These gingerbread bars are are an incredibly soft and chewy Christmas dessert. Because they are so simple to make, they are a great alternative to making individual gingerbread men. However, you can use the same recipe to do cut out gingerbread cookies (find my recipe here.) It’s a family recipe that always has me recalling Christmas scenes at my grandma’s house where the coffee was hot and the laughter loud.

In my opinion, the cinnamon frosting rounds this dessert out to be the perfect balance of sweet and spiced. The bars are a chewy version of the beloved gingerbread man cookie, and offer the right balance of spice, sweet and molasses. Finally, I top it off with the same buttercream frosting recipe I use to frost cakes, but with the addition of cinnamon to bring all the Christmas flavors together.

This recipe yields one 9×13″ pan. If you intend to keep them longer than a day or two, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container. From my kitchen to yours, cheers to all your holiday baking and Christmas gatherings!

Ingredients: Gingerbread

• 1 cup room temp butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 room temp eggs
• 5 cups AP flour (gluten free: sub a 1:1 gluten free flour)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. all spice
• 1 tsp. cloves

Frosting

• 1 stick room temp butter
• 1 lb. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup whole milk (more if needed if the frosting is too thick)
• 2 tsp. cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×13″ pan with nonstick spray.
2. Mix the first four ingredients well.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix for 1 minute until well incorporated.
4. Spread the dough evenly in the pan, gently pressing to even it out.
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Let cool completely.
7. Meanwhile make the frosting. Combine all ingredients in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk together for 4 minutes. Spread on cooled bars. Cut + enjoy!

Be sure to tag me on Instagram if you make this recipe @girlmeetskitchen and use #girlmeetskitchen