Inspired by Candy Lasses, these Gingerbread Bars with Peppermint Frosting are full of peppermint flavor and frosted with vanilla buttercream. Gingerbread and candy cane. It’s a thing. An amazing thing. Don’t knock it till you try it. Originally published December 1, 2014.
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The other night we watched our friend’s kids while they went on a date, and ALL 3 of them had been injured within the first 20 minutes of being in our house. THIS is the way to make friends, in case you are having trouble.
In my defense, their 4-year-old is in the baby-obsessed stage, and cannot leave her 6-month-old brother alone. Cooing, waving toys, rolling him over and over and over across the floor–wait, STOP! No, put him down! GET BACK HERE–! Head smash. Cerebellum’d. Poor baby. It wasn’t me, okay?
Sibling relationships are complex sometimes, I get it. My sister was working in her garden one day, with her new baby asleep in a car seat, which was in the shade by the house. She looked back to find her 2-year-old standing over the baby, both hands raised high above her head, clutching a jagged rock. Like a sacrificial knife.
Well. That’s one way to make sure you stay the baby of the family. Get all crazy eyes.
You’ll love these gingerbread cookie bars
Speaking of crazy eyes, who’s ready for holiday baking?? Guys. These Frosted Peppermint Gingerbread Bars are legit. They might just be my new favorite Christmas treat, ever. They beat Buried Cherry Cookies (barely). They are on par, if not surpassing, the Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake. I made 3 batches in one week.
Don’t be a ginger + peppermint hater. I was dubious too, back when my best friend made these Candy Lasses for me the first time in college. A molasses-y gingery cookie…with candy canes? Uhhh… But I was immediately converted. This year I wanted to try a bar version, because the only thing better than a cookie is a bar.
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“Made these in 2017 for a Christmas dessert – the outcome? Addiction galore! For bars, I would say this is one of the BEST recipes I have tried, hands down, no joke. Pure deliciousness!” – Tamara
Key ingredients
- Lightly dried ginger or powdered ginger. I tested the recipe both ways, and both will work, so use whatever you have on hand.
- Instead of peppermint extract, I used crushed candy canes. The flavor is softer, sweeter, and way more festive (plus they add the cutest little crunch).
How to make gingerbread bars
Start by creaming the butter until it’s nice and light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and beat it again, then mix in the molasses, eggs, and vanilla. Keep mixing until everything is smooth and well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Now for the fun part: crush 8 candy canes in a food processor. I like to throw the lightly dried ginger in there too, just to chop it up a bit, but that’s totally optional.
No food processor? No big deal! Just seal the candy canes in a zip-top bag and give them a good whack with a rolling pin. (Very satisfying.) Stir the crushed candy canes and ginger into the flour mixture, and you’re ready for the next step.
I like the peppermint that goes in the bars to be pretty finely crushed. I crush the sprinkle-on-top candy canes with a rolling pin so they are more even and coarse.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined, but don’t overdo it.
Bake these until a toothpick comes out clean. Just like brownies, these are best when they’re slightly underbaked rather than overbaked.
I highly recommend baking these in a glass pan, which keeps the edges nice and soft. If you’re using a metal pan, expect the bars to bake a few minutes faster, so keep an eye on them.
While the bars are cooling, go ahead and make the frosting. Beat the butter until it’s smooth and creamy, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and salt. Beat it all together until the frosting is light and fluffy.
If it looks a little too thick, add another splash of milk. Too thin? Just add a little more powdered sugar. Just eyeball it.
Spread the frosting over the cooled bars and immediately sprinkle the top with crushed candy canes so they stick. (You can also stir the candy canes directly into the frosting if you prefer.) Slice into squares and try not to eat half the pan before anyone else gets one.
How to store leftover bars
These gingerbread bars stay wonderfully soft for several days, making them a great dessert to bake ahead during the busy holiday season. Store leftover frosted bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If your kitchen is especially warm, or if you want them to last a little longer, refrigerate them for up to 1 week. Just let them sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving so the frosting softens up again.
Can I freeze these?
These bars freeze beautifully! You can freeze them either frosted or unfrosted. Arrange the bars in a single layer on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag with parchment paper between the layers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for a couple of hours on the counter before serving.
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Peppermint Frosted Gingerbread Bars
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup butter, 1 stick plus 2 and 2/3 tablespoons
- 1 & 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 teaspoons Lightly Dried Ginger, or powdered ginger–see note
- 2/3 cup crushed candy canes, about 8
Frosting:
- 3/4 cup butter
- 2 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3-4 crushed candy canes, to stir into frosting or sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 inch glass pan with parchment paper or foil. Spray with nonstick spray if you use foil.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat butter for 1-3 minutes, scraping sides, until light and fluffy.
- Add the brown sugar and beat again.
- Add molasses, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well, scraping sides.
- In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Crush 8 candy canes in a food processor. (I like to add the Lightly Dried Ginger to let it get a little more chopped up, but you don’t have to.) If you don’t have a food processor put them in a ziplock and use a rolling pin. Add the candy cane and the Lightly Dried Ginger to the flour mixture and whisk in.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 27-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Err on the side of under baking, just as you would with brownies.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely. When cool, lift the bars from the pan.
- Meanwhile make the frosting. Beat 3/4 cup butter until smooth, 1-3 minutes (depending on how cold your butter is).
- Add 1 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Beat well. Add more milk or powdered sugar to reach desired consistency. Beat well, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Spread the frosting over the bars. Sprinkle with 3-4 crushed candy canes right away. You could also stir them straight into the frosting. Then stuff your face.
These bars are the best gingerbread I have ever had. So much flavor and so fun with the crushed candy cane in the batter! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy you tried these out Cindy! I never knew peppermint and ginger could be paired together until I was an adult and now I’m obsessed! I’m glad you enjoyed them, thanks so much for taking the time to review and comment!
This recipe sounds so good, but what size glass pan does the recipe use?
Good point Noel I didn’t specify! Sorry about that, I’ve updated the recipe. Make these bars in a 9×13 inch glass pan! or halve the recipe and make in an 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan. Enjoy!
Made these in 2017 for a Christmas dessert – the outcome? ADDICTION GALORE!
I love gingerbread and peppermint, but never thought they would be cohesive together. Boy was I wrong!
For bars I would say this is one of the BEST recipes I have tried hands down – not joke.
I experimented with the candy cane/peppermints – I put them into the batter once, mixed it into the frosting once and then left them plain once and just put them on top of the frosting.
Each time it was still the same outcome – PURE DELICIOUSNESS!
Tamara, I’m so happy you took and chance on this and loved it!! I used to think the same thing about gingerbread and peppermint, and thought my roommate was a total freak when she made these Candy Lasses the first time. But I loved them sooooo much. You have to try those cookies out, they are amazing. Also, I’m glad I’m not the only one thinking about Christmas in July! Yay! :)
Hey Karen! I’m making these for a Christmas Party/Brunch tomorrow morning – nothing like sugar for breakfast, right? I’ll keep you posted!
Gingerbread + candy canes?? After tasting your cranberry + dulce de leche pies, I’m NEVER doubting you and your flavor combos ever again. Those were the BOMB (and I totally wish I had stolen your husband’s one too… no shame), and I bet these were just as incredible. Since you made 3 batches of each. ;) P.S. You need to move over to this side of town so we can trade baked goodies all the time. (And so I can steal your dinner leftovers so I don’t have to cook.) That’s all.