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Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Molasses Chocolate Chip Bars
4.6 from 99 votes

Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Molasses Chocolate Chip Bars

These gingerbread bars combine warm spices including ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg with molasses and brown sugar for a rich, soft, and chewy texture. Melted butter and egg create a moist batter studded with semi-sweet chocolate chips, baked in a pan to form dense, fudgy bars. The bars have a deep molasses flavor complemented by sweet chocolate throughout, making them a comforting seasonal treat.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
34 mins
Additional Time
21 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Course: Baked Goods

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter 1 stick, melted, unsalted
  • 1 egg large
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup unsulphered light molasses or medium molasses
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon cloves ground
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • pinch salt optional to taste
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups chocolate chips divided, semi-sweet

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
  2. In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
  3. Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, optional salt, and whisk until smooth.
  4. Add the flour and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
  5. Stir in 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips.
  6. Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
  7. Evenly sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips over the top, pressing them down very lightly with a spatula.
  8. Bake for about 32 to 34 minutes, or until done. I prefer them very moist, soft, and fudge-like, and baked for 32 minutes (shown in photos). If you prefer more well-done, dryer bars, bake for a few minutes longer; noting baking times may vary widely with this recipe based on personal preferences. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter; however, it will be hard to find a clean patch to test because you’ll likely hit chocolate. Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 30 to 60 minutes before slicing and serving; I prefer to let these bars rest overnight so the flavors marry and the chocolate fully sets, at which point they’re fudge-like. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.