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!
This recipe is such a fan favorite, that it deserved a spot in print! You’ll also find it in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
One reader, Christi, commented: “These gingerbread cookie bars are so good, I found myself returning to ‘taste test’ them again and again—and that was before adding the spiced cream cheese frosting! The flavor and texture are irresistible! ★★★★★”
One reader, Rebecca, commented: “My husband and I made these yesterday, and they are so good! They taste just like a delicious cookie! Soft, slightly chewy, with creamy warm icing… I can see myself making these whenever I need a little Christmas in my day throughout the year. So easy and comforting. ★★★★★“
When you need a big batch of cookies but are pressed for time, cookie bars are the way to go. This dessert 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 morsels for texture variety
- Top with a layer of cinnamon-spiced cream cheese frosting
Unlike these soft molasses cookies, gingerbread latte cookies, or traditional gingerbread cookies, there’s no dough chilling like these gingerbread blossoms, 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.
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.
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.
Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes (includes cooling & chilling)
- Yield: 18-24 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. This recipe is also in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
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 (113g/80ml) unsulphured 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
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- small pinch each of ground ginger, cinnamon, & allspice
- optional for garnish: sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Adjust oven rack to the center rack position. Line 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.
- Make the cookie bars: 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 the butter mixture into the flour mixture and mix with a large spoon or silicone spatula until no traces of flour remain. The dough will be thick and shiny. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press it into a smooth, 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 only a few moist crumbs. Err on the side of under-baking. Bars puff up in the oven, but settle and firm up as they cool. Allow the bars to cool in the pan set on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the confectioners’ sugar, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes until completely combined and creamy. Taste and beat in a pinch of salt if the frosting is too sweet. 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.
- Lift the bars out of the pan by gripping the parchment paper overhang; transfer to a cutting board 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi Sally ! ! Do you need to cool the melted butter before mixing ?
Hi Reesa, cool just a bit so it’s not piping hot.
I made these delicious and spicy dessert bars today. I followed the directions exactly for the cream cheese frosting, using full fat brick cream cheese, and left the frosted pan of bars in the fridge for 1/2 hour. However, the frosting is still very soft and the bars are messy to cut. Next time, would it be advisable to add a small amount of meringue powder (1/2 to 1 teaspoon) or more confectioners sugar to the dry ingredients to help the frosting firm up? Or do you recommend using cold cream cheese and room temperature butter for the frosting?
I want to make these again for Christmas and we will be traveling for a couple of hours in the cold Northeast, so perhaps, I should leave the bars unfrosted. Any suggestions would be most appreciated.
Hi Gayle! Cream cheese frosting will stay soft! You can add extra confectioners’ sugar if you would like it thicker.
In love with these gingerbread bars! These were a big hit at home and at work. 10/10!
I made the recipe exactly as stated, measuring carefully. But, the icing remained so soft that even when I froze the cookie bars I was unable to stack them in containers because the icing remained so soft and sticky. Suggestions?
Hi Susan! Did you use full fat brick style cream cheese? Any other kind (like the cream cheese that comes in a tub) will be too soft to use for this frosting.
These were nicely spiced. Mine did not rise much at all. They are definitely a bar and not a cake. My icing was tan not white. Do you use clear vanilla in your buttercream?
Hi Maryellen! Ours is definitely off-white too, but you can use clear vanilla if you would like!
These bars are the best! Super easy to make and they taste and travel well without the frosting!
I want to freeze some bars, but have the full batch of icing made. Can I freeze the icing separately? Or with the icing on it? How long will the icing stay good in the fridge?
Hi Cherie! You can freeze the icing separately. You may need to give it a quick whisk after thawing.
Hi Sally. I don’t know where you live but I live at high altitude in Denver. Do you know if these will need to be adjusted for the altitude? I’d love to try them. Thank you!
Hi Abby, I wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Hello! I live in Denver too! I made these yesterday and they were amazing! I didn’t find any modifications needed, just kept an eye on the baking time and erred on the side of under baked!
I’m making these for a party tonight. My oven is broken so I am making do with my air fryer. I thought you may like to know that roughly 3/4 of the dough fits in a 9 in round aluminum pan and bakes in about 14 mins!
Can’t wait to try them. I always know your recipes will be good.
I only have blackstrap molasses. Have you used that in this recipe before? Would you recommend?
Hi Maddy, blackstrap has a more intense flavor that we do not prefer in these bars. Some enjoy it, though!
Speaking from personal experience after once ruining a batch of cookies because blackstrap was all I had, I would not take a chance.
Could I make these without allspice and cloves? I have everything else and these look amazing for today but it’s below 0 and I don’t want to go out!
Hi Heidi! You can, you’ll miss a little of the spice flavor but they’ll still be delicious.
Hi, can I just use pumpkin pie spice for these? Since it contains all of those spices? If so, how much should I use? I have ginger and cinnamon as well, so I could add more of those since the recipe calls for more.
Hi Danielle! We’re sure you could – you could try 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice with added ginger and cinnamon.
