Gingerbread Cookie Cheesecake Bars
User Reviews
4.6
Gingerbread Cookie Cheesecake Bars
Description
This recipe starts with a gingerbread cookie dough containing butter, brown and granulated sugars, molasses, eggs, and a mix of warm spices such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. The dough is partially reserved to form a crust pressed into a baking pan. A feeling of richness comes from the molasses and soft butter, giving a deep gingerbread flavor with a tender crumb after baking.
The cheesecake layer consists of softened cream cheese, sugar, flour, eggs, and vanilla extract, whipped smooth and poured over the cookie crust. Once baked, this layer forms a creamy, slightly firm filling contrasting with the spiced cookie base and topping. The bars cool and set, resulting in a dessert that combines cheesecake sweetness with aromatic gingerbread spices.
The recipe advises lining the pan with parchment paper for easy removal and suggests adjusting oven temperature if using glass pans. The bars freeze well cut into squares and soften post-baking and chilling if the cookie part feels too firm initially. Using unsulphured molasses rather than blackstrap avoids overly strong flavors and maintains desirable texture.
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cookie Dough:
- 1 ½ cups butter salted, softened
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup unsulphured molasses not black strap
- 2 egg large
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves ground
Cheesecake Layer:
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 egg large
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper with overhang on both long sides (to easily remove the bars). Grease the parchment paper and sides of pan with nonstick cooking spray. If using a glass pan, you might want to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.
- For the cookie dough, in the bowl of an electric stand mixer or with a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar, until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the molasses and eggs and mix until well combined.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves, and mix until no dry streaks remain (don't over mix).
- Reserve 2 cups of the dough (about 20 ounces) and set aside. Press the remaining dough in the bottom of the prepared pan.
- For the cheesecake layer, in the bowl of an electric stand mixer or with a handheld electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and flour and mix until well-combined, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Spread the cheesecake batter over the gingerbread cookie dough in the pan. Crumble the reserved gingerbread cookie dough over the top of the cheesecake layer in small pieces.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes until the edges are set - cover the top loosely with foil after the first 30 minutes to prevent the cookie dough from browning too much on top. The center may still jiggle slightly, that's ok. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the center should read 175 to 180 degrees F.
- Let the bars cool completely in the pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours. Remove the bars from the pan, cut into squares and serve.
Notes
- Use unsulphured molasses, not black strap, to avoid overpowering flavor and texture issues.
- Line the baking pan with parchment for easy removal; reduce oven temperature by 25°F if using a glass pan.
- The bars freeze well when cut into squares, making them suitable for make-ahead storage.
- If cookie dough feels hard after baking, it softens after cooling and chilling under cover.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 24bars
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 bar | |
| Calories | 365kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 46g | 15% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 19g | 29% |
| Saturated Fat | 11g | 55% |
| Cholesterol | 79mg | 26% |
| Sodium | 289mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 31g | 62% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
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