Gingerbread Cookie Bars Recipe (2024)

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30 minutes mins

25 Comments

5 from 1 vote

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Gingerbread Cookie Bars Recipe (1)

Ready or not, the holidays are here!
I was talking to my husband over the weekend and we decided that we are going to do our best to “simplify” this year . . . we probably won’t be sending out Christmas cards, our schedules are going to revolve around spending time with family, and our Elf on the Shelf probably won’t be making his grand appearance.

I just really want to keep the focus on our family and the spirit of the season. One thing that won’t be any different is baking in the kitchen . . . some of my best holiday memories revolve around being with my mom and sisters in the kitchen and I want the same thing for my kids!

However, these gingerbread cookie bars definitely simplify the cookie-making process! Instead of having to cut out tons of gingerbread men, you get all the delicious gingerbread flavor in an easy-to-make bar cookie. They are chewy and soft and packed full of holiday flavor. Plus, they are easy enough that your kids can help you make them!

So, if you are looking to simplify your holiday season . . . start here. 🙂

These bars can be topped with a dusting of powdered sugar or our favorite cream cheese frosting!

Related recipe: If you love these Gingerbread Bars, you’ll love our Gingerbread Truffles!

Gingerbread Cookie Bars Recipe (2)

Serves: 12 people

Gingerbread Cookie Bars Recipe

5 from 1 vote

These are chewy and soft and packed full of holiday flavor. Plus, they are easy enough that your kids can help you make them!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter melted
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  • Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

  • In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and molasses and beat until creamy. Add the egg and stir until completely incorporated. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. Press dough into pan (I just used my fingers to press the dough to the edges of the pan).

  • Bake for 15-20 minutes and let cool (don't over cook- I cooked mine for exactly 15 and they turned out perfect).

  • When finished, you can frost them with cream cheese frosting or even cover with a light dusting of powdered sugar. Or, don't top them with anything. They are delicious no matter what you do!

Nutrition

Calories: 245 kcal · Carbohydrates: 41 g · Protein: 3 g · Fat: 8 g · Saturated Fat: 5 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 34 mg · Sodium: 357 mg · Potassium: 178 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 24 g · Vitamin A: 258 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 38 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Recipe Details

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Join The Discussion

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  1. Jamie Cooks It Up! says:

    So glad you liked these bars, Camille. :) Thanks for the link back. Merry Christmas! ~Jamie

  2. Laura @ Lauras Baking Talent says:

    Love gingerbread, but you are right sometimes it just takes too much time. Definitely saving this recipe :)

  3. Jelli @JellibeanJournals.com says:

    How yummy! I sure wish I could hunt down molasses here in Costa Rica. I just love holiday baking and nothing reminds me more that I'm not in my midwestern hometown than Christmastime cookies with no peppermint chips or gingerbread. Mmm! Pinned this recipe. Thanks, ladies.

  4. Dana says:

    OH HOLY YUM!! Cannot wait to try these! They look absolutely delicious!!

  5. Sandy says:

    These look delicious - and easy! I am going to make a gluten free version - has anyone tried to adapt this recipe yet? I love gingerbread - but afraid cookies will be too crumbly and difficult to work with - this looks like the perfect solution! Thank you!

  6. Tara says:

    Do you think you could double this recipe to make them cookie-sheet size?

  7. Brianne says:

    I was bummed when mine came out way undercooked after baking 20 min. The sides were done but not the inside. This happens when I make brownies also. I blame it on the high altitude in utah. What can I do differently?

  8. Carole says:

    Looks yummy going to take these to Christmas party. Thanx

  9. Rekaya Gibson says:

    I made these on Thursday. They were so good that I'm making more on Sunday. I had to cook them longer than 20 minutes to cook them fully. They still came out perfect, crunchy edges, which I like, and a gooey middle. The spices and molasses had a great balance and made the house smell festive. Thank you.

  10. Cyd says:

    We have only made them in a 9x13, so I don't want to say it will work just fine. But really I don't see why it wouldn't work. Watch them closely and it may require a little more cooking time. Let us know how it all turns out!

  11. Aletha Gardner says:

    I am wanting to make these ahead of time(5 days) for a cookie exchange. i was going to freeze them, do you think that will work and should i frost them before I freeze them, or wait until they thaw to frost?

  12. Sharon Fisher says:

    I just made these and doubled the recipe. I used a jelly roll pan. It's funny that everyone is commenting that they had to cook them longer. I cooked them a little longer, maybe 5 minutes, because I doubled the recipe. They turned out kinda hard. Not just the edges but all of it. Don't know what went wrong. So if you're doubling the recipe, be careful. The cream cheese frosting is yummy, though

  13. Liz says:

    These turned out perfect and delicious!! Will make them time and time again! Do you know if I can make these cutouts instead of bars? They taste amazing and I want to make gingerbread men using this recipe if it will work.

  14. Eva W says:

    I put parchment paper in the pan. Helped them cut so nicely. I baked mine for 20 minutes and they are the consistency of brownies. PERFECT. Will definitely make this recipe again. Yum.

  15. Cyd says:

    Cut outs would be super cute! I think it would work!

  16. Cyd says:

    They will freeze well with the icing on or off.

  17. marianne says:

    Omg... Saw the recipe and had to make them. Thank goodness I froze 3/4 of the pan to take out later this month. To die for!

  18. Jan says:

    Made these last night and they are all gone! These are amazing!..just sayin.

  19. Maureen says:

    I made these bars with the frosting a few times. There is a bakery that is now closed but they had a ginger cookie that my husband loved. These bars remind him of those cookies so he loved these bars a lot.

  20. Christine says:

    “Brown sugar” is listed as an ingredient. Is that dark or light brown sugar?

  21. Cyd Adamson says:

    We usually use light. But either will work just fine.

