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    Home » Dessert Recipes » Bar Recipes

    Gingerbread Bars

    Lindsay Moe

    3750 shares

    These chewy gingerbread bars are simple, sweet, and spicy! They’re topped with a drizzle of icing and make the perfect Christmas treat.

    image of 3 gingerbread bars stacked on top of each other
    Jump to Recipe

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions are my own.

    It’s holiday treat time, and we’re making soft glazed gingerbread bars!

    Gingerbread is a classic Christmas flavor that I always enjoy in cookies and quick bread. The only thing easier to make than either of those is dessert bars.

    Instead of baking a few batches of cookies, why not spread it all in a pan and cover it with my favorite glaze? Santa will have to go hungry this year, because I guarantee you’ll be eating all of these yourself.

    side image of gingerbread bars with icing

    What makes these the best gingerbread bars

    There is nothing cake like about these bars, they’re perfectly soft and chewy like a blondie. They don’t use any baking soda, so they stay dense and gooey, just make sure you don’t over bake them!

    They’re also perfectly spiced with those warm winter spices I love like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. It’s easy to adjust the amount of spices used to suit your own taste, so you’ll have perfect bars every time.

    Probably my favorite thing of anything, ever, is the icing. I put this on all sorts of stuff, but in this recipe it helps balance out the ginger spice with a bit of sweetness.

    top view image of gingerbread bars cut into with icing

    A lot of other gingerbread bars use a thick layer of cream cheese frosting, but I think a drizzle of icing is just the right match and helps cut down on sugar so you can enjoy more of these or other holiday treats.

    Gingerbread cookie bar ingredients

    image of ingredients for gingerbread bars
    • Butter
    • Egg
    • Brown sugar
    • Molasses
    • Vanilla extract
    • Ginger
    • Cinnamon
    • Cloves
    • Nutmeg
    • Flour

    Simple glaze ingredients

    • Butter
    • Powdered sugar
    • Vanilla extract
    • Milk

    How to make gingerbread bars

    image of two bowls with the ingredients of gingerbread bars mixed into
    1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
    2. In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, egg, brown sugar, molasses, and vanilla.
    3. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and fold until just combined.
    4. Pour the batter into a greased 8×8 pan and smooth out evenly.
    5. Bake at 350ºF for 32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    6. Allow to cool completely before icing.

    How to make the glaze

    1. In a small bowl, combine butter and powdered sugar.
    2. Whisk in vanilla and a little milk at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. I like it to be a little thick but able to drizzle in thin ribbons over the bars.
    3. Drizzle over cooled bars.

    Top tips

    What kind of molasses to use for gingerbread bars

    I used unsulphured molasses to make this recipe. It is the most common, easy to find type of molasses in the grocery store.

    Can I freeze gingerbread bars?

    These cookie bars freeze beautifully, so feel free to make them weeks in advance of the holidays and pull them out whenever you need. To freeze, allow to cool completely, cut into squares, and place in an airtight, freezer safe container or zip top freezer bag, separating any stacked bars with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

    You can freeze the bars for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove a single bar from the bag and allow to sit at room temperature for a few minutes, or place the bag of bars at room temperature for overnight.

    side view image of gingerbread bars cut with one bitten into

    Tips for customizing

    • Use eggnog instead of milk to make the frosting
    • Top with the cream cheese frosting from my applesauce cake instead of making icing
    • Reduce the ginger to 1 teaspoon if you don’t want the bars to be as spicy
    • Add chocolate chips or a little chopped crystalized ginger to the batter before baking
    • Add festive holiday sprinkles while the icing is still wet
    • Use dairy free butter and milk to make these dairy free

    More bar recipes

    • Nutty Chocolate Oat Bars
    • Refrigerator Bakery Brownies
    • Pecan Pie Bars
    • Vegan Cookie Dough Bars
    • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
    • Chocolate Chunk Blondies
    • Magic Cookie Bars
    • Carmelitas
    image of gingerbread bars with one on its side biten into

    If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!

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    featured image of 3 gingerbread bars stacked on top of each other

    Gingerbread Bars

    Soft and chewy gingerbread bars topped witha sweet icing glaze. They’re the best holiday bars to make at Christmas or anytime you want a spiced cookie bar!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 34 minutes
    Total Time: 49 minutes
    Servings: 16
    Calories: 210kcal
    Author: Lindsay Moe

    Ingredients

    Bars

    • ½ cup butter, (1 stick), melted and slightly cooled
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
    • ½ cup unsulphured molasses
    • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
    • 1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    • 3 teaspoons ground ginger
    • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
    • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

    Icing

    • 1 teaspoon butter, , melted
    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 1-2 tablespoons milk

    Instructions

    Gingerbread Bars

    • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together butter, egg, brown sugar, molasses, and vanilla until smooth.
    • In a small bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
    • Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until just combined, don't over mix.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 32-34 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs clinging. Allow the bars to cool while you prepare the icing.

    Icing

    • In a small bowl, combine melted butter and powdered sugar.
    • Add vanilla extract, then whisk in milk a little at a time until it reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.
    • Pour evenly over cooled bars. Cut and serve.

    Notes

    Adapted from Averie Cooks

    Tips for customizing

    • Use eggnog instead of milk to make the frosting
    • Top with the cream cheese frosting from my applesauce cake instead of making icing
    • Reduce the ginger to 1 teaspoon if you don’t want the bars to be as spicy
    • Add chocolate chips or a little chopped crystalized ginger to the batter before baking
    • Add festive holiday sprinkles while the icing is still wet
    • Use dairy free butter and milk to make these dairy free

    Nutrition

    Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 191mg | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1.2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @theliveinkitchen or tag #theliveinkitchen!

    More Bar Recipes

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    1. Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner says

      December 19, 2013 at 1:31 pm

      I love gingerbread! Why don’t we eat it all year long? 😉 Your bars look a-maz-ing!!! I wish I had one now for an afternoon snack. 🙂

      Reply

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    lindsay moe in a kitchen with glasses on shelves behind her

    Hi, I'm Lindsay! I've been creating easily customizable vegetarian recipes since 2011. I love the outdoors, brownies, and brand new books. I live and work in La Crosse, Wisconsin and founded Wild Flour Media to expand on my love for food photography and videography to my community and beyond.

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    3750 shares