These gingerbread bars are soft, sweet and perfectly spiced. They are topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting for a treat everyone will love!
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Warm spices. These gingerbread bars are full of warming spices thanks to cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
- Easy to make. There is no need to whip out the stand mixer for this recipe. A hand mixer or whisk is all you need.
- Kid-friendly. Kids will love this recipe. It's perfectly sweet and topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Flour- the recipe calls for all-purpose flour. Cake flour should also work.
- Brown sugar- light or brown sugar should work. I don't recommend using white sugar in this recipe.
- Spices- these gingerbread bars call for warm spices; ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Molasses- any unsulphered molasses will work. Don't use black strap molasses as it is too bitter.
- Cream cheese- you will need cream cheese for the cream cheese frosting.
- Butter- use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the gingerbread bars.
See the recipe card below for quantities and remaining ingredients.
Equipment
Grab what you need for this recipe:
- 2-3 mixing bowls
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Hand mixer or whisk
- Square baking pan
- Measuring spoons needed: ¼ teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, 1 tablespoon, ⅓ cup, ½ cup and 1 cup.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan with cooking spray or butter.
Make the batter. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Pour in the wet ingredients and beat with a hand mixer or whisk until smooth.
Pour the batter into the pan. The batter will be thick, but it will bake properly. Bake for 20-25 minutes and let the bars cool completely before frosting.
NOTE: The batter will be very thick. Spread it into the pan using a spatula or wooden spoon. If you think it is too thick, you can add ½ cup of hot water to thin it out.
Make the frosting. Add the cream cheese and butter to a bowl and beat until smooth. Pour in the remaining ingredients and beat on high for 1-2 minutes. Frost the cake once it has cooled.
FAQs
Yes. Use dairy-free cream cheese and butter to make this cake.
Yes. Bake and let the bars cool completely. Store on the counter overnight or in the fridge for 1-2 days. I recommend making the frosting the day you plan to serve and eat the bars.
Storage
The bars will need to be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days due to the cream cheese frosting. You can also store the bars in the freezer in an airtight container. Be sure to enjoy them within 2-3 months.
Top Tips
- Cool the bars completely before frosting. Allowing the bars to cool completely before frosting prevents them from breaking and the frosting from spreading out. You want the frosting to stay in place.
- Make the frosting fresh. If you plan to serve the bars a day after making them, I highly recommend you prepare the frosting that day.
More Sweet Treats
🍳Recipe
Spiced Gingerbread Bars (+ Cream Cheese Frosting)
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 8 (ounces) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan with cooking spray or butter.
- In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
- Pour in the molasses, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer or whisk until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the greased pan. The batter will be thick, but it will bake properly.* Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- Add the cream cheese and butter to a bowl and beat until smooth. Pour in the powdered sugar, cinnamon and salt and beat on high for 1-2 minutes. Frost the cake once it has cooled.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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