These soft and chewy gingerbread cookie bars are so easy to make—no dough chilling, no dough rolling, no cookie cutters required! They’re delicious plain, or topped with spiced cream cheese frosting. Skip the fuss and make gingerbread bars instead!
When you need a big batch of cookies but are pressed for time, cookie bars are the way to go. This recipe makes a generously sized 9×13-inch pan of soft, chewy gingerbread cookie bars, perfect for sharing, especially at the holidays.
If you love the holiday-favorite flavors of warm spice and molasses, like you enjoy in gingerbread cookies and crisp molasses cookies, you’ll find those same cozy flavors here; but the texture is oh-so soft and chewy—like a gingerbread version of a brownie!
Why You’ll Love These Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- Cookie bars are super soft and chewy, not cakey
- Packed with that nostalgic molasses and spice flavor associated with the holidays
- Makes a large pan to serve a crowd
- No dough chilling, no dough rolling—no fuss!
- Quicker and easier to make than many cookie recipes
- Can add white chocolate chips or butterscotch chips for texture variety
- Top with a layer of cinnamon-spiced cream cheese frosting
Unlike these soft molasses cookies or traditional gingerbread cookies, there’s no dough chilling, no rolling dough into individual balls or rolling out dough to cut into shapes (and then re-rolling), and no baking in batches. The only waiting you’ll have to suffer through is for the pan to cool for 1 hour before you cut them into bars. (I’m sorry!)
Simple Ingredients
Like with these favorite chewy chocolate chip cookies, using melted butter makes for the softest, chewiest bar cookies. I usually like to use melted butter in bar recipes like homemade brownies and blondies because the bars taste chewy, not cakey. I tested this recipe with creamed softened butter, and the baked result ended up looking more like a puffy sheet cake.
Here’s everything else you need for these gingerbread cookie bars:
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of this recipe.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda helps these bars rise as they bake, and we use a good amount of it to stand up to the heavy melted butter and molasses.
- A Generous Amount of Spices: Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg; plus, a pinch of black pepper—the same secret ingredient I always add to pumpkin pie!
- Salt: Salt adds flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Sugar: Use a mix of brown sugar and white granulated sugar.
- Molasses: Use unsulphured; blackstrap is too bitter for these.
- Egg: An egg binds everything together.
- Vanilla Extract: For flavor.
White Chocolate Chips (Optional): If you love white chocolate chip molasses cookies, feel free to add some white chocolate chips to these bars, too. Fold them in as the last step in making the dough, just like we do with chocolate chip cookie bars. Butterscotch chips are also a delicious addition!
Have I Mentioned No Dough Chilling?
Just melt, mix, press, and bake!
The dough will be slick from the melted butter, but should be easy enough to spread/press into the pan. Pat it down as best you can. It may seem like it isn’t enough dough, and the layer will be thin. But the bars rise as they bake.
Success Tip: Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang. Once the bars are cooled and frosted, simply lift the whole thing out using the parchment overhang. Set it onto a cutting board and slice. Easy!
Bake just until the top is set, and avoid over-baking. Cool the bars for at least 1 hour inside the pan before frosting and/or slicing.
Top With Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
These gingerbread cookie bars are fabulous on their own, but then again, a little frosting is always a good idea. My favorite cream cheese frosting is far from basic; it’s incredibly creamy, silky smooth, and has that subtle tang to it. We’re scaling it down, and also kicking the flavor up a notch by adding pinches of some of the spices used in the cookie bars. The result is similar to the spiced cream cheese frosting on these pumpkin bars.
And, of course, some sprinkles are the perfect festive accessory on top. I used gingerbread cookie-shaped sprinkles, something like these, and some Christmas-colored nonpareils. Here’s a 4-pack of Christmas sprinkles, and I really love these snowflake sprinkles, too. Lots of options!
If you’re not planning to frost these gingerbread cookie bars, I recommend sprinkling the top with coarse sugar or festive colored sugar sprinkles before baking. Because a little sparkle is always welcome at the holidays!
You could even top with a sprinkling of chopped crystallized ginger, like we do for these chocolate ginger sparkle cookies.
Sally’s Cookie Palooza
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page including:
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Andes Mint Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Shortbread Cookies
and here are 75+ Christmas cookies with all my best success guides & tips.
Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes (includes some cooling)
- Yield: 24 bars
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These soft and chewy gingerbread cookie bars are so easy to make—no dough chilling, no dough rolling, and no cookie cutters required! They’re delicious plain, or topped with spiced cream cheese frosting. Careful not to over-bake these; they’ll still feel and look quite soft on top, but the bars set as they cool.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- small pinch of ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar (I recommend dark)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 ounces (170g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar
- small pinch each of ground ginger, cinnamon, & allspice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional for garnish: 1/4 cup (43g) sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Adjust oven rack to the center rack position. Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch metal or glass baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars out of the pan. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and molasses together until no lumps remain. Whisk in the egg and vanilla. Pour this into the flour mixture and mix together with a large spoon or silicone spatula. Be sure to mix until no lumps of flour remain. The dough will be very thick and shiny.
- Transfer dough to the prepared baking pan and press/smooth into an even layer. It may not seem like enough dough, and it will be a thin layer—that’s ok.
- Bake for 23–26 minutes or until the top is set but still looks quite soft, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist (not wet) crumbs. Do not over-bake. Bars puff up in the oven, but settle as they cool.
- Allow the bars to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for at least 1 hour.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Taste. Add a pinch of salt if desired.
- Spread the frosting on the cooled bars. Top with sprinkles, if desired. To help set the frosting, refrigerate for 30 minutes before slicing and serving. This makes cutting easier and less messy. Use the overhanging parchment to lift the bars out of the pan, and cut into squares.
- Cover leftover bars tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you skipped the frosting, cover and store plain gingerbread cookie bars at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to come to room temperature and continue with step 4. Baked and cooled cookie bars, with or without frosting, freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw bars overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Glass Baking Pan or Metal Baking Pan | Parchment Paper | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Gingerbread Cookie-Shaped Sprinkles | Christmas 4-pack Sprinkles | Snowflake Sprinkles
- Can I Halve the Recipe? Yes, you can halve the recipe for an 8-inch or thinner 9-inch batch of bars. The bake time is about the same, but begin checking for doneness at 22 minutes. It can be difficult to halve an egg accurately, so I do recommend making the original 9×13-inch batch, and you can freeze extras.
- Butter: Avoid letting the melted butter cool for too long, otherwise your dough will be crumbly instead of soft (and your cookie bars can end up cakey). As soon as it’s melted, stir in the sugars and molasses as instructed in step 3.
- Molasses: I use and recommend unsulphured or dark molasses. (I like Grandma’s brand. The kind I use is labeled “original” molasses.) Blackstrap molasses is extremely bitter and not ideal in this recipe.
- Cream Cheese in Frosting: Use brick cream cheese, not the spreadable kind that comes in a tub.
Keywords: gingerbread cookie bars
Hi! Would I be able to make these in a half sheet pan? Perhaps double the recipe if so? I don’t have 9×13. Thanks in advance Sally and team!
i made these for a cookie exchange and they were a hit! The spiced frosting really took it to the next level. Will definitely be making these again!
★★★★★
Hello, I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. Can I used salted butter?
Hi Katie, you could – skip the added salt. Here’s more on using unsalted vs. salted butter in baking.
I love gingerbread and this was the perfect spice combination. I also love brownies so the best of both worlds-maybe my new favorite dessert and was a big hit. I will say that I prefer buttercream so I used that for icing and it worked but I get that most prefer cream cheese.
★★★★★
Delicious! Whole family loved it. We did not use the icing. Plenty of flavor and sweetness without it. Kids added holiday sprinkles before baking to the top. Will definitely make again.
★★★★★
Thank you for including where to position the oven rack. It’s so helpful.
I don’t usually write recipes and I’m typically not super into gingerbread, but this recipe was absolutely perfect! I use recipes from Sally for most of my bakes and this one is by far a favorite of mine!! Thank you for the perfect holiday recipe!
★★★★★
This recipe is perfection! My only disappointment was that I put the frosting on all of them and then had to refrigerate cuz they all didn’t get eaten right away. The fridge changed the texture of the bar from a nice brownie texture to a stiff texture. In the future I will only frost as they are served and keep just the frosting in the fridge so the bars keep their brownie like texture which I thought was way better
★★★★★
This recipe is absolutely amazing. They are so soft and full of flavor. Making them for a second time!
This turned out just as I expected. Instead of bards, I cut 1/1″ “bites” which I added to my cookie boxes. The flavor is perfect. Thank you!
