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These Gingerbread Blondies are soft, chewy, and full of warm holiday spices, topped with a creamy frosting. If you love blondies, you’ll love this festive twist on a classic treat.
Cozy Holiday Gingerbread Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
When you need an easy holiday dessert, these Gingerbread Blondies are it! They’re made with brown sugar, molasses, and cozy spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. They capture everything you love about classic gingerbread in bar form. Topped with a rich cream cheese frosting, these blondies are festive, simple to make, and perfect for Christmas parties, cookie exchanges, or cozy nights at home.
Ingredients
Here is everything you need to make these blondies, along with a few substitution recommendations.
Ingredients
Why & Tips
Substitutions & Tweaks
All-purpose flour (3 ¾ cups)
Provides structure; the large amount helps the blondies hold shape when sliced.
For gluten-free: try a 1:1 GF flour blend (with xanthan gum) and reduce baking time slightly.
Ground ginger (2 ½ tsp)
Delivers the signature gingerbread warmth.
Increase to 3 tsp for stronger ginger flavor; use fresh grated ginger (~1 Tbsp) for a sharper note.
Ground cinnamon (1 ½ tsp)
Balances ginger with sweet warmth; also nice dusting on top.
Use up to 2 tsp if you love cinnamon.
Baking soda (¾ tsp)
Helps these blondies rise just enough and keeps them from being too dense.
Don’t substitute baking powder without adjusting flour/liquid.
Salt (¾ tsp)
Enhances overall flavor; important when you have sweet frostings.
If using salted butter, reduce to ½ tsp.
Ground nutmeg (½ tsp)
Adds depth and warmth beyond the ginger and cinnamon.
Freshly grated nutmeg is ideal; skip if none on hand.
Ground cloves (½ tsp)
Gives that almost gingerbread–cookie vibe.
Can omit if you dislike cloves—or use all-spice (½ tsp) instead.
Light brown sugar, packed (1 ½ cups)
The molasses content adds chewiness and richness.
Dark brown sugar will deepen flavor (and make bars slightly denser).
Unsalted butter, melted & cooled (1 cup)
Provides richness and helps the blondies set.
For vegan: use vegan butter or coconut oil (note texture will vary).
Molasses (¼ cup)
The gingerbread key ingredient—deep, rich, full of holiday flavor.
If unavailable: use dark corn syrup + 2 Tbsp honey (not exactly same but workable).
Large egg, room temperature (1)
Binds everything and adds a little lift.
For vegan: use flax egg (1 Tbsp flaxmeal + 3 Tbsp water) but texture will be slightly different.
Vanilla extract (2 tsp)
Enhances all the flavors and rounds out the spice.
For the frosting: tangy and rich balance to the sweet blondies.
Use dairy-free cream cheese for vegan version; reduce slightly if very soft.
Unsalted butter, softened (½ cup)
Adds fluff and smoothness to frosting.
Use vegan butter for dairy-free.
Powdered sugar (3 ½–4 cups, sifted)
Creates a creamy sweet frosting texture.
If you prefer less sweet: start with 3 cups and adjust.
Clear vanilla extract (1 tsp)
Keeps frosting bright white and adds subtle vanilla note.
Use standard vanilla if clear not available, but frosting may tint slightly off-white.
How To Make Gingerbread Blondies
Whisk together the dry and wet ingredients, combine, and press into the pan to bake. Frost the blondies, slice, and serve.
Let me show you how:
Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves.
Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in molasses, egg, and vanilla until combined.
Combine: Gradually stir in dry ingredients until dough forms, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Line & Transfer Dough: Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy lifting. Press dough evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake and Cool: Bake in a preheated 350°F (177°C) oven for 20–22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. Let blondies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack (about 1½ hours).
Make frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Beat in vanilla.
Frost and cut: Spread frosting evenly over the cooled blondies. Use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out of the pan, then slice them into 24 bars.
Recipe Tips
Powdered sugar: Sifting is optional, but it makes for a smoother frosting.
Vanilla: Clear vanilla keeps the frosting bright white, but regular vanilla works fine.
Don’t overmix once dry ingredients are added: Overmixing can lead to tougher blondies. Mix until just combined.
Cool completely before frosting: If the blondies are even slightly warm, the frosting will melt and slide off. Patience pays off!
Baking at Altitude Adjustments
If you are baking at high altitude (above about 3,000 feet/900 meters):
Slightly increase baking time by 3-5 minutes or until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Reduce baking soda slightly (e.g., from ¾ tsp to ⅔ tsp) because leavening rises more at altitude.
Increase the oven temperature by about 15 °F (so bake at about 365 °F) to help set the edges faster.
Reduce the sugar by about 1 to 2 Tbsp (sugars can weaken structure at altitude).
These Gingerbread Blondies are soft, chewy, and packed with cozy holiday spice. Topped with creamy frosting, they’re a festive twist you’ll make year after year.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13×9-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth and well combined.
Beat in molasses, egg, and vanilla until incorporated.
Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, scraping down the sides as needed, until dough forms.
Press dough evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.
Frosting
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy.
Gradually add powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, until smooth and spreadable.
Beat in vanilla extract.
Spread frosting evenly over cooled blondies.
Use parchment overhang to lift blondies from the pan. Cut into 24 bars.
Notes
Storage, Freezing & Make-Ahead
Store frosted blondies in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Unfrosted blondies (before you add the frosting) can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
To freeze: wrap individual bars or the whole slab tightly in plastic wrap and then foil; thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature and frost (if not already frosted).
Make-ahead option: Bake the blondie base ahead of time (up to a day or two). Once cooled, leave unfrosted, cover and store. Frost just before serving for freshest look.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
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Gingerbread Blondies Recipe FAQs
Can I make these Gingerbread Blondies ahead of time?
Yes, you can make the blondies the day before you need them, without frosting them, and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Frost them just before serving.
How do I know when the blondies are done baking?
Insert a toothpick in the center of the blondies. If it comes out clean, the blondies are done baking. The edges will be set. Do not overbake, in order to help keep the blondies soft and chewy.
What type of molasses should I use?
You will want to use an unsulfured molasses for the best results. I do not recommend using blackstrap molasses, as it is too bitter-tasting for these blondies.
