Iced Gingerbread Bars are quick and easy to whip up. They’re perfect for parties, gifts, and taste so good with a big cup of hot coffee! All ages love this recipe. Any time I take these to a party, they’re gone in a flash. Be prepared to share the recipe for this one, and go ahead and make 2 batches. You’ll be glad you did.
To make removing and cutting the bars easy, I line the 9×13 pan with parchment. See video for details on an easy way to do this. No need to butter or oil the paper. The bars will not stick to the parchment. Be sure to allow the bars to cool fully before cutting. That’s the hardest part of this recipe!
Feel free to make these bars a day or two ahead. The molasses keeps them fresh and chewy. Some like to add one cup of chopped nuts, but I prefer them without nuts. Just chewy , gooey molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice with vanilla glaze. They’re a good kick off treat for the holiday season. Bake some today!
Gift Idea: I like to make these and cut them into smaller bars, 24 bars from a 9×13 pan. You can split up a pan into smaller gift boxes. I like using small white bakery boxes with windows for gift giving. Tie a little bow around the box with baker’s twine or ribbon, and attach a gift tag.
Try adding mix-ins. Chopped nuts, raisins, or even dark chocolate chips are good. I had a friend that wanted these for their birthday cake one year. I made a small batch of buttercream icing and piped “Happy Birthday!” on top. It made a cute gingerbread cookie cake.
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Iced Gingerbread Bars
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 egg
- 3/4 c. melted butter, unsalted
- 1/2 c. molasses
- 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. ginger
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. allspice (or cloves, but I really love allspice!)
For the icing:
- 1 1/2 heaping cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp. milk (more or less, to make a pourable glaze)
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, you can use nonstick spray or butter and flour the pan, but parchment is best.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, egg, melted butter, and molasses. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Mix until all flour is blended in. Dough with be somewhat sticky.
- Using a silicone spatula, press the dough evenly into the parchment lined 9x13 pan. Bake at 325 degrees for about 28 to 30 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on your oven.
- While the bars are baking, make the icing.
For the icing:
- In a bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. The icing should be pourable, but not too thin. Ice the bars as soon as they come out of the oven. Allow to cool fully before cutting into 16 bars. See the video for the perfect icing consistency and spreading technique.
They are so so good! I ued eggnog for the milk in the iceing
I’m glad you tried the recipe! Good idea using eggnog in the glaze. I love eggnog in baking and frosting! Thanks, Ena!