Soft and chewy, these Gingerbread Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are an easy recipe to have on hand for last minute holiday gatherings!

Christmas is less than two weeks away! Are you ready? I’m not. And I’m becoming okay with that.

With all of the hours of driving to find a new home to rent, the packing, the actual moving, the unpacking, oh, and the sickness that just didn’t want to leave my husband and me, this holiday season has been somewhat hectic.

So, instead of being stressed about what’s not done, I’m going to be happy with what has gotten done.

There just may not be as many decorations hung, cookies made, and other traditions fulfilled.

(Or my family may be eating Christmas treats long after Christmas is over because I still want to make all the Christmas treats. . .)

I’ll just slowly work my way through the absolute necessary and be happy with the extra things that I’m able to slip in among the necessary.

One of the extra things that I got done was a batch of these gingerbread bars with eggnog cream cheese frosting.

They weren’t on the traditional list of what needed to be made, but I am sure glad that I took the time to make them. These gingerbread cookie bars are perfectly soft and chewy.

Since gingerbread bars aren’t complete without frosting, I settled on an eggnog cream cheese frosting for these bars.

The spices of the eggnog give the frosting a subtle flavor that ties the flavor of the frosting with the flavor of the gingerbread.

This recipe can easily be doubled and takes very little prep work before you can pop them in the oven.

Perfect recipe to have on hand for last minute holiday gatherings, because making life less stressful is the theme of this holiday season!

More Gingerbread Recipes to Try!

• Bakery Style Gingerbread Muffins
• Glazed Gingerbread Donuts
• Gingerbread Spritz Cookies
• Gingerbread Loaf — The Country Cook

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Gingerbread Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield: 16 bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Soft and chewy, these Gingerbread Bars with Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting are an easy recipe to have on hand for last minute holiday gatherings! Feel free to swap out the eggnog for milk if you don't want the eggnog flavor.

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Ingredients

For the Bars

• 1/2 Cup butter, softened
• 1/2 Cup sugar
• 1/3 Cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 Tablespoons molasses
• 2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Frosting

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/4 Cups powdered sugar
• 1 Tablespoon eggnog***
• sprinkles, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray a 9x9 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, cream together butter and sugars. Add in egg, vanilla, and molasses and beat until creamy.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and beat until combined.
4. Spread batter into prepared baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges just start to turn golden brown. Do not overbake.
5. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
6. While bars are cooling, prepare frosting. Cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in powder sugar and eggnog. Beat until smooth.
7. Spread frosting over cooled bars. Top with sprinkles.

Notes

***Don't like eggnog? You can use regular milk or half & half instead.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Wilton Holiday Sprinkles Assortment, 6.8 oz.
• 
  Nordic Ware 9x9 Baking Pan
• 
  OXO Small Offset Spatula - Batter/Frosting Spreader

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 237Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 232mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 1gSugar: 22gProtein: 3g

Nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and may not always be accurate. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.

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