Gingerbread Blondies with Cream Cheese Frosting
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If you’re craving something sweet and festive, our homemade Gingerbread Blondies are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. They’re soft, chewy and bursting with classic gingerbread flavor.
This easy gingerbread blondies recipe features the warm, spiced flavors of gingerbread baked into a rich, chewy bar and topped with a tangy frosting for the perfect balance of sweetness and spice. It’s the ultimate dessert bar!
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We’re sharing tips to help you get the best results with this recipe. If you don’t need the tips, scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and a printable recipe card.
And because you can make a batch in about 40 minutes, it’s an easy dessert option for the busy holiday season. Or add a couple of bars to your cookie trays for a special treat.
But don’t limit this treat to the holidays – my family enjoys this flavorful treat all winter long. Paired with a hot cup of coffee or tea it’s a great way to cozy up on cold winter days.
We love that you can whip up a batch quickly, making them a go-to recipe for holiday parties or cozy nights in. And they’re sure to be a hit with your friends and family so you might want to make a double batch.
If you love gingerbread flavors much as we do, be sure to check out our copycat Starbucks gingerbread loaf and gingerbread cake pops recipes.
What Makes Gingerbread Blondies Unique
This easy recipe is a mashup of two beloved classic desserts – traditional blondies and gingerbread cookies. We’ve taken the classic chewy bar recipe and loaded it with the warm gingerbread spices you love for the ultimate holiday treat.
And we’ve added a tangy frosting for the perfect complement to the sweet bars. Whether you’re a gingerbread fan or a blondie lover, this treat combines the best of both worlds in one bite.
Gingerbread Blondies Ingredients
For the Blondies
- All-purpose flour: the base of your blondie bars.
- Gingerbread spices: ground ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves add warmth and depth of flavor.
- Baking soda: helps the bars rise and bake evenly.
- Salt: enhances all the flavors.
- Light brown sugar: provides sweetness and moisture, crucial for soft, moist crumbs.
- Unsalted butter: make sure to leave time for it to soften.
- Unsulphured molasses: a key ingredient for a more authentic gingerbread flavor.
- Egg: essential for binding everything together.
- Pure vanilla extract: enhances the flavors.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Softened cream cheese: adds tangy richness to the base of your frosting.
- Softened unsalted butter: adds creaminess and makes spreading the frosting easier.
- Powdered sugar: sweetens and stiffens the frosting.
- Clear vanilla extract: keeps the frosting a bright white color.
Get the complete ingredients & directions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Gingerbread Blondies with Frosting
Blondies Directions:
First, set your oven to 350°F. Grab a 13×9 baking dish and line it with parchment paper, leaving some extra paper overhanging on the sides. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, beat softened butter with a hand mixer at medium speed until it’s fluffy. Add the brown sugar and mix until it’s light and combined.
Then, blend in the molasses, egg, and vanilla.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, making sure to scrape the bowl after each addition. Press the dough into your prepared pan.
Bake for 20-22 minutes, checking with a toothpick to see if it’s done (you want to see a few crumbs but not wet batter).
Let the pan cool on a wire rack.
Frosting Directions:
In a large bowl, mix butter and cream cheese until they’re fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners sugar, mixing until you get the consistency you want. Stir in the vanilla.
Use the overhanging parchment to lift the cooled bars from the pan, then cut them into pieces.
Frost each bar (I use an offset spatula for this) and top with extra cinnamon or gingerbread sprinkles if you like.
Tips for Making Perfect Gingerbread Blondies
- Choose quality ingredients: be sure to use real butter rather than margarine.
- Use fresh spices for the best flavor: check the expiration dates to ensure your spices are fresh for best results.
- Use room temperature ingredients: ensure your eggs and butter are softened for better blending and a smoother batter.
- Avoid overmixing the batter: after combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix just enough to bring everything together. If you overmix your blondies will be tough instead of soft.
- Don’t skip the parchment: it helps to lift the whole batch out of the pan without breaking them apart. Plus it makes cleanup easier. If you don’t have parchment paper, grease the pan very well.
- Bake just until set: you want them to be firm around the edges and a little underbaked in the center. Be sure to keep an eye on them the last few minutes of baking to avoid overbaking.
- Sift the powdered sugar: while not required, sifting it will help to create a smooth, silky texture for the frosting.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Add white chocolate chips or chopped nuts to the batter for classic mix-ins.
- For a citrus twist, add a teaspoon of orange or lemon zest to the batter.
- Fold crushed gingersnap cookies into the cake batter for extra texture and spice.
- If you don’t have clear vanilla, you can use regular vanilla but know that the frosting will be a little darker.
- If you’re not a fan of frosting, lightly drizzle the bars with a simple icing or dust with confectioners sugar before serving.
Can I make this dish ahead of time?
Absolutely! And it’s a fantastic idea if you’re planning for a busy holiday season. These treats hold up well for several days, keeping their soft and chewy texture. After baking let them cool completely before covering them tightly or storing in an airtight container.
You can keep unfrosted bars on the counter for two to three days. If you’re looking to extend their freshness or frosting them, pop them in the fridge for up to a week.
Can you freeze gingerbread blondies?
Yes, you can freeze unfrosted gingerbread blondies. Wrap each one individually with plastic wrap. Place the wrapped bars inside a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible.
When properly stored, they’ll keep for up to three months. Just thaw them in the fridge when you’re ready to enjoy a treat again.
What to Serve with Gingerbread Blondies
These dessert bars are tasty on their own but if you’re looking for something a little more special, pair them with freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla or homemade gingerbread ice cream.
Or serve with a hot cup of coffee or whipped hot chocolate for an indulgent finish to a holiday meal or a special treat.
How to Store Leftover Blondies
To keep your blondies moist and prevent them from drying out, it’s best to store them in a single layer in an airtight container.
Unfrosted blondies can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days. Frosted bars will need to be stored in the refrigerator and will keep for up to 7 days.
More easy dessert bar recipes…
Gingerbread Blondies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Blondies
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon , plus more for dusting if desired
- ¾ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup unsalted butter, (2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
- ¼ cup unsulphured molasses
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, (1 block), softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter, (1 stick), softened
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted, **see notes
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract , **see notes
- gingerbread sprinkles, optional
Instructions
Bars
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a 13×9 baking dish with parchment paper, leaving excess paper on the ends, and set aside.
- Whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cloves in a medium bowl.
- Place softened butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until fluffy.
- Add the brown sugar, beating until fluffy and well combined.
- Beat in the molasses, egg and vanilla until well combined.
- Gradually mix in the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
- Press the dough into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack.
Frosting
- Place the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and beat until fluffy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing after each addition, until desired consistency is reached.
- Beat in the vanilla.
- Using the parchment paper overhangs as handles, remove the cooled bars from the pan and cut into desired number of pieces.
- Frost the individual bars and garnish with extra cinnamon or sprinkles if using.
Notes
- Bake the bars until they are firm around the edges and a bit underbaked in the center. Keep a close watch the last few minutes of baking to avoid overbaking.
- Make sure the bars are completely cooled before frosting.
- To avoid a lumpy frosting make sure the butter and cream cheese are softened before mixing.
- Sifting the powdered sugar is optional, but it gives you a smoother frosting.
- I like to use clear vanilla for a whiter frosting, but you can use regular vanilla if that’s what you have on hand.
- Leftover bars should be stored in a single layer in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.
Nutritional Estimate
Nutritional information is provided as a reference, using an online calculator. We recommend verifying the information independently for accuracy.
