These gingerbread chocolate chip cookie bars are such a special holiday treat! They have a chewy gingerbread blondie base and are baked with globs of cookie dough on top. It’s a really quick and easy recipe that gives you...
These gingerbread chocolate chip cookie bars are such a special holiday treat! They have a chewy gingerbread blondie base and are baked with globs of cookie dough on top. It’s a really quick and easy recipe that gives you your gingerbread fix without all of the extra work. Pop a few gingerbread cookies on top for some added flair or leave them as is. They’re just as delicious, flavorful, chewy, and gooey with or without!
Tips for making chewy gingerbread cookie bars
What I love about this recipe is just how dense and chewy these bars are. The texture is everything I look for in a cookie bar, on top of the delicious flavor combination of gingerbread and classic chocolate chip cookie. It’s honestly a match made in heaven.
To ensure yours turn out just as described, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Make sure you measure your flour properly. If you use too much flour, the cookie bars will turn out dry and/or cakey. If you can, measure the flour with a food scale. Otherwise, to ensure you use the exact amount needed, gently spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level if off with a flat edge. If you scoop directly into the flour container, it packs it down into the cup which could leave you with 1/4 cup or more of added flour.
Always test your butter before using it. The cookie dough calls for melted butter, so make sure it has cooled before adding it to the dough. If it’s too warm, the end dough will be too thin. For the gingerbread blondie, the butter must be is at room temperature. There’s a bit more room for error here, but test to ensure it’s at the right softness. Gently press a finger into the butter. If it easily slides in, it’s too soft. If it sinks in with some slight give, it’s ready to go.
Don’t over bake these bars. When they’re ready, the edges will be a veerrry light golden brown and the center will look a bit underdone. But you know they’re ready to take out of the oven when the top no longer looks raw or glossy and it has turned more matte and baked.
How to assemble gingerbread cookie bars
The two doughs have somewhat different consistencies. The gingerbread base is more thin and sticky whereas the cookie dough is thick and dense.
Pairing the two together is what gives you this magical texture of chewy, gooey, dense, and buttery. In order to achieve those layers of texture, the gingerbread blondie is spread out to cover the entire bottom of the pan.
Then, the cookie dough is dolloped on top in random globs. But it’s important to still let some of the gingerbread bottom peak through in order to get that marbled affect on top. To ensure these bars bake flat and even, the cookie dough is gently pressed down to level it off. As the bars bake, the two will melt into each other and flatten out.
Do I need to make homemade gingerbread cookies?
To know that these are GINGERBREAD cookie bars, I adorned the top with tiny homemade gingerbread cookies. Now are these absolutely necessary to the taste and texture of these bars? No. You can just think of them as sprinkles!
But if you’d like to go the extra mile and make these cute little cookies, the full recipe is included in my gingerbread cupcake recipe. They’re really easy to make, they just take a little extra time to allow the dough to chill.
Another option would be to use store bought gingerbread cookies. Just make sure they’re crisp rather than soft.
Gingerbread Cookie Bars FAQs
Can I make this recipe gluten free? I haven’t tested it, but you can try making these gluten free by swapping the flour with an all purpose gluten free baking flour. Just make sure it has xanthan gum in the mix. My favorite is Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 GF Flour.
Do I have to use dark brown sugar? The reason why I use dark brown sugar in this recipe is because of its rich molasses. It boosts the gingerbread flavor of these bars while also making them extra gooey and chewy.
That being said, you CAN use regular light brown sugar, but I highly recommend sticking with dark brown sugar for the biggest flavor pay off.
Do these bars freeze well? Since it makes a big batch, you can freeze the bars once they’ve baked and cooled completely. Simply slice the bars, then wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. Place them in a freezer safe bag where they can keep for up to 2 months.
How do you store gingerbread cookie bars? If you think you and your family and friends can polish these off within a week (it is the holidays after all), these can be stored in an air tight container at room temperature. If you want to keep them longer than 6 days, store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
How to cut the recipe in half
If you want to make these bars for only a few people to enjoy, you can cut this recipe in half, although it can get a bit tricky with the egg. Here are the measurements to bake in an 8×8 baking dish:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
1/2 cup + 6 tbsp (112g) all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup (50g) dark brown sugar
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 large egg (beat a whole egg in a small dish, then take out 2 tbsp to use as 1/2 an egg)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Gingerbread Blondie
1 cups (130g) all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup (100g) dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup (80g) unsulphured molasses
1/2 large egg (beat a whole egg in a small dish, then take out 2 tbsp to use as 1/2 an egg)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Bake in an 8×8 baking dish that has been greased and lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes.
For more Christmas dessert recipes, check out my:
Gingerbread Cupcakes
Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Fudgy Peppermint Brownies
Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake
Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
Peppermint Bark Cookies
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and comment below if you make these Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
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Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Author: Jenna Barnard
Total Time: 1 hour + 1 hour cooling
Yield: 24 bars
Description
Gooey and chewy cookie bars baked with a gingerbread base and topped with globs of chocolate chip cookie dough
Gingerbread Cookies (optional)
Hop on over to my
gingerbread cupcakes for this recipe
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
1 3/4 cup (
225g) all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (
170g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup (
100g) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (
50g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips
Gingerbread Blondie
2 cups (
260g) all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup (
220g) unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup (
200g) dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup (
170g) unsulphured molasses
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
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Gingerbread Cookies (optional)
Before making the bars, you’ll need to bake the mini gingerbread cookies. You can also omit them or use store bought. They’re mainly for aesthetic purposes!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Preheat the oven to 350F and grease and line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.
In a bowl other than your mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a whisk by hand, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
Mix in the egg and vanilla.
Pour in the dry ingredients and fold to combine using a rubber spatula.
Fold in the chocolate chips and transfer the dough to a separate bowl. Now use this mixing bowl to make the gingerbread blondie (no need to wipe it out, just make sure you’ve scraped down the bowl well).
Gingerbread Blondie
In a bowl that is not your main mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and spices. Set aside.
In the mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and molasses until well combined.
Next, mix in the egg and vanilla.
Pour in all of the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Then use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom of the bowl and mix by hand to ensure all of the ingredients are fully combined. It should be a very thick but sticky batter.
Assemble
Add the gingerbread batter to the prepared baking pan and spread it even.
Add globs of the cookie dough on top, leaving gaps to allow the gingerbread base to show through. Gently press the dough flat with your fingers. Sprinkle the top with a few extra chocolate chips if desired.
If you are not adding the gingerbread cookies, bake for a consistent 30-35 minutes. If you are adding the gingerbread cookies, bake the bars for 25 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and lightly press the cookies into the surface (do not add icing before baking). Then continue to bake for another 5-10 minutes.
Allow the bars to cool for 20 minutes at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator for about an hour to chill completely. It’s important that they’re chilled, otherwise the center will be too gooey if sliced into when warm. Once chilled, add the icing to the gingerbread men.
Now slice and enjoy!
Notes
BROWN SUGAR – I highly recommend using dark brown sugar to give these bars a rich and chewy texture. But if you can’t get your hands on some, regular light brown sugar will still work.
HALF RECIPE – See post for modified recipe ingredients to bake in an 8×8 pan.
Prep Time: 30 minutesCook Time: 30 minutes
Keywords: gingerbread cookie bars, gingerbread bars, chocolate chip cookie bars
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