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Small-batch baking recipes have become a specialty of mine over the past few years. And with the holidays approaching and cookie season upon us, adding these festive gingerbread cookie bars to my holiday recipe collection was a no-brainer. These small batch chewy gingerbread cookie bars are a low-effort, high-reward treat I’ve been loving: it's a one-bowl recipe that feeds two to four and takes no time to whip together. In less than 30 minutes, you'll have perfectly spiced, chewy gingerbread cookie bars perfect for any holiday gathering or cookie exchange.
Cookie bars, if you are unfamiliar, are exactly what they sound like... a cookie that's in bar form. Instead of the traditional way of making a cookie, forming little balls on a sheet pan and baking them, all the dough gets pressed into a baking pan and baked; the result is soft baked cookie bars!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butter: The one and only. All good cookie recipes need it.
- Granulated sugar: This recipe uses just three tablespoons of sugar!
- Light brown sugar: Just one tablespoon is needed; feel free to replace with an equal amount of dark brown sugar.
- Molasses: Make sure to use unsulphured dark molasses; Grandma's brand is my favorite. Do not use blackstrap molasses.
- Sour cream: This helps keep our gingerbread cookie bars moist and adds the slightest bit of tang. You can use an equal amount of Greek yogurt instead. Note: if doubling the recipe, you can replace the sour cream with one large egg yolk.
- Vanilla: I like to use vanilla bean paste; however, you can use an equal amount of vanilla extract.
- All-purpose flour: Only 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour is needed!
- Baking soda: Helps leaven our cookie bars and creates a soft, chewy texture.
- Salt: Cookie bars made without salt can taste a little flat, so don’t skip it!
- Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, & cloves: For perfectly spiced gingerbread bars.
The cream cheese frosting that goes on top is delicious (and easy to make) too! You'll just need butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt.
How to Make Small Batch Gingerbread Cookie Bars
Note: I post my recipes in grams as it’s the most accurate way to bake, and it’s how I develop them. Cups are not only inaccurate, but they vary in volume worldwide! If you look at the recipe card underneath the ingredients list, however, you can click “US Customary” and it’ll convert to volume measures!
Remember to tag me @mikebakesnyc on Instagram and leave a rating + review below if you make these Small Batch Chewy Gingerbread Cookie Bars!
Small Batch Chewy Gingerbread Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 28 g unsalted butter melted
- 36 g granulated sugar
- 15 g light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 28 g unsulphured dark molasses (don't use blackstrap)
- 15 g sour cream
- 63 g all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ batch cream cheese frosting
- garnish: sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a 1-lb (8x4-inch) loaf pan or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla, molasses, and sour cream until well combined.
- Add in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt and use a rubber spatula to fold until just combined. The dough will be very thick.
- Once combined, wet your hands slightly (to prevent sticking) and then press the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the center is set and no longer jiggles when you shake the pan.
- Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, top with the cream cheese frosting and holiday sprinkles, if using, then slice into bars. Cover and store leftover bars in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Stacey
I made a double batch of these last week and I’ll be making them again tomorrow! I live overseas so this recipe was basic enough to find simple substitutions without compromising the gingerbread flavor - honestly that’s harder than it sounds. I’m very pleased! Thanks!
Mike Johnson
Glad to hear you were able to sub ingredients and still end up with a tasty result!!
MG
Delicious and easy to make!
Mike Johnson
Glad you liked em! 🙂
Lougal
Unfortunately in America we don't measure by grams could not make this recipe
Mike Johnson
I'm in America and I measure by grams (as does most of the world), so that's just not true. In any event, the blog post specifies that if you look at the recipe card underneath the ingredients list you can click “US Customary” and it’ll convert to volume measures! 🙂
Spencer
you're out of your mind lougal
Ellie Fox
This is the funniest comment I've ever seen on a baking recipe.