These were the perfect dessert for our Church’s Christmas Luncheon today. I made the Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting, with Sugared Cranberries & Thyme for garnish. They were simply elegant. The cranberries are addicting
10/10 no notes!! Amazing recipe! Made mine the day before and kept them in the fridge overnight. Most moist luxurious dessert I’ve ever made!! MUST try for the holidays! Everyone will LOVE them!!
Can I use Baker’s Joy rather than parchment paper?
Hi Peggy, that will work in a pinch. We prefer parchment so that we can lift the entire pan of bars out and slice easier.
Can I use a 1:1 gluten-free flour substitute in this recipe? I’ve made the original version many times and love it, but this is my first time trying it GF and want to be sure the texture remains the same consistency.
Hi Caitlin, We haven’t tested this recipe using gluten free flour, so we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you try it!
Can you recommend a frosting for these that could sit out for 7 or 8 hours ?
Hi Pam, This frosting should be fine at room temperature for that amount of time.
I made these on a whim because I was trying to be cheerier this week. I usually bring desserts to my office because I live alone and while I COULD eat a 9×13 of gingerbread bars I probably shouldn’t. Everyone went wild for them. They were so good and buttery and spicy! I even used the gingerbread man sprinkles and decorated them just like yours. So cute! And delicious!
Is there an icing that can be used on the gingerbread bars that will set up and allow stacking? A confectioner sugar glaze or just a dusting of it over the top?
Thanks
Hi Julie, you could try our vanilla icing instead. Vanilla icing eventually sets as it dries. It doesn’t harden like royal icing, but if applied lightly, you can stack your iced baked goods on top of each other. Hope this helps!
Great recipe for beginners like me. Came out great with warm gingerbread spices. Almost brownie texture but not quite. Edges/corners with that coveted chewiness definitely. Cream cheese frosting a bit too sweet for me. Next time will do either cinnamon/nutmeg spiced whipped cream – or no frosting at all and put a scoop of egg nog ice cream right on top of the cookie bar!
This is really good! I reduced the sugar slightly, by about 40g, and the bars came out chewy with a crisp outer shell, and with a deep, dark ginger flavour, not too sweet at all. I did upped the ginger by about a teaspoon and used black treacle instead of molasses because that’s what I could find in the UK. I’ll definitely be making these again. The butter-sugar-molasses mixture takes some time to come together, and the final dough is VERY sticky, but trust the process!
Love these bars! I have made them multiple times and they were a big hit both times! Perfect for the holiday season. And the cream cheese frosting is to die for!! Will definitely be making them more!!
Can the baked bars be made in advance and put in the freezer?Would like to make these a week ahead of Christmas to serve as part of the dessert buffet.
Hi John, 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.
Could I use this recipe to make a gingerbread roll? Like as in a pumpkin roll.
Hi Katherine! You would need a super soft gingerbread cake recipe to make a roll cake. We haven’t tested one. You could try adapting our gingerbread cake recipe, but we’re unsure of the changes that would be needed.
These bars are a MUST on your Christmas platter. I used to make soft gingerbread cookies, but this recipe is not only time-effective but the flavour and texture are incredible. This has been on our family Christmas platter since first making them in 2023. This year I am bringing them to our office Christmas potluck.
I’ve been addicted to these bars ever since the first time I made them last Christmas. They turn out perfect every time I’ve made them and I’ve made them a lot!!!
Thanks for the recipe.
I am very keen to make these to take for our office Christmas party, but I wanted to enquire about the possibility of using brown butter in place of the plain butter here? I have made ginger cookies in the past with brown butter and I loved the flavour combination, but the cookies weren’t as chewy as I would have liked, perhaps because of the loss of moisture. Do you think that could be a problem here as well?
Hi Dipa, yes, you’ll need to start with extra butter if you want to use brown butter in these cookie bars – here’s our guide to how to brown butter!
I just baked these. The flavor is very good. My issue is that they are SO thin; they appear to be about half the height of your photos (5/8” tall). I followed the recipe exactly. Wondering if I double the recipe and keep it in the 13×9 pan? Would that work?
Hi Maureen, that’s strange they were so thin! They do puff up in the oven and then settle back down as they cool, not unlike brownies. Did you top with the frosting? That adds a bit of height. But if you’d like thicker bars, maybe try 1.5x-ing the recipe–doubling would probably be too much for that pan size. Bake time will be longer, so just keep an eye on it. Hope this helps!
I just made these and they were amazing! Perfect texture and loved the addition of the spices to the frosting. My husband took them to volunteers and staff at church today and I have already been asked to make them for an upcoming Christmas party! I have tried several recipes and they have all been huge hits!!
Hi there,
May I put some turbbjnado sugar on top before baking? Thanks!
Absolutely!
Could you either make these in a cupcake tin or individual can Ian? I’m having a cookie decorating get together and thought it would be fun to make them in their our containers for easier take home.
Hi Jac, that should work fine! We’re unsure of the exact bake time, so keep a close eye on them.
Can you use butter cream frosting with some cinnamon instead so you don’t have to refrigerate the bars?