Description
These Chewy Gingerbread Cookie Bars are a delightful twist on traditional gingerbread cookies, featuring a soft and chewy texture packed with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Perfect for holiday gatherings or anytime you crave a comforting spiced treat, these bars are easy to prepare and bake in a single pan.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it to prevent sticking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer or whisk to cream the softened unsalted butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined.
- Add wet ingredients: Beat in the egg, molasses, and pure vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and fully incorporated.
- Combine dry and wet mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft and sticky dough forms without any streaks of flour.
- Spread dough in pan: Transfer the dough into the prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly and smoothing the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The edges should be set and the center should come out mostly clean when tested with a toothpick.
- Cool and slice: Allow the gingerbread bars to cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, slice into 16 evenly sized bars for serving.
Notes
- Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature for easy creaming with the sugars.
- Do not overbake; the center should remain slightly sticky for chewy texture.
- You can substitute molasses with dark corn syrup but it will slightly change the flavor.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- For added texture, consider folding in 1/2 cup chopped nuts or crystallized ginger before baking.
