Soft and chewy, these simple Glazed Gingerbread Bars are an easy recipe to have on hand for last minute holiday gatherings!
Gingerbread is my favorite holiday flavor. There’s something about the warm, spicy flavors that make for the perfect cozy combination on cold, blustery days!
Perfectly soft and chewy, these Glazed Gingerbread Bars are what we’ll be enjoying as the snow falls and the festivities pick up!
Not only are these bars a cozy companion on a snow day, they are also a great option for when you need a last minute dessert.
With just a short amount of prep time and 20 minutes to bake, these bars can be thrown together without the need for special ingredients or complicated instructions.
Warm, spicy gingerbread cookie bars topped with a sweet glaze and a smattering of colorful sprinkles are just what your holiday dessert table needs!
How to Make Soft Glazed Gingerbread Bars
Just like the simple ingredients, the steps for making these cookie bars are simple.
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray your 9×9 inch (for thick bars) or 9×13 inch (for thin bars) baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. A 9×11 inch baking dish also work well, if you have one.
You can also line the baking dish with parchment paper, if you want to be able to pull the bars out before cutting them into pieces.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add in the egg, and beat until creamy.
Don’t be afraid to let the mixer go for a solid minute to get the mixture creamy.
Add in the molasses and vanilla extract, and beat until well-combined.
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ground ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until combined.
Spread dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
You’ll want to make sure to smooth out the dough or you will end up with thick and thin pieces. An offset spatula or the bottom of a glass works well for this.
Bake for 15-25 minutes, depending on the size of the baking dish you are using. For a 9×9 inch baking dish, bake for 20-25 minutes. For a 9×13 inch baking dish, bake for 15-20 minutes.
Remove to a wire rack to cool.
While bars are cooling, prepare the glaze. Stir together confectioner’s sugar, 3 teaspoons milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add additional milk, as needed, to reach desired consistency. Top with sprinkles.
Allow glaze to harden, and dig in!
Tips for Making Glazed Gingerbread Bars
- Feel free to use whatever type of molasses you prefer. I used a mild flavor molasses for these bars, but you can use a darker molasses if you prefer a stronger molasses flavor in your gingerbread.
- For thicker bars, use a 9×9 inch baking dish. For thin bars, use a 9×13 inch baking dish. If you have a 9×11 inch baking dish, that will work well, too. Just use the pan that will give you the thickness you like best!
- For even thickness of bars throughout, make sure to smooth the batter once you have it in the pan. I like to use an offset spatula or the bottom of a glass for this.
- Want chewier cookie bars? Bake the bars until a few, moist crumbs appear on a toothpick inserted in the center. Want softer, more cake-like bars? Bake the bars until just one or two crumbs appear on the toothpick inserted in the center.
Love Gingerbread? More Gingerbread Recipes to Try!
Glazed Gingerbread Bars
Soft and chewy, these simple Glazed Gingerbread Bars are an easy recipe to have on hand for last minute holiday gatherings!
Ingredients
For the Bars
- 1/2 Cup butter, softened
- 1/2 Cup brown sugar
- 1/3 Cup sugar
- 1 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 Tablespoons molasses
- 2 1/4 Cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
For the Glaze
- 1 Cup confectioner's sugar
- 3-5 teaspoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9x9 inch, 9x11 inch, or 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.**
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with an electric hand mixer, cream together softened butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Add in eggs and vanilla extract, and beat until creamy. Beat in molasses until combined.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ground ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
- Slowly beat dry ingredients into wet ingredients until combined.
- Spread batter into prepared baking dish. (Using the bottom of a glass to press the dough into the bottom of the pan works well.) Bake for 15-20 minutes if using a 9x13 inch baking dish and 20-25 minutes if using a 9x9 inch baking dish, or until edges just start to turn golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs. Do not over-bake.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool.
- While bars are cooling, prepare glaze.
- Whisk together confectioner's sugar, 3 teaspoons milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add additional milk, as needed, to reach desired consistency.
- Spread glaze over slightly cooled bars. Top with sprinkles, if desired.
- Allow glaze to harden, and cut into bars. Store remaining bars in an airtight container.
Notes
**If you want thick bars, use a 9x9 inch baking dish. If you prefer thin bars, use a 9x13 inch baking dish. The bars shown were baked in a 9x11 inch baking dish.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 28 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 119Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 126mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 0gSugar: 12gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and may not always be accurate. Nutrition values can vary greatly based on brand used. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.
