Gingerbread Cookie Bars: Best Easy Recipe with 12 Servings
Table of Contents
- Introduction: Warm Up with Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- Why This Gingerbread Cookie Bars Recipe is the Best & Easiest
- Key Ingredients for Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- How to Make Gingerbread Cookie Bars: Step-by-Step Instructions
- Tips and Tricks for Perfect Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- Serving Suggestions & Variations
- Storing Your Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- FAQ
Introduction: Warm Up with Gingerbread Cookie Bars
Welcome to the ultimate recipe for Gingerbread Cookie Bars: Best Easy Recipe with 12 Servings! These delightful bars capture all the cozy, warm spices of traditional gingerbread cookies in a wonderfully soft, chewy, and shareable format. Perfect for holiday gatherings or a festive treat, this recipe makes baking simple and incredibly rewarding.
Say goodbye to tedious individual cookie cutting and decorating. Our easy recipe brings you the best of gingerbread flavor with minimal fuss, ensuring you get delicious results every time. Get ready to fill your home with the intoxicating aroma of ginger, cinnamon, and molasses!
Why This Gingerbread Cookie Bars Recipe is the Best & Easiest
You might be wondering what makes this **gingerbread cookie bars** recipe stand out. We’ve perfected the balance of classic holiday spices, ensuring every bite is bursting with festive flavor. Plus, baking in bar form means no tedious rolling, cutting, or decorating individual cookies.
This is truly an easy dessert to master, making it ideal for bakers of all skill levels. The straightforward process delivers consistently soft, chewy, and perfectly spiced results, making these your go-to holiday dessert for years to come. It’s a fantastic addition to your collection of christmas cookies.
Key Ingredients for Gingerbread Cookie Bars
Gathering your ingredients is the first step to creating these irresistible gingerbread cookie bars. Most of these are pantry staples, especially during the holiday season.
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup unsulphured molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: For the Glaze – 2 cups powdered sugar, 3-4 tablespoons milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
For the best flavor, use fresh spices; old spices lose their potency. Unsulphured dark molasses is key for that classic deep gingerbread taste; avoid blackstrap molasses as it can be too bitter. If you don’t have light brown sugar, a mix of granulated sugar and a bit more molasses can work in a pinch. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the salt content precisely. For a richer glaze, you could substitute some milk with cream cheese. You can learn more about different types of molasses at King Arthur Baking’s Molasses Guide.
How to Make Gingerbread Cookie Bars: Step-by-Step Instructions
Making these gingerbread cookie bars is a simple two-step process. Follow these instructions carefully for perfect results every time.
Step 1: Preparing the Dough
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the softened unsalted butter and packed light brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Beat in the unsulphured molasses, egg, and vanilla extract until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; stop once no streaks of flour remain. The dough will be thick.
Step 2: Baking the Perfect Cookie Bars
- Press the gingerbread dough evenly into the prepared 9×13 inch baking pan. You can use your hands or the back of a spatula.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs, but not wet batter. Avoid overbaking to keep the bars soft and chewy.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the bars cool completely on a wire rack before glazing. This is crucial for a neat glaze application.
- Once cooled, prepare the glaze (if using) by whisking powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour or drizzle over the cooled bars and allow the glaze to set before cutting.
- Cut into 12 squares or rectangles and serve!
Tips and Tricks for Perfect Gingerbread Cookie Bars
Achieving perfectly soft and chewy gingerbread cookie bars is easy with a few simple tricks. First, do not overmix the dough once the dry ingredients are added; this can lead to tough bars. Second, keep a close eye on your baking time. Overbaking is the quickest way to dry out your delicious bar cookies.
Using parchment paper with an overhang makes removing the entire slab of cooled bars a breeze, allowing for clean cuts. For extra flavor, consider adding a pinch of white pepper to enhance the ginger spice, or some orange zest for a bright, citrusy note.
Serving Suggestions & Variations
These gingerbread cookie bars are fantastic on their own, but they also pair wonderfully with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. They make an excellent addition to any holiday baking platter, served alongside other festive treats and a warm mug of coffee or tea.
For variations, try folding in white chocolate chips or candied ginger pieces into the dough before baking. A cream cheese glaze instead of a simple powdered sugar glaze can add a delightful tangy contrast. You could also sprinkle coarse sugar on top before baking for a sparkling finish. If you’re looking for other bar cookies, Read our in-depth guide here.
Storing Your Gingerbread Cookie Bars
To keep your **gingerbread cookie bars** fresh and delicious, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. If your kitchen is particularly warm, or if they have a dairy-based glaze, it’s best to refrigerate them.
In the refrigerator, they will last up to a week. For longer storage, you can freeze the uncut bars (with or without glaze) in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
FAQ
Can I make gingerbread cookie bars ahead of time?
Absolutely! The dough can be prepared and refrigerated for up to 2 days before baking. Once baked and cooled, the bars can be stored at room temperature for several days or frozen for up to 3 months, making them perfect for holiday meal prep.
What kind of molasses is best for these gingerbread cookie bars?
For the classic sweet and robust gingerbread flavor, unsulphured dark molasses is highly recommended. Avoid using blackstrap molasses as it has a much stronger, more bitter flavor that can overwhelm the other spices in the bars.
How do I know when my gingerbread cookie bars are perfectly baked?
The bars are done when the edges appear set and lightly golden brown, and the center still looks slightly soft but no longer wet. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with moist crumbs attached, rather than liquid batter. Be careful not to overbake, as this can make the bars dry.