Gingerbread Cookie Bars Cream Cheese Frosting
Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting(a gluten-free & dairy-free recipe)
Christmas Baking
I’m so excited to share today’s recipe with you all. These gluten-free and dairy-free gingerbread cookie bars are amazing. They’ve already landed in my top five favorite Christmas desserts. I’m such a big fan of anything gingerbread, and this recipe has officially ruined me for all others. It’s the only way I’ll want to eat gingerbread from now on!
These bars don’t have to be gluten-free or dairy-free. You can easily make them with regular flour, regular butter, and regular cream cheese. I do that all the time now.
Delicious and Easy Frosted Gingerbread Bar Recipe:
These gingerbread cookie bars take no time or effort to make! It’s one of those “throw everything into one bowl” recipes that I love so much. If you have a small party coming up, a cookie exchange to prep for, or you just want something delicious to bake on a cozy night in, these are it. They’re simple, elegant, and so pretty once they’re sliced. I told my husband last night that these are officially becoming a Christmas staple. I always make my OG classics like sugar cookies and oatmeal cream pies, but these gingerbread bars are here to stay.
I never appreciated gingerbread recipes until I got older, but now, I just can’t get enough! Even most people who don’t like ginger still like gingerbread cookies.
Gingerbread Cookie Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting | Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- 1/2 Cup Butter I used earth balance vegan butter
- 3/4 Cup Sugar or monk fruit
- 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar Packed
- 1/3 Cup Molasses
- 1 Tsp Vanilla
- 1 Large Egg or egg substitute
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour or all-purpose flour
- 2 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 Tbsps Ground Cinnamon
- 2 Tsps Ground Ginger
- 1/2 Tsp Allspice
- 1/4 Tsp Cloves
- 1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese I used Kite-Hill dairy-free
- 1/2 Cup Butter I used Earth Balance
- 1 Tsp Vanilla
- 4 Cups Powdered Sugar add more to thicken
Instructions
Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees
- Melt the stick of butter and add it to a large mixing bowl with the sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and vanilla. Stir the mixture until all the ingredients are combined. Lightly mix in the egg.
- In a separate large bowl, sift together the gluten-free flour, salt, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
- Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until a dough-like batter is formed.
- In a greased 9 x 13 baking pan, evenly distribute the batter, and press the dough down with your fingers.
- Bake for 25 minutes. If the edges start to turn brown, cover with tin foil.
- Let the gingerbread cool down for an hour before adding frosting. You can store the gingerbread in the fridge to speed up the cooldown.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the chilled butter, vanilla, and cream cheese to an electric mixer. Mix on medium-high until the butter is smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar on a low speed. Add extra powdered sugar to thicken up the frosting.
- Once the bars are completely cooled down, spread the frosting evenly over the bars. Decorate with sprinkles, slice, and serve! Store in the refrigerator.
More Christmas Recipes to Try From Simply Taralynn:
The Best Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls: Easy Overnight Recipe
Soft & Chewy Frosted Gingerbread Cookies
Chewy Frosted Orange Ginger Molasses Cookies
Cranberry Orange Almond Cake with Mascarpone Buttercream
The Best Peanut Butter Fudge with Oreos| Easy to Make
Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies with Chai Latte Buttercream Filling
4-Ingredient Cinnamon Sticky Buns | A Breakfast Tradition!
Frosted Gingerbread Muffins
Lemon Poppy Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Filling
Grandpa’s Gumdrop Cookies
Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies with Marshmallow Buttercream
The texture of these bars is perfect! The icing melts in your mouth, the cookie is soft as a brownie, and the edges are heavenly flaky. If you want to use replacements for ingredients, you can do so with this recipe. It’ll work for regular flour, butter, and cream cheese.
I cannot wait to hear how these turn out for you! I have a few other holiday recipes coming your way!
Questions for you!
- What is your favorite Christmas flavor?
- What is one dessert you have on your staples list in December?
Well I know what I’m making this weekend and for my family Christmas get together 😍
YES YES YES!!
They look really yummy! May O ask where you bought your pretty blue 9×13 pan you used to cook the gingerbread bars?
Home Goods!! They always get me!
These look so good – so cheery as well – and we all need a little holiday cheer this year! ❤️✨
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Thanks, Charmaine!!!
Can I use maple sryup instead of molasses?
You can try but I have not used it as a replacement! Molasses is a lot thicker so the texture may be a bit different!
LOVE ginger and like gingerbread. But LOVED watching you make these on Vlogmas (I’m really enjoying vlogmas this year by the way- it helps to see you doing lots of normal and I even got off the couch to do the santa sweat workout with you guys last weekend). I’m not sure I’m going to attempt these this year but I can see myself trying them this winter sometime esp the dairy-free cream cheese frosting!
Staple December dessert… I LOVE chocolate covered caramels. We actually picked up a special box of them for ourselves a few weeks ago when we were getting gifts for others though I adore when people send me a special box from somewhere i haven’t tried as a holiday present. If I see harry and davids pears in the breakroom I always grab one. And I like sampling Christmas cookies and cupcakes from platters when I find them in there too lol….so, I guess that’s a holiday staple…
Thank you, Jenny!!
ohhh chocolate covered caramels sound good!
I made these today– I love anything gingerbread. They were so yummy and had a nice, chewy texture! I didn’t even make the frosting, they were great all by themselves. I used regular all purpose flour since I don’t need to be gluten free. I think they might also be good with just a drizzle of confectioners’ sugar glaze if you don’t want to indulge in the frosting. They were so good, I sent my three daughters the recipe. At least one of them will be glad to have a nice gluten free recipe. Thanks!
Hi, Karen!
Thank you for leaving your feedback! That always helps me with recipes 😊 I lovoe. the idea of adding a drizzle of sugar! I’ll have to try that next time! ♥️ Thank you!!!
My roommate tagged me in your gingerbread post on Instagram a few days ago and I surprised her by baking these bars last night. I don’t like anything with ginger in it but this recipe had me convinced otherwise. Where has ginger been all my life? The frosting was perfect for me with a dairy allergy and it’s hard to find replacements that taste good. I am going to make these bars for my church bake sale this weekend. Thank you for sharing this recipe and I’m excited to have found your blog. Merry Christmas.
Hi, Linda!
😊 That is such a sweet comment and what a nice roommate you are!!! Thank you for sharing the feedback with me and I’m so happy you found my blog! Please let me know who the bakesale goes this weekend!
💕 💕 Taralynn
Outstanding recipe! I will be making these again on Christmas Eve.
yay!!!!
I still have these on my to-bake list after seeing these on your Instagram. They look SO good!
Make Life Marvelous
OHHH they are so good! making another batch today!
These are amazing! I love gingerbread but didn’t want to go through all hassle of making cut out cookies this year. After making this recipe, I will never make cookies again haha! Even my family, who doesn’t particularly love gingerbread, loved these bars! I used real butter and cream cheese and made half the amount of frosting that the recipe calls for. Delish!
Hi, Jen!
This comment made my day! I’m overjoyed with how much you loved this recipe! ♥️ I’m making these again tonight for my Christmas box!
I made these for a Christmas Party. I can’t have gluten or dairy but have never attempted any kind of Ginger cookies or bars! I followed your recipe exactly as you had it. Amazingly Good! My son said he loved them.( he’s my taste tester since he has no allergies ) I can’t wait to share with everyone tomorrow!
Hi!
I really want to try these, but what should I use as an egg replacer? aquafaba, flax eggs, or Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer powder for leavening?
Thanks so much!