There’s something truly magical about gingerbread’s warm, spicy aroma during the holiday season. The rich blend of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and molasses creates a nostalgic flavor that instantly evokes the coziness of festive celebrations. While gingerbread cookies are a classic, making gingerbread bars adds a delightful twist to this beloved treat. These bars are soft, chewy, and bursting with the same comforting spices, making them a perfect gift for festive occasions. Wrapped up in a beautiful box or tin, gingerbread bars are a thoughtful, homemade gift that your friends and family will love. Whether you’re sharing them at a holiday party or gifting them to loved ones, these bars bring the warmth and joy of the season in every bite.
Why make these bars
If you love ginger, then this is one cookie bar you are going to make over and over again. So, double the batch and save leftovers in the freezer. Ginger, when combined with molasses, has a wonderfully soft texture. And when combined with brown sugar and butter, gives these bars their chewiness. And all the ingredients in this recipe are easy to find or simple pantry staples such as molasses. Also, I am using an electric mixer ( hand mixer or stand mixer) but you can also use just a large bowl and whisk. These bars will keep at room temperature for up to a week and are perfect to add to your holiday cookie platter during Christmas.
Ingredients and substitutions
All-purpose flour – The amount of flour in the recipe will determine how dense the cookies will be. So, make sure to measure the ingredients correctly. Sugar – I like to use white sugar for that wonderful crisp outside and molasses for that soft and chewy inside. But, you can also use a combination of white and brown sugar. Egg – We have just one egg so make it a large egg. Molasses – Use unsulphured molasses. I like to use dark molasses. Since light molasses just does not give it enough molasses flavor. Blackstrap molasses is a little bitter with a distinct robust flavor. Spices – Today, I am using 1 teaspoon ground ginger, just a ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and freshly grated nutmeg. You can also use a teaspoon of ground cloves.
Step-by-step: How to make gingerbread bars
Preheat the oven at 375°F / 190°C / Gas Mark 5. Prepare a 9 x 9-inch square pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Dry ingredients – In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, spices, and ground ginger – and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract. Followed by the flour mixture. Combine well over low speed but do not overmix.Pro tip – We do not want to activate the gluten in our dough. So do not overmix. Otherwise, the cookies will spread too much.
Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and spread with an offset spatula. Then, sprinkle some more dried cranberries and white chocolate on top.
Bake for 18 to 20 mins until a skewer or toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.Pro tip – When baked, the top should feel set with a few moist crumbs.
Cream cheese frosting – Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Spread it over the cooled gingerbread. Top with a few sprinkles and create a swirl with an offset spatula. Pro tip – Make sure the gingerbread is completely cold before you frost it. Otherwise, it will melt. Use a sharp bread knife cut into 16 squares (as shown in the video).
Tips for success
Always have all the ingredients at room temperature so the butter and sugar can cream until light and fluffy. Preheat the oven for a good 15 minutes making sure the oven is at the right temperature. A cold oven will melt and make very flat bars. When baked, leave the bars in the baking pan for 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. This will prevent them from sweating on the bottom. Bake ahead and freezing instructions Dough – You can freeze the dough for a month wrapped well in a ziplock bag. Then, thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use. Baked bars – Alternatively, freeze the baked bars between parchment papers for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use.
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