Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting | Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free
Happy Wednesday! ♥️ I’m so excited to share today’s recipe with you all. These gluten-free and dairy-free gingerbread cookie bars are to die for! I’m already a big fan of gingerbread, but this new recipe is the only way I’ll want to eat it from now on! I filmed a fun bake with me for my Vlogmas video yesterday, so if you’re coming here from Vlogmas, Hi! 😊 
These gingerbread cookie bars take no time or effort to make! It’s one of those “throw all the ingredients in a bowl” type of recipes I like to make. If you have any small parties, cookie exchanges, or want something to bake on a cozy night, these are it! They’re such elegant and pretty cookie bars! I told Kyle last night that these are going to be a Christmas staple from now on. I always make my OG recipes like peanut brittle and oatmeal cream pies, but these will be sticking around for years to come. Of course, he wasn’t too mad about it.
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 Gluten-Free Flour
- 2 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Tsp Ground Ginger
- 1/2 Tsp Allspice
- 1/4 Tsp Cloves
- 1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
Cream Cheese 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.
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, cream cheese, and egg substitute. I did accidentally make the first batch with garbanzo bean flour on my vlogmas video, but they surprisingly turned out tasting ok. The regular gluten-free flour was much better with consistency, though! 
I cannot wait to hear how these turn out for you! Make sure to tag me in your pics so I can see and share! 😊 I have a few other holiday recipes coming your way! And if you want to see me make this, make sure to head over to my vlogmas channel, where I’m posting vlogs every single day in December! 💜
Questions for you!
- Do you like gingerbread but dislike ginger?
- 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!