Gingerbread Sugar Cookie Bars

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Spread the holiday cheer with these Gingerbread Sugar Cookie Bars. Theses soft and chewy spiced cookie bars topped with smooth cream cheese frosting is divine!

Hi friends! Melanie here again from Garnish & Glaze. Can you believe the holidays are right around the corner?! This year has flown by and now it’s time to bring on all the delicious treats like Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms, Homemade Christmas Caramels, White Chocolate Dipped Gingersnaps, and these Gingerbread Sugar Cookie Bars! The base of these bars are perfectly spiced and slathered with the most delicious cream cheese frosting. Forget the gingerbread men. These bars are easier, faster, and more delicious!

First, you’ll start by making your gingerbread dough. In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients including all the spices. Mixing all the dry ingredients together ensures that all the spices and leavening agents will be evenly dispersed throughout the bars. Next, mix the sugars, molasses, and butter together and then mix in the egg and vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients until everything is combined and you’re ready to press it into the pan.

You can line your pan with parchment paper or just grease it with cooking spray. Spread the dough out evenly to the edges using a rubber spatula. Bake for 15-17 minutes and set the pan on a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting. Feel free to top the frosting with sprinkles, chopped nuts, a sprinkle of cinnamon, or nothing at all.

How to make perfect cream cheese frosting:

It’s best to use softened (but not too soft!) butter and cream cheese. I recommend letting them sit on the counter for 20 minutes before beating. First, beat the cream cheese and butter together in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Next, sifted the powdered sugar into the bowl and begin mixing on low so you don’t get a cloud of sugar in your face. Beat until smooth. Mix in the vanilla and add any more powdered sugar if needed. Cream cheese frosting is often pretty yellow but the trick to making it white is to add the tiniest bit of purple or navy food coloring. And by tiny I mean you just need to dip the very tip of a toothpick into the dye and then poke it into the bowl of frosting. Mix until the frosting turns white. Add a little more if necessary.

These should be stored in an air tight container. Due to the cream cheese in the frosting, these need to be stored in the fridge for food safety. All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household. Read More Posts by Melanie Visit Melanie’s Website facebook twitter pinterest instagram Comment * Name * Email * Website