This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
If you are looking for a
SimpleHolidayRecipeOfWonder,
I would like you to meet these Chewy Gingerbread Bars.
They taste just like a gingerbread cookie…but thicker and chewier and just so darn delicious, you won’t believe it. As an added bonus, they are super quick to put together and only take 12 minutes to bake. Did I say they had a lot going for them, or what!?
When I made them last week my little boys and I could not stop eating them.
They kept saying things like…
They kept saying things like…
“Mom, these are dayyyyng gooood.”
and
“Hey these taste like those little men cookies!”
and
“Why can’t I have another one, you ate two!”
and
“What is the meaning of life, would you like me to sweep the floor and don’t you look look stunning today in your ponytail and stretch pants, Mom. Wow…you are one classy lady! Is that globby thing stuck on the bum of your pants frosting or crusty bread dough?”
Ok, they didn’t really say all that but I’m sure they were thinking it.
This recipe comes from my exceedingly classy,
kind hearted, beautiful, talented, masters degreed and
kind hearted, beautiful, talented, masters degreed and
very professional dietitian extraordinaire,
younger sister
Jen.
She’s single.
I just couldn’t help but write it.
Know anybody?
Don’t tell her I said it, ok?
Know anybody?
Don’t tell her I said it, ok?
She is one in a million, that girl.
I bet she’s never had crusty bread dough stuck to the bum of her pants. Let’s make these bars, shall we?
I bet she’s never had crusty bread dough stuck to the bum of her pants. Let’s make these bars, shall we?
1. Pour the melted butter
sugar…
and molasses into your stand mixer, or large mixing bowl. Beat until well combined.
2. Add the egg and beat until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl toss together all of the dry ingredients.
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the mixer and beat, just until combined.
5. Spray a 9×9 pan with cooking spray and press the dough into it.
6. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, do not over bake. Stick a knife into the center of the bars. If it comes out clean…remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely. The bars will continue to cook a bit as they cool. Once frosted the bars will be put in the fridge for an hour…this will also help the bars to set up and not be too doughy.
7. Mix all frosting ingredients together in your stand mixer. Beat until nice and smooth.
8. Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled bars. Refrigerate for one hour, cut and serve!
Store leftover bars in the fridge, or freezer.
Store leftover bars in the fridge, or freezer.
Enjoy!!!
Ingredients
- Chewy Gingerbread Bars
- Time: 15 minutes hands on + 10-12 minutes baking
- Yield: One 9x9 pan full, cut as small or as large as you like
- Recipe from the lovely and talented Jen Willahan
- PRINT RECIPE
- PRINT RECIPE WITH PICTURE
- Gingerbread Bars:
- 3/4 C butter, melted
- 1 C sugar
- 1/4 C molasses
- 1 egg
- 2 C flour
- 2 t baking soda
- 1 t cinnamon
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/2 t ginger
- 1/2 t cloves
- Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese (half a brick), softened
- 2 T butter, softened
- 2 C powdered sugar
- 1 T milk
- 1/2 t vanilla
- dash salt
Instructions
1. Pour the melted butter, sugar and molasses into your stand mixer, or large mixing bowl. Beat until well combined.
2. Add the egg and beat until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl toss together all of the dry ingredients.
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the mixer and beat, just until combined.
5. Spray a 9x9 pan with cooking spray and press the dough into it.
6. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, do not over bake. Stick a knife into the center of the bars. If it comes out clean...remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely. The bars will continue to cook a bit as they cool. Once frosted the bars will be put in the fridge for an hour...this will also help the bars to set up and not be too doughy.
7. Mix all frosting ingredients together in your stand mixer. Beat until nice and smooth.
8. Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled bars. Refrigerate for one hour, cut and serve!
Store leftover bars in the fridge, or freezer.
Store leftover bars in the fridge, or freezer.
Enjoy!!!
Notes
***Note: If you would like to double this recipe, use a large jelly roll pan (I used a 11 1/2 by 16 inch pan while experimenting) and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Allow the bars to cool, then frost and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cutting.
Recipe from my sweet sister Jen Derrick
I used an 11 x 16 pan for my double batch and it was way to small. It ended up spilling over the edges and all over the oven. Delicious though!
i baked the single batch in 9x 13 and they were perfectly done at 12 minutes. if that helps anyone with the timing issue. Thanks for a tasty recipe!
These look absolutely amazing. I recently had some chewy ginger cookies that I could not stop eating, and now that they are gone, I’d like to make my own version in bar form. However, I’m sort of a health nut– would I be able to substitute apple sauce for the butter in any way? I use the single-serve apple sauce cups that come out to 1/2 cup…. Thanks!
Lindsey,
I haven’t ever tried it with applesauce as a substitute, so I can’t speak from experience. However, I would suggest using half butter and half apple sauce. Good luck! Let me know if you try it!
~Jamie
i dont have 9X9 PAN… 🙁 only 8×8 or 11×13. any suggestions?
Eloise,
I would go for the 11×13 pan. They turn out pretty thick in a 9×9, so using an 8×8 might be too small. Good luck!
~Jamie
Wow! Your amazing! Thanx for your quick response, as I am fixin’ to make these right now. How long should I bake?
These are great! I made a double recipe without making a smaller pan of them first to try them out. I was glad I did! Everyone loved them at a get-together this month and I’m making them again for Christmas. I did use Duncan Hines buttercream frosting instead of the homemade, but that cream cheese frosting looks really good!.
I made this recipe in my bar pan to take to church this morning. They were a hit! I did double the recipe but baked at 325 for about 15 minutes in my 11×16 bar pan. They did go high on the edges but didn’t burn. I have already had several people ask me for the recipe.
One lady said she had to have it. She ate two and had to cut herself off so others could have some. Lol she wants to make the recipe soon.
My non-sweets loving teen had two bars! These are going to be an addition to all future Christmas cookie trays. I love how fast they were to make and bake and how many servings. The perfect sharing with others recipe,
Made these last night for my ward party and they were a huge hit! Thanks!
I eat gluten free, this recipe sounded so good so I made this recipe and substituted SPELT flour for the flour and added two teaspoons of Xanthum gum. It turned out AMAZING. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank you so much for sharing.
I am not trying to be contrary here…….spelt flour is not gluten free. It is however a whole wheat flour.