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These soft Gingerbread Bars are packed with warm spices and topped with vanilla frosting. I love making edible holiday gifts, and these easy gingerbread cookie bars are perfect for holiday baking and cookie platters!

Frosted gingerbread bars cut into squares, topped with white icing and festive red, green, and gold holiday sprinkles, are arranged on a green plaid surface.


 

Quick Recipe Overview

Two frosted gingerbread bars with colorful holiday sprinkles on a white plate, with more brownies on a parchment-lined tray in the background, all set on a green plaid cloth.

WHAT: Soft, spiced gingerbread cookie bars with a thick layer of sweet vanilla frosting and optional festive sprinkles.

WHY: Gets all the flavor of gingerbread cookies with half the work – no rolling or cutting required!

HOW: Mix wet and dry ingredients, spread in a pan, bake until just set, then frost when cooled.

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Table of Contents

Why I Love Making Gingerbread Bars

These gingerbread bars have become my holiday staple for one simple reason: they deliver all the warm, spiced flavor of traditional gingerbread cookies without the rolling, cutting, and multiple baking sheets.

I can have a pan of these gorgeous bars ready in under 40 minutes, which means more time enjoying the season and less time cleaning up!

The texture is what really sets these apart – they’re incredibly soft and almost fudgy, with that perfect balance of molasses richness and warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.

The vanilla frosting adds a sweet, creamy contrast that makes them feel extra festive, though they’re equally wonderful plain or just dusted with powdered sugar.

Melissa in her kitchen smiling in front of the starting ingredients for the chicken the quinoa salad and skillet chicken on the wood block in front of her

🩷 Melissa

Ohhh these are SO good! You’ll love the super soft texture. (Err on the side of slightly under baked if you are wondering.) 

I love making these for holiday cookie exchanges and dinner parties because they’re so easy to transport and serve.

While everyone else is fussing with delicate cookies, I show up with a beautiful pan of frosted bars that feeds a crowd.

They also happen to be fantastic make-ahead treats – the flavor actually improves after a day in the fridge!

Ingredient Notes

Molasses: This is the star ingredient that gives these bars their deep, rich flavor. Make sure you’re using unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap). Grandma’s brand is my go-to and delivers consistent results every time.

Spices: While allspice and nutmeg are optional, they do add wonderful depth. If you have gingerbread spice blend on hand, you can substitute 3-4 teaspoons for the individual spices.

Black pepper: Don’t skip this! Just a tiny pinch adds a subtle warmth that enhances all the other spices without making the bars taste peppery.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Baking ingredients on a white surface, including bowls of flour, dark brown sugar, molasses, melted butter, powdered sugar, and spices, plus a small dish of vanilla extract and a whole egg with a stick of butter for gingerbread cookie bars.
Frosted brownies topped with colorful red, green, and white holiday sprinkles are stacked on a white plate, with more brownies on parchment paper in the background. A green plaid cloth is underneath the plate.
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Gingerbread Bars With Vanilla Frosting

By: Melissa Griffiths
These soft Gingerbread Bars are packed with warm spices and topped with vanilla frosting. I love making edible holiday gifts, and these easy gingerbread cookie bars are perfect for holiday baking and cookie platters!
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 24
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Ingredients 

For the bars:

  • 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, optional
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
  • Small pinch of ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup molasses, unsulphured, not blackstrap — I like Grandma’s brand
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting:

Instructions 

Make the Bars

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the center. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides so you can lift the bars out later.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, sugar, and molasses until smooth and no lumps remain. Add the egg and vanilla, whisking again until everything is fully combined.
  • Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a large spoon or spatula until you don’t see any dry flour. The dough will be thick and glossy. Spread it evenly into the prepared pan in a thin layer.
  • Bake for 25-28 minutes, just until the top looks set and a toothpick in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Err on the side of slightly under baked and don’t overbake — they’ll firm up as they cool.
  • Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a rack for at least an hour.

Make the Frosting

  • To make the frosting, beat the butter, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of milk or cream together with a hand or stand mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the powdered sugar and cinnamon and beat on low for 30 seconds, then on high for 2 minutes until fluffy. Taste and add a tiny pinch of salt if it’s too sweet. Beat in just a bit of additional milk or cream as needed to make a nice spreadable frosting.
  • Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled bars and add sprinkles if you’d like.
  • Lift them out using the parchment paper and cut into squares. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • If you decide to skip the frosting, the bars can sit at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week.

Notes

Frosting Options: The frosting is a fun addition and feels festive but you don’t have to add it. You can also just sprinkle to the top with powdered sugar or do nothing, they are great. Truthfully I don’t like the texture of the sprinkles with the soft cookie bars and the smooth icing BUT they look so pretty! So you can choose what you prefer. Sometimes I’ll color the icing red or green if I want it a bit festive without sprinkles. 
If you wanted to make this with a cream cheese frosting you could – just add 3 ounces of softened cream cheese and reduce the butter to 2 tablespoons. The cream cheese frosting is fun if you like it (I’m not a huge fan thanks to a pregnancy food aversion years ago, you’ll notice that my cinnamon rolls aren’t made with a cream cheese frosting either!). 
Make Ahead: These are great to make ahead for a party, cookie platter, or holiday dinner. I find that people love having something spiced and sweet after meals that isn’t pie during the holidays. 
Optional Spices: If you don’t have the all spice or nutmeg on hand you can skip them. It’s up to you. I like the cookie bars both ways.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar of 24, Calories: 209kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 168mg, Potassium: 92mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 307IU, Vitamin C: 0.01mg, Calcium: 18mg, Iron: 1mg
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Baking ingredients on a white surface, including bowls of flour, dark brown sugar, molasses, melted butter, powdered sugar, and spices, plus a small dish of vanilla extract and a whole egg with a stick of butter for gingerbread cookie bars.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides.

A glass mixing bowl containing dry baking ingredients, including white flour, sugar, and brown and tan spices, on a light marble surface.

Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, all the spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, pepper), and salt until evenly distributed.

A glass bowl filled with chocolate cookie dough sits on a white surface. An orange spatula with a wooden handle rests in the dough.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, granulated sugar, and molasses together until smooth with no lumps. Add the room temperature egg and vanilla extract, whisking until everything is fully combined and glossy.

A rectangular pan lined with parchment paper, filled with a large uncut sheet of baked brownies on a white marble surface.

Step 4: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a large spoon or spatula until no dry flour remains. The dough will be thick and shiny. Spread it evenly into your prepared pan in a thin, even layer.

A rectangular pan lined with parchment paper, filled with a freshly baked, uncut chocolate brownie, sits on a light-colored surface.

Step 5: Bake for 25-28 minutes, until the top looks set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Don’t overbake – they’ll continue to firm up as they cool. Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for at least one hour.

Frosted gingerbread bars with colorful holiday sprinkles are arranged on parchment paper. One bar in the foreground has a bite taken out of it. A green plaid cloth is partially visible underneath.

Step 6: Make the frosting and spread evenly over the completely cooled bars. Add sprinkles if desired. Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the entire slab out of the pan, then cut into squares with a sharp knife.

Two chocolate brownies with white frosting and colorful sprinkles are stacked on a white plate, with more frosted brownies in the background on a wooden surface and green plaid cloth.

FAQs for Gingerbread Bars

What type of molasses should I use?

Use unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap molasses. Blackstrap has a much stronger, bitter flavor that will overpower the other spices. Grandma’s brand is a reliable choice.

How do I know when the bars are done baking?

They should look set on top and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs. Err on the side of slightly underbaked – they’ll firm up as they cool and you want that soft texture.

Why are my bars dry or cakey?

This usually happens from overbaking. Remember, the bars continue cooking as they cool, so pull them when they’re just set. Also make sure you’re measuring flour correctly – spoon it into the measuring cup rather than scoking.

Can I freeze these bars?

Yes! Freeze unfrosted bars wrapped tightly for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before frosting. You can also freeze frosted bars, though the frosting texture may change slightly.

Frosted holiday cookie bars cut into squares, topped with white icing and festive red, green, and white sprinkles, on parchment paper over a plaid surface.

☞ Don’t Overbake: These bars should be pulled from the oven when they’re just set and still look slightly underdone in the center. They’ll firm up perfectly as they cool and maintain that soft, chewy texture.

☞ Cool Completely: Let them cool completely before frosting. I know it’s tempting, but warm bars will melt your frosting into a soupy mess. Plan for at least an hour of cooling time – this is a great make-ahead step.

☞ Room Temp Ingredients: Use room temperature egg. This helps everything incorporate smoothly into the batter. Just set your egg out 30 minutes before baking or place it in warm water for 5 minutes.

☞ No Sticking: Line your pan with parchment paper. Leave some overhang on the sides so you can lift the entire slab out for easier, cleaner cutting. This makes beautiful, professional-looking bars every time.

☞ Spice Tip: Add spices gradually if adapting. If you’re not sure about the allspice or nutmeg, start without them. The bars are still fantastic with just ginger, cinnamon, and cloves – you can always add more next time.

Serving Ideas For Gingerbread Bars

These spiced bars pair beautifully with a hot cup of coffee, chai tea, or mulled apple cider during the holiday season. They’re substantial enough to serve as dessert after a holiday dinner alongside vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

For a festive cookie platter, arrange them with sugar cookies, peppermint bark, and chocolate crinkle cookies. They also make a wonderful accompaniment to a cheese board – the warm spices complement sharp cheddar and creamy brie surprisingly well.

Serve them at brunches with hot chocolate or eggnog, or pack them in tins as homemade gifts.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Room Temperature

Unfrosted bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Refrigerator

Frosted bars should be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture.

Freezer

Wrap unfrosted bars tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting. Frosted bars can also be frozen but may have slight texture changes in the frosting.

Make-Ahead

These are perfect for making ahead! Bake the bars up to 2 days in advance, store covered at room temperature, and frost the day you plan to serve. You can also make and freeze the bars weeks ahead for holiday parties and cookie exchanges.

Reheating

Not necessary, but if you prefer warm bars, microwave individual pieces for 10-15 seconds or warm the whole pan in a 300°F oven for 5-7 minutes (without frosting).

Other Festive Holiday Goodies

A tray of frosted brownies topped with colorful holiday sprinkles, cut into squares, sits on parchment and a green plaid cloth. Some brownies are arranged on a white plate and wooden surface.

More Gingerbread Recipes To Try

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