• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Sugared & Stirred

dairy-free. still delicious.

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Bars + Brownies
    • Breads
    • Cake
    • Cookies
    • Gluten-Free
    • Ice Cream + Popsicles
    • Pies + Pastries
    • Vegan
  • About
  • Contact
  • Resources
    • FAQ
    • Shop
    • Work with Me

cookie bars

Ginger Molasses Cookie Bars with Frosting (DF)

December 3, 2019 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

What’s better than a fresh-baked, soft ginger cookie around this time of year? Frosted ginger cookie bars! They have all the great flavors of a traditional soft ginger molasses cookie, but they’re easier and quicker to bake! Plus they’re topped with a dreamy vanilla buttercream frosting made with vegan butter. And you don’t miss out on any chewiness, because these bars have it all – soft and chewy!

The recipe for these cookie bars involves a simple dough. No refrigeration is required as the dough gets immediately pressed into a baking dish – like I said, easy. Once the bars have totally cooled, you’ll whip up my favorite vegan buttercream with just a handful of ingredients – an easy, no-fail, can’t-tell-it’s-vegan frosting. If you love molasses, spicy ginger, and the sweetness of a sugary frosting, then these bars are for you! Top them with your favorite sprinkles for an extra festive feel!

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe:

Coconut sugar is my favorite low GI, unrefined sugar. It makes for a great replacement for granulated sugar and tastes nothing like coconut. It tastes less sweet than regular sugar, which balances out the sweetness of the frosting on these bars.

Solid coconut oil beats together with the coconut sugar like in a traditional cookie dough. Feel free to use softened vegan butter instead. I don’t recommend melted (or liquid) coconut oil as I don’t know how the bars would turn out.

Egg yolk adds an extra bit of chewiness to these bars!

Vegan butter acts as the perfect dairy-free alternative to regular butter in this frosting. It’s delicious and creates the perfect frosting texture! Plus, nobody can tell the frosting is vegan!

Vegetable shortening stabilizes the vegan butter, giving it the perfect texture to swirl your frosting on top of the cookie bars!

Yield: 16 Bars

Ginger Molasses Cookie Bars with Frosting

Ginger Molasses Cookie Bars with Frosting

Soft cookie bars flavored with spicy ginger and sweet molasses - all topped with a simple, dairy-free buttercream frosting. A festive and delicious holiday treat!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours

Ingredients

Bars

  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 2/3 cup coconut oil, solid
  • 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 2 cups + 2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Frosting

  • 1/3 cup vegan butter stick, softened
  • 3 Tbsp vegetable shortening (or more vegan butter)
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 3-5 tsp plant-based milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare an 8x8" baking dish with non-stick spray + parchment paper. I like to cut one long strip of paper, folding the excess over two of the edges and trimming. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together the coconut sugar and solid coconut oil. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and molasses; set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add dry ingredients to wet and use a large wooden spoon or spatula to combine. The dough may seem dry, but it will come together with enough mixing (and may even seem greasy).
  4. Press the dough into your prepared baking dish, using your fingers or the back of a spoon to smooth out the top. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, being careful not to over bake the bars - you want them nice and chewy!
  5. Allow bars to cool in the dish for at least an hour. Gently remove the whole cookie bar by running a butter knife along the edges without parchment paper, and then using the excess parchment paper to lift the bar up and out of the dish. Allow cookie bar to cool completely on a cooling rack.
  6. Once the bar is cool, you can make the frosting. Beat together the vegan butter and shortening until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract and then the powdered sugar. Add plant-based milk 1 tsp at a time until the frosting reaches a spread-able, but still-thick-enough-to-create-swirls, consistency.
  7. Scrape all of the frosting onto the cookie bar and use an offset spatula to evenly spread over the surface, making swirls as you go along. Top with sprinkles or other topping of your choice.
  8. Slice into 16 bars, wiping your knife clean between each slice. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Wooden Spoon Set
    Wooden Spoon Set
  • 8-Inch Square Glass Baking Dish
    8-Inch Square Glass Baking Dish
  • Icing Spatula Set
    Icing Spatula Set

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 254Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 157mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 0gSugar: 25gProtein: 1g

calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Bars

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Filed Under: Bars, Dairy-free Tagged With: cookie bars, frosted cookie bars, ginger molasses, ginger molasses cookies, holiday cookie bars, holiday cookies

Primary Sidebