Irresistible Gingerbread Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting: Your Ultimate Holiday Baking Treat

As the holiday season draws near, the comforting aroma of warm spices and molasses fills the air, signaling that it’s time for delightful festive treats. Among the plethora of holiday desserts, nothing captures the spirit quite like gingerbread. Forget the fuss of rolling and cutting individual cookies; our Gingerbread Bars offer all the classic, deeply spiced flavor you adore, baked into tender, thick cookie bars generously crowned with a luxurious, silky-smooth cream cheese frosting. This recipe is not just easy to make; it’s designed to be a showstopper, perfect for sharing with a large crowd at any holiday gathering.

Why You’ll Fall in Love with These Easy Gingerbread Bars

These Gingerbread Bars are more than just a dessert; they are a celebration of holiday cheer in every bite. Here’s why they deserve a top spot on your festive baking list:

Effortless Elegance: Achieve impressive results without the typical holiday baking stress. These bars are significantly simpler and quicker to prepare than traditional gingerbread cut-out cookies, eliminating the need for dough chilling and intricate decorating.
Perfectly Spiced Flavor: Each bar boasts a harmonious blend of ground ginger, cinnamon, and rich molasses, delivering that quintessential warm, comforting gingerbread taste that everybody loves.
Irresistible Texture: Experience the best of both worlds with a bar that is wonderfully tender and chewy, yet firm enough to hold its shape. The shortening used in the recipe contributes to this amazing, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Decadent Cream Cheese Frosting: A generous layer of tangy, sweet, and unbelievably smooth cream cheese frosting elevates these bars from simple cookies to an exquisite dessert. Its richness perfectly complements the spicy gingerbread base.
Crowd-Pleaser: Designed to feed a large gathering, this recipe yields plenty of portions, making it ideal for holiday parties, potlucks, or family feasts.

Close up photo of a stack of three gingerbread bars with cream cheese frosting.

If you’re a fan of those classic gingerbread cookies you meticulously cut out and adorn, prepare to be even more delighted by these bars. They offer the same beloved chewiness but with a delightful upgrade, thanks to the luscious cream cheese frosting. Skip the messy flour-dusted countertops and time-consuming chilling; this recipe gets you from mixing bowl to baked perfection in under 25 minutes, followed by a quick frosting and sprinkling session. What you’re left with are sweet, ginger-molasses infused treats that will have everyone clamoring for a second slice.

Angled photo of a stack of three gingerbread cookies bars on a red table with more bars and holiday decorations scattered around.

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Gingerbread Bars

Crafting these delectable Gingerbread Bars involves two simple stages: preparing the tender cookie base and whipping up the heavenly cream cheese frosting. Both parts come together quickly, using readily available ingredients.

For the Perfectly Spiced Gingerbread Bars:

The foundation of these bars lies in a carefully balanced blend of dry and wet ingredients that create their signature flavor and texture.

All-Purpose Flour: The primary structural component, providing the perfect chewiness without being overly dense.
Ground Ginger: This is the star spice, delivering that characteristic warm, slightly peppery kick essential to any gingerbread recipe. Don’t skimp on fresh, quality ginger for the best flavor.
Baking Soda: A crucial leavening agent that reacts with the molasses (an acidic ingredient) to give the bars their light, tender crumb and a beautiful rise.
Ground Cinnamon: Adds another layer of warm spice, complementing the ginger and deepening the overall festive aroma and taste.
Salt: A pinch of salt is vital for balancing the sweetness and enhancing the complex flavors of the spices and molasses.
Shortening: This ingredient is key to achieving an incredibly tender and moist texture. Unlike butter, shortening has a higher melting point, which contributes to a softer, less crumbly bar.
Granulated Sugar: Provides sweetness and helps create the desired texture in the cookie base.
Large Eggs: Act as binders, adding structure and richness to the dough, ensuring the bars are cohesive and tender.
Molasses: The soul of gingerbread! Molasses is what gives these bars their distinctive deep, dark color, complex flavor, and moistness. Opt for unsulphured molasses for the best taste.

For the Smooth Cream Cheese Frosting:

This simple yet exquisite frosting is the perfect counterpart to the rich gingerbread.

Unsalted Butter (softened): Forms the creamy base of the frosting. Ensuring it’s softened to room temperature is crucial for a smooth, lump-free consistency.
Cream Cheese (softened): Adds a delightful tanginess and richness that cuts through the sweetness of the bars, creating a perfectly balanced flavor profile. Like butter, it must be softened.
Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall sweetness and adds a warm, aromatic note to the frosting.
Powdered Sugar (confectioners’ sugar): Sweetens the frosting and provides its silky, smooth texture. Sifting it can help prevent lumps.
Sprinkles (optional, but highly recommended!): For a festive touch, colorful sprinkles add visual appeal and a hint of extra fun, especially around the holidays.

Ingredients used in gingerbread bars on a white table.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Gingerbread Bars

Follow these straightforward steps to create your own batch of delicious gingerbread bars with cream cheese frosting:

Prepare Your Pan: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×15-inch or 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing some overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars out later. Set this aside.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt until well combined. This ensures the spices and leavening are evenly distributed. Set this bowl aside.
Cream Shortening and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the shortening on low speed. Gradually add the granulated sugar, continuing to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
Add Eggs and Molasses: Incorporate the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until fully blended. Then, pour in the molasses and mix until it’s thoroughly combined with the wet ingredients, creating a rich, dark batter.
Gradually Add Dry to Wet: Slowly add the reserved flour mixture into the wet batter, a little at a time. Mix on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough bars. Stop mixing as soon as no streaks of flour remain.
Press into Pan: Transfer the gingerbread dough to your prepared baking pan. Using your hands or an offset spatula, gently press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan.
Bake to Perfection: Bake for 18 to 24 minutes. The bars are ready when the edges begin to turn a light golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Avoid overbaking to keep the bars moist and tender.
Cool Completely: Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. This step is crucial; frosting warm bars will result in a melty mess.
Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting: While the bars cool, make the frosting. In a clean mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter, softened cream cheese, and vanilla extract together until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Add Powdered Sugar: Gradually add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, beating on low speed. Once all the sugar is added, increase the speed and beat until the frosting becomes wonderfully silky smooth and light.
Frost and Garnish: Once the gingerbread bars are completely cooled, spread the luscious cream cheese frosting evenly over the top. If desired, sprinkle festive sprinkles over the frosting for a touch of holiday sparkle.
Slice and Enjoy: Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the entire slab of frosted bars out of the pan. Place on a cutting board and slice into individual squares. Serve and revel in the festive deliciousness!

Step-by-step photo collage showing how to make gingerbread bars.

Expert Tips for Perfect Gingerbread Bars

To ensure your Gingerbread Bars turn out absolutely perfect every time, keep these professional tips in mind:

Room Temperature Ingredients: Always use softened butter and cream cheese for the frosting. This ensures a smooth, lump-free consistency that’s easy to spread. For the bars, room temperature eggs will emulsify better with the shortening and sugar, resulting in a more uniform batter.
Measure Flour Correctly: For accurate results, spoon your flour into a measuring cup and then level it off with a straight edge. Scooping directly from the bag can compact the flour, leading to too much flour and dry bars.
Don’t Overmix: Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix only until just combined. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make your gingerbread bars tough instead of tender.
Parchment Paper is Your Friend: Lining your baking pan with parchment paper is a game-changer. It not only prevents sticking but also allows you to easily lift the entire baked slab out of the pan for clean cutting and frosting.
Cool Completely: Patience is a virtue here! Ensure your gingerbread bars are entirely cool before applying the cream cheese frosting. Warm bars will melt the frosting, creating a runny mess.
Adjust Spices to Taste: The amount of ginger and cinnamon can be adjusted based on your preference for spiciness. For an extra kick, a small pinch of ground cloves or nutmeg can be added.
Pan Size Matters: While the recipe is designed for a 10×15-inch pan, a 9×13-inch pan can be used. Just note that the bars will be slightly thicker, which might require a few extra minutes of baking time.

Frequently Asked Questions About Gingerbread Bars

What’s The Best Way To Store These Gingerbread Squares?

To maintain their freshness and flavor, place the gingerbread bars in an airtight container. Because of the cream cheese frosting, they should be stored in the refrigerator. They will remain delicious for up to 5 days.

How Can I Be Sure That The Gingerbread Layer Has Finished Baking?