  22. Cynthia Wilson says:

    I just baked a pan of these as a "trial run" before gifting to three of my favorite nieces and nephew. PERFECTION IN A PAN!! I love the flavor, they cut very nicely (I have LARGE cookie cutters)...This recipe is a keeper for years to come!

  23. Elle B says:

    Glad to see this on here! One of my favorite recipes from your book, along with the Andes Grinch-Mint cookies. I go to your book first around the holidays for a new item to add to my holiday baking every year!

    Gingerbread Cookie Bars Recipe (3)

  24. Momma Cyd says:

    Hi Elle. Tis the season for holiday baking. We love these Gingerbread cookie bars. We are so happy to hear that you make them as part of your holiday baking.

Gingerbread Cookie Bars Recipe (4)

About The Author:

Camille Beckstrand

Camille Beckstrand is married to Jared and they have 4 kids. She loves a good true crime podcast, a big plate of cheesy loaded nachos, and going on adventures with her family.

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Gingerbread Cookie Bars Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to improve boxed gingerbread cookie mix? ›

7 Tips. One of the easiest ways to achieve that is by replacing water with milk, adding more eggs, choosing a high-quality gingerbread mixture, and adding different layers.

Why did my gingerbread cookies come out hard? ›

“There are some gingerbread recipes that are hard right after baking and need to sit for a few days to soften. Molasses and honey hardens gingerbread, but as the sugar absorbs moisture, it will get softer.”

How to get gingerbread to keep its shape? ›

Cutting and shaping gingerbread

You need to cut your gingerbread shapes when they're raw, but sometimes they spread or get misshapen when cooking. If this happens, trim your pieces back to their shapes while the gingerbread is still warm.

What makes gingerbread cookies hard or soft? ›

Gingerbread is made harder by molasses and honey, but it becomes softer when water is absorbed by the sugar. Can I use this recipe for making gingerbread houses? No, these cookies are too soft to make a stable gingerbread house. Instead, use the recipe on my post about how to make a gingerbread house.

How do you doctor up boxed cookie mix? ›

No one will even suspect they're store-bought (and we won't tell anyone!).
  1. Add brown sugar. ...
  2. Experiment with extracts. ...
  3. Mix in different candies and snacks. ...
  4. Add espresso or coffee grounds. ...
  5. Deepen the flavors by refrigerating the dough. ...
  6. Salt before baking the cookies. ...
  7. Reduce baking time for extra soft cookies.

What can I add to cookie mix to make it better? ›

How To Make Boxed Cookies Better
  1. Use butter instead of margarine or oil.
  2. Add powdered milk. Sprinkling about 2 to 3 tablespoons of powdered milk per cup of cookie mix may seem kind of unconventional, but it is the best hack! ...
  3. Add brown sugar. ...
  4. Add vanilla extract. ...
  5. Brown the butter. ...
  6. Include an extra egg yolk.
Jan 3, 2024

What happens if you add too much molasses to cookies? ›

Doubling up on molasses softened the cookies significantly.

Molasses is also extremely dark in color, so this batch of cookies turned out to be a deep brown.

How do you make gingerbread harder? ›

A 1:4 ratio of butter to flour makes the gingerbread strong.

Should gingerbread be soft or crunchy? ›

Soft and Chewy: Gingerbread cookies have a reputation for being hard and crispy, but not this recipe! Follow my baking tips and they will turn out perfectly soft and chewy.

How do I stop my gingerbread cookies from spreading? ›

Chill and Bring to Room Temperature: Chill the dough for at least two hours or overnight, but make sure to bring it back to room temperature before rolling and cutting. Space Out on Baking Sheet: Leave enough space between each cookie on the baking sheet to prevent them from spreading into each other.

What holds gingerbread together? ›

Fit Everything Together with Melted Sugar or Royal Icing

The second way is to use burnt sugar as your glue. Just melt C&H® Pure Granulated Cane Sugar in a pan on the stove, dip the gingerbread parts in and hold them together for a few seconds. Then, presto! You've created a solid house.

How do you thicken gingerbread mix? ›

Whisk together all of the ingredients, starting with 4 tsp of water. The consistency should be slightly thicker than glue. If it's too thin, add 1 tbsp of powdered sugar at a time until it's just right.

How to tell when gingerbread cookies are done? ›

So how do you know that they're done? Here's how to tell if gingerbread cookies are done: They'll be firmly set. They'll be a lovely medium-brown color.

What is the secret to soft cookies? ›

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

What's the difference between gingerbread cookies and ginger cookies? ›

Introduced in colonial times, the main differences between Gingerbread and Ginger Snaps are a longer bake time for an extra crisp and the use of molasses versus sugar. Molasses was used as substitute for sugar as it was the more affordable alternative to sweetening.

How do I upgrade my Betty Crocker cookie mix? ›

Easy Add-In: After creating the dough according to the sugar cookie mix instructions, Add 2 tablespoons of sour cream to create a tangier, cakier and all-around more flavorful cookie. Flavor Twist: For a punchier twist, swap the water in the sugar cookie mix instructions for rum, bourbon or coffee liqueur.

How to use Betty Crocker gingerbread mix? ›

Prep Instructions
  1. heat Heat oven to 350°F for aluminum or glass pan or 325°F for nonstick pan.
  2. stir Stir Gingerbread Mix, water and egg in medium bowl until blended. Stir vigorously until well blended. ...
  3. bake Bake as directed in chart or until toothpick inserted in center of pan comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.

How to improve store-bought cookie dough? ›

Insider asked three chefs to share how to take store-bought cookie dough to a whole new level. They said rolling the dough in spices or a fun garnish can elevate your cookies. The chefs also recommended adding salty mix-ins like pretzels, chips, or nuts to your dough.

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