★★★★★
Deliciously Morish. Be prépared to eat many many they are so good
★★★★★
These bars are super delicious. The gingerbread taste is defined, the texture is chewy and the frosting — well who doesn’t love butter and cream cheese! A real winner that everyone at the luncheon loved. Thanks Sally!
Absolutely delicious. A big hit in my home. It’s hard just to just eat one.
I would like to bake these ahead of time and freeze them for my holiday plates. Do you recommend cutting the bars and then freezing them, or should I freeze the whole thing and cut the day I make the plates? Do I cut them frozen? What do you recommend? Thanks in advance.
★★★★★
Hi Laura! You can do it either way. If I were making them ahead of time, I would freeze the whole pan of uncut bars, then thaw overnight and cut before serving.
Hello,
I’m looking at two recipes – the Seriously Soft Molasses cookies and the Gingerbread cookie bars. I was trying to understand the difference between the recipes. Am I reading them correctly – that the only difference is the 1/4t allspice, and the pinch of pepper? Is the allspice what defines the cookie bars as gingerbread? Thank you so much for your help.
Hi Barb! Yes, the same, in different forms. Molasses cookies and gingerbread cookies are essentially the same.
I made these for a cookie exchange at my work. They were a hit! Thank you for the detailed instructions and tips.
So glad to hear it, Christy!
I am planning on making this recipe for 100 people! Would I double the batter to bake in a half-sheet pan size? (I would bake 3-4 half sheets) Also, how well does the cream cheese frosting set when chilled? I am planning on individually bagging each bar and don’t want the frosting to run all over the plastic. Thank you! Looks delicious and exactly like the type of festive treat I am looking for!
Hi Lindsey, you could double the recipe easily for a half sheet pan. The cream cheese frosting slightly sets, but not enough to package neatly in a bag. It would likely get all over the bag. You could try a glaze instead, one that would set like the icing from the gingerbread oatmeal cookies.
So delicious. Such a simple recipe, and had everything in the pantry except molasses! huge hit with family and friends this holiday season. Even with those who don’t like gingerbread normally. Going to be a holiday staple in our home moving forward.
★★★★★
I really like this recipe. I love gingerbread, but hate making the cookies. Bars are so much easier. Your blend of spices was perfect. Excellent
★★★★★
I just made these today and wow!! So, so good!
★★★★★
Especially when made with new jersey molosses and when we eat them in FRANCE! Your aunt told me to make these, I have no regrets !! They are delicious
This recipe is incredibly quick and easy to make and tastes like the perfect gingerbread cookie…maybe even better! This is a must try recipe that turned out perfectly for me and was a hit when I brought it to a meeting! I will be making these every year for sure.
★★★★★
I had the dough spread out in the baking dish and was about to put it in the oven when I realized I had forgotten the egg! Scooped up the dough , tossed it back into the bowl, mixed in the egg and put it the oven. They came out great. I used Sally’s Swiss meringue buttercream recipe because I prefer it to cream cheese frosting, and topped with gold sugar. Big hit!
★★★★★
Very easy to make & fun treat for the holidays. Cream cheese icing is delicious!
★★★★
My husband who usually doesn’t like gingerbread loves these. This recipe came together beautifully and will be a part of my Christmas cookies from now on. Thank you for another wonderful cookie recipe!
★★★★★
These bars are amazing!
Baked for three minutes less since my oven runs hot, but honestly could’ve baked for 1 minute less. However, these were such a big hit! We ate about half the tray in one night, and we had the discipline to freeze half for Christmas to share with family. Moist, spicy, and delicious! Sally never fails 🙂
★★★★★
Do you think I could make this recipe in a mini loaf pan?
Hi Marea, these cookie bars wouldn’t bake well in a mini loaf pan. Perhaps our gingerbread loaf recipe would be closer to what you’re looking for.
Was super excited to try this but didn’t turn out quite as expected. I followed the recipe but bars came out very dry and hard. But the cream cheese frosting was amazing!
★★★
Hi Jennifer, thank you for giving these cookie bars a try! We’re happy to help troubleshoot. Could they have been over-baked? Also, how did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
Do you think adding chopped candied ginger would be a good addition? If so, how much? Thanks!
Absolutely, and it will give it a very sharp ginger flavor. (Feel free to reduce the ground ginger if desired.) I would add 2-3 Tablespoons finely chopped candied ginger when you add the molasses.
DELISH! Just wow. So easy. So tasty. A huge hit.
★★★★★