Gingerbread Cookie Bars are soft, thick, and perfectly spiced — everything you love about classic gingerbread cookies without the hassle of rolling or cutting! Topped with a smooth cream cheese frosting and festive sprinkles, these cookie bars are a quick, crowd-pleasing holiday dessert that fills your kitchen with the best warm, spicy aroma.

Recipe Highlights

• Freezer-friendly and shareable: Make them ahead for parties, cookie exchanges, or edible gifts!
• Fast and easy: No rolling pins or cookie cutters — just mix, bake, and frost.
• Soft, chewy texture: The combination of butter, molasses, and brown sugar keeps these bars rich and moist.
• Perfect holiday flavor: Packed with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves for that cozy gingerbread spice.

INGREDIENTS IN GINGERBREAD COOKIE BARS

COOKIE DOUGH:

• Sugar – You only need 1/3 cup of sugar in the cookie dough.
• Butter – Make sure the butter is melted before adding it to the other ingredients. For best results, use real butter.
• Molasses – Just a little bit of molasses helps to give the cookie bars that rich, deep gingerbread flavor. You can use any variety of molasses that you like.
• Brown sugar – A couple of tablespoons of brown sugar will add a little more sweetness and depth of flavor.
• Vanilla – The higher the quality of vanilla, the better.
• Egg yolk – Strain out the egg white and only add the yolk to the cookie dough.
• Flour – You will need one cup of all-purpose flour.
• Baking soda – This acts as the leavening agent in the cookie bars, so it’s important that it isn’t old or expired.
• Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt – All of these spices and seasonings will give the gingerbread cookie bars that delicious, classic gingerbread flavor! And the amazing smell too!

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

• Holiday sprinkles – Optional, but they make these cookie bars extra festive!
• Cream cheese – Smooth and tangy, the perfect topping for spiced cookies.
• Butter – Softened and blended with cream cheese for extra creaminess.
• Vanilla extract – Adds warmth and depth to the frosting.
• Powdered sugar – Sweetens and thickens the frosting to spreadable perfection.

Tips & Tricks for Perfect Cookie Bars

Full instructions for making the cookie bars can be found on the recipe card below, but here are a few helpful tips.

• Don’t overmix the dough once you add the flour — it keeps the texture soft and tender.
• Use parchment paper to lift the bars out easily and cut clean slices.
• Avoid overbaking. The bars should look slightly underdone in the center when you pull them out; they’ll finish setting as they cool.
• Chill before slicing for the cleanest cuts, especially if your kitchen is warm.
• Double the recipe and bake in a 9×13 pan if you’re feeding a crowd!

Storage & Freezing

• Refrigerate: Store frosted bars in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Freeze: Unfrosted bars freeze best — wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, frost, and decorate before serving.

Print

GINGERBREAD COOKIE BARS

Gingerbread Cookie Bars are soft, thick, perfectly spiced and easy to make when you don't have time to scoop out individual cookies. Topped with cream cheese frosting, these gingerbread cookie bars are a big hit during the holiday season!

Course Cookie Bars

Cuisine American

Keyword Gingerbread Cookie Bars

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 16 servings

Calories 174kcal

Author Jessica & Nellie

Ingredients

COOKIE DOUGH:

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ salted butter melted
• 2 and 1/2 tablespoons molasses
• 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

• 4 ounces cream cheese approximately half a brick
• ¼ cup salted butter softened
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups powdered or confectioners sugar
• holiday sprinkles for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350°. Spray an 8 inch square baking pan with either cookie spray or grease with butter.

MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, melted butter and molasses, brown sugar and vanilla until combined.  Add the egg yolk and continue whisking.
• In another bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Add to the sugar/molasses mixture.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold all the ingredients together.  Mixture will be thick and a little crumbly.
• Press the mixture into the prepared pan and press dough down evenly.
• Bake for 15-17 minutes.  Let cool completely in the pan.

MAKE THE FROSTING

• In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla at medium speed until smooth.
• Slowly add the powdered sugar to the mixture approximately 1/3 cup at a time.  Beat until combined and don’t forget to stop and scrape the sides of the bowl.
• Spread the icing onto the cooled cookie base and add sprinkles to garnish. Slice and serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 201IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

FAQs

Can I double this recipe?
Yes! Double everything and bake in a 9×13-inch pan for about 20–22 minutes. Keep an eye on the center — it should look set and slightly soft when done. This larger batch is perfect for parties, gifting, or cookie exchanges since it slices cleanly and serves a crowd.

Can I make the frosting ahead of time?
Absolutely. You can make the cream cheese frosting up to 3 days in advance and store it in the fridge in an airtight container. Let it soften at room temperature before spreading so it’s smooth and easy to work with.

Can I use margarine instead of butter?
You can, but real butter gives the best flavor and texture. Margarine tends to make the bars a bit softer and less rich, so stick with butter if you want that classic, bakery-style taste.

Can I skip the frosting?
Yes — these bars taste great on their own! If you prefer something lighter, skip the frosting and dust the top with powdered sugar or drizzle a simple glaze instead.

How do I make these gluten-free?
Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend to replace the all-purpose flour. The bars will still be soft, spiced, and chewy, though the texture may be slightly more delicate.

More delicious gingerbread cookie recipes to try:

• After years of testing, I can say with confidence that these are the Best Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies — the dough keeps its shape, bakes perfectly, and delivers that classic spiced gingerbread flavor every time.
• Soft, thick, and perfectly spiced, Gingerbread Cookie Bars are the easy way to enjoy classic gingerbread flavor without scooping individual cookies — especially delicious topped with cream cheese frosting during the holidays.
• With cozy flavors of molasses, pudding mix, and warm spices, No Bake Gingerbread Cookies let you skip the oven and still enjoy a festive, easy-to-make holiday treat.
• Christmas Gingerbread Cookie Bites pack all the flavor of traditional gingerbread into fun, one-bite cookies that are perfect for parties and holiday trays.
• Soft, chewy, and full of spice, Frosted Gingerbread Sugar Cookies are topped with buttery frosting and come together easily without any chilling or rolling required.

Gingerbread Cookie Bars deliver all the cozy holiday flavor of classic gingerbread cookies in an easy, chewy bar form topped with sweet cream cheese frosting.

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