Recipe: Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

As a young girl, I always looked forward to the holidays and cooking with my mom. The smell of southern soul food and sweet treats would fill each nook and cranny of our home, and my mom would guide me through each recipe, while sharing stories of her own childhood and the special recipes passed down through generations.

There was something magical about the act of mixing, measuring and creating together. The anticipation of tasting the finished treat added an extra layer of excitement. The best part? Licking the spoon and savoring a sneak peek of the deliciousness to come.

For me, baking together wasn’t just about the end result — it was about the joy of creating something special and the love that went into each recipe. It was also about creating lasting memories and traditions.

As an adult, and because life tends to get pretty busy, I don’t get the chance to do much baking with my mom — but this year I decided to change that! I invited my mom over for a day of fun and cooking baking, and we whipped up the most amazing batch of Gingerbread Cookie Bars!

Step-by-Step Gingerbread Cookie Bars

Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt; set aside.

Combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugars, vanilla and molasses for about 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Mix in egg until completely combined.

Create dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, forming a soft dough.

Press and bake: Spread dough evenly into prepared pan. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until darker in color and toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Move pan to wire rack and cool completely before frosting.

Prepare the best cream cheese frosting: While the bars cool, beat together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until creamy.

Frost and decorate: Once cooled, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the gingerbread cookie bars and finish by generously sprinkling festive holiday sprinkles.

Set and serve: Allow the frosting to set before cutting the bars into squares and serving.

When making these easy gingerbread bars remember to enjoy the process, savor the aromas, and most importantly, relish the moments that make this holiday season truly magical.

Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Click here for a printable recipe.

Serves: 20 bars

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter melted
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup molasses
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 6 ounces cream cheese softened
• 3 tablespoons butter softened
• 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla
• Optional: holiday sprinkles

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugars, vanilla and molasses for about 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
• Mix in egg until completely combined.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, forming a soft dough.
• Spread dough evenly into prepared pan.
• Bake 15-20 minutes, or until darker in color and toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
• Move pan to wire rack and cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting:

• While the bars cool, beat together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
• Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until creamy.
• Once cooled, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the bars and finish by generously sprinkling festive holiday sprinkles.
• Allow the frosting to set before cutting the bars into squares and serving.

Recipe notes

Nutrition information (1 bar): calories 212, carbohydrates 30 grams, protein 2 grams, fat 7 grams, saturated Fat 4 grams, fiber 1 gram, sugar 17 grams, sodium 145 milligram.

Andrea Mathis is a registered dietitian and owner of Beautiful Eats & Things. For more great recipes, visit beautifuleatsandthings.com.