Description
Deliciously spiced gingerbread cookie bars that are perfect for the holiday season, featuring warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, with a rich molasses flavor and a soft, slightly gooey center.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 egg
Dry Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it is ready for the batter.
- Prepare Pan: Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside to prevent sticking.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and molasses. Beat until creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Using a stand mixer is recommended due to the thickness of the batter.
- Add Egg: Add the egg to the mixture and stir until fully incorporated.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually add baking soda, flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and salt to the wet mixture. Mix until the dough is well combined and thick, resembling cookie dough.
- Spread Dough: Use a silicone spatula or your fingers to spread the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. The edges should be crispy, and the center slightly gooey, but if your oven runs cool, you may need to bake a little longer.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the bars to cool completely before optionally frosting with cream cheese or vanilla frosting and cutting into 15 squares. Add Christmas sprinkles if desired.
Notes
- For frosting, cream cheese or vanilla frosting pairs wonderfully with these gingerbread bars.
- Because ovens vary, monitor baking closely; bars should have crispy edges and a gooey center.
- Using a stand mixer helps manage the thick batter more easily.
- If you want a firmer texture, bake an extra 3-5 minutes, but avoid overbaking to keep the center moist.
- Christmas sprinkles add a festive touch if serving during holidays.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
