Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

There’s something utterly irresistible about the cozy warmth of ginger and spices combined with creamy sweetness — that's exactly what you'll get from this Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe. These bars are easy to make, wonderfully soft, and topped with a luscious frosting that makes every bite a celebration of holiday flavors.

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Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients & Why They Work
• Make It Your Way
• Step-by-Step: How I Make Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
• Top Tip
• How to Serve Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
• Make Ahead and Storage
• Frequently Asked Questions:
• Final Thoughts
• Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Ingredients & Why They Work

The magic behind these Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe comes from simple but perfectly balanced ingredients that come together to create a warm, tender, and luscious treat. Each ingredient supports the others — here’s why they matter and what I recommend when shopping for them.

• All-purpose flour: Provides the base structure, so make sure to spoon and level it for accuracy.
• Baking soda: Helps the bars rise just enough to have a soft, slightly puffed texture without becoming cake-like.
• Ground ginger: This is the star spice for gingerbread — fresh ground is best if you can find it.
• Ground cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper: These warm spices layer flavors for depth; I always use a blend of all to perfectly mimic traditional gingerbread.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness and highlights the spices.
• Unsalted butter, melted: Using melted butter helps create the chewy texture I love compared to using softened butter.
• Brown and granulated sugar: The combination adds moisture and sweetness with depth from the brown sugar.
• Molasses: Unsulphured molasses is a must — it brings rich, bittersweet molasses flavor without the bitterness of blackstrap molasses.
• Large egg: Binds the dough and makes the bars tender.
• Pure vanilla extract: Adds warmth and rounds out the spice mix beautifully.
• Cream cheese: For the frosting, use brick-style cream cheese, not spreadable tub cream cheese — the consistency and flavor really shine this way.
• Unsalted butter (for frosting): Softened, this adds richness and helps the frosting hold its shape.
• Confectioners’ sugar: For a smooth, creamy frosting texture that blends perfectly with the cream cheese.
• Spices in frosting: A pinch of ground ginger, cinnamon, and allspice in the frosting keeps the warmth consistent throughout.
• Optional sprinkles: Adds a festive touch if you like to jazz it up for holidays.

Make It Your Way

One of the best things about this Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe is how easily you can tweak it to fit your tastes or dietary needs. I often mix things up depending on the season or the occasion — and you should feel free to do the same!

• Variation: I sometimes swap half the molasses for honey for a softer, lighter sweetness — it’s a game changer if you prefer a less intense molasses flavor.
• Dietary tweak: For a gluten-free twist, I’ve had good results using a one-to-one gluten-free baking flour blend.
• Spice level: If you really love ginger, add an extra half teaspoon of ground ginger to the batter and frosting for a spicy kick.
• Frosting: If cream cheese isn’t your thing, a simple dusting of powdered sugar or a vanilla glaze works beautifully too.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Step 1: Prep the Pan and Oven

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (177°C). I always move my oven rack to the center position to ensure even heat. Then line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides – trust me, this makes lifting out the bars SO much easier when they're done.

Step 2: Mix Your Dry Spices and Flour

In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt. It’s important to get those spices evenly distributed — this gives every bite that perfect cozy warmth.

Step 3: Combine the Wet Ingredients

In another bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and molasses until smooth with no lumps. Then add your egg and vanilla extract, whisking until everything is well incorporated. Make sure the butter isn’t too cool here — if it has cooled too much, the dough may be crumbly instead of shiny and soft.

Step 4: Bring the Dough Together

Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon or silicone spatula until the dough is thick and glossy, with no traces of flour left. Don’t overmix — once combined, stop. The dough will seem a bit thin and shiny, and that’s exactly what you want.

Step 5: Bake your Bars

Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan. It’ll look like a thin layer, but don’t worry — that’s how these bars get their lovely tender texture. Bake for 23–26 minutes until the top is set but still slightly soft. I like to test with a toothpick — it should come out with a few moist crumbs, not completely dry. This ensures they stay fresh and chewy.

Step 6: Make the Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

While the bars cool completely (patience is key here!), beat the softened cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Then add confectioners’ sugar, a pinch of ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla. Beat until silky and fluffy. If the frosting tastes too sweet, a tiny pinch of salt can balance it out nicely.

Step 7: Frost and Chill

Spread your frosting evenly over the cooled bars and, if you want, sprinkle some festive decorations on top. Pop the whole pan into the refrigerator for 30 minutes — this helps the frosting set nicely so your bars slice cleanly without being messy.

Step 8: Slice and Serve

Using the parchment paper overhang, lift the bars out of the pan onto a cutting board, then slice into squares. Serve them up with a smile — and maybe a hot cup of coffee or tea for a perfect pairing.

How to Serve Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Garnishes

I love topping these bars with colorful sprinkles, especially around the holidays — snowflakes, gingerbread shapes, or even red and green jimmies add that festive touch. Sometimes I add a tiny dusting of cinnamon on top of the frosting for extra aroma.

Side Dishes

These cookie bars pair wonderfully with warm drinks like chai tea, coffee, or a nice hot chocolate. During the holidays, I often serve them alongside fruit preserves or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a little extra indulgence.

Creative Ways to Present

For parties, I arrange them on a platter with sprigs of fresh rosemary or holly (edible or decorative) around to echo the spices inside. Cutting the bars into mini-bite sizes makes them perfect for a dessert buffet. I’ve even wrapped individual squares in clear cellophane tied with a ribbon for gifting — always a hit!

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

I store leftover bars in an airtight container in the fridge to keep the cream cheese frosting firm and fresh — they last up to 5 days this way. Without frosting, the bars keep well at room temperature for a few days, but I prefer refrigerating them for maximum freshness.

Freezing

These bars freeze beautifully! I’ve frozen both the dough and the baked bars. For dough, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. When freezing baked bars, I recommend slicing first, then freezing individual squares in a single layer on a tray before storing them in a freezer-safe bag. They thaw overnight in the fridge and taste almost as fresh as the day you baked them.

Reheating

I usually reheat frozen or refrigerated bars by microwaving a single piece for about 10-15 seconds to take the chill off. If you want that fresh-baked feeling, a quick 5-minute warm-up in a 300°F oven works wonders — just cover the frosting lightly with foil to prevent browning.

Final Thoughts

I genuinely can’t recommend this Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe enough if you want a festive, crowd-pleasing dessert that’s as fun to make as it is to eat. It has that cozy, nostalgic gingerbread charm but comes together quickly and slices neatly for easy serving. I hope it becomes your go-to treat for holidays or whenever you need a sweet, spicy pick-me-up. Promise me you’ll give these bars a try — your kitchen will smell like heaven, and your taste buds will thank you.

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