salt and vanilla extract and continue to mix on high until well combined.
- Adding one cup at a time with the mixer turned off, add the powdered sugar. Start the mixer on low and increase speed to medium high to make sure teh sugar is well incorporated.
- Continue adding powdered sugar a cup at a time until it is all mixed in.
- If your frosting is looking too stiff add a tablespoon of milk or cream until it is smooth and creamy.
- Add in the cinnamon and mix to combine.
- Spread over the cooled gingerbread cookie bake and decorated with holiday sprinkles if desired.
- To cut, use a very large knife that is dipped into very hot water. Keep a damp cloth or paper towel to wipe knife off between each cut to keep the squares clean and neat.
- Slice bars in half in each direction. Slice each new section into half again repeating in the opposite direction to create 16 squares.
- Enjoy!