The simplest and most reliable method is to insert a clean wooden toothpick into the center of the bars. If the toothpick comes out clean, with no wet batter clinging to it, then your bars are perfectly baked and ready to be removed from the oven.

Can I Make This Gingerbread Bars Recipe In A 9×13-inch Pan?

Absolutely! While the recipe is ideally suited for a 10×15-inch pan, a 9×13-inch pan works perfectly fine. Keep in mind that using a smaller pan will result in slightly thicker bars. This is not an issue at all! You can simply frost them as they are, or if you prefer a perfectly level appearance, you can trim the edges slightly to create uniform bars.

How Can I Adjust This Recipe To Get A Deeper Flavor?

For an even richer, more profound gingerbread flavor, we recommend a simple swap: replace 1 cup of the granulated sugar with 1 cup of light brown sugar. The molasses content in brown sugar will amplify the warmth and depth of your gingerbread bars.

A gingerbread cookie bar with cream cheese frosting on a red table with other bars, sprinkles, and a glass of milk around it.

More Festive Gingerbread Recipes to Enjoy

These homemade Gingerbread Bars are a fantastic way to introduce delightful variety to your holiday dessert tables. But why stop there? Explore these other tasty gingerbread recipes that will perfectly complement your festive spread:

Creamy Gingerbread Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust – A luscious, creamy spiced filling atop a crunchy gingersnap crust, all crowned with airy ginger whipped cream.
Easy Gingerbread Cheesecake Dip – An incredibly easy, no-bake dessert that comes together in just 5 minutes with only 4 ingredients, perfect for last-minute entertaining.
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Honey Buttercream – Moist, spiced cupcakes made with pantry staples and ready in under an hour, featuring a delicate honey buttercream frosting.
Simple Gingerbread French Toast Bake Casserole – Prep this delightful breakfast casserole the night before for an effortless and flavorful holiday morning meal.
Delicious Gingerbread Candied Pecans – Sweet and spicy candied pecans that are wonderful sprinkled on salads, pies, cakes, or simply enjoyed as a festive snack mix.

Connect with Us!

If you’ve tried this delightful Gingerbread Bars recipe, we would absolutely love to hear from you! Please share your thoughts in the comments below and leave a review. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us and helps other bakers in our community.

Don’t forget to tag us – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your beautiful photos of these bars, or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community on Facebook and share your creations there. We love seeing what you bake and inviting you to join our fun recipe challenges!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars from 3 votes

Gingerbread Bars

Author
Rebecca Hubbell

Course
Dessert

Cuisine
American

Prep Time
20 minutes

Cook Time
24 minutes

Cooling Time
1 hour

Total Time
1 hour 44 minutes

Servings: 24 people

Rate

These Gingerbread Bars are perfectly spiced tender, thick cookie bars that are covered in a silky smooth 4-ingredient cream cheese frosting! Great for feeding a large crowd around the holidays!

Ingredients

Bars

4½ cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups shortening
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup molasses

Frosting

½ cup unsalted butter softened
8 ounces cream cheese softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×15-inch or 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and set aside.
In a separate large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the shortening on low speed and slowly add in the sugar and beat until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition, then mix in the molasses until incorporated.
Add the flour mixture a little at a time until fully incorporated.
Transfer the dough to the pan and gently press it into the pan.
Bake for 18 to 24 minutes until the edges begin to turn golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean.
Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, beat together the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar a little at a time and mix until the frosting is silky smooth.
Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled bars and top with sprinkles.
Slice the bars into squares.

Notes

How To Store: Place the bars in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. Enjoy them for up to 5 days!
How Can I Be Sure That The Gingerbread Layer Has Finished Baking? You can insert a toothpick into the center of the bars. Once the toothpick comes out clean then the bars have finished baking.
Can I Make This Gingerbread Bars Recipe In A 9×13-inch Pan? Though this recipe is actually designed for a 9×15-inch pan using a 9×13 would work just fine. Keep in mind that this will cause the bars to be a bit thicker on the edges. Which isn’t a big deal! You can just frost them as is or trim the bars to create level bars.
How Can I Adjust This Recipe To Get A Deeper Flavor? Simply swap out 1 cup of granulated sugar for 1 cup of light brown sugar.

Nutrition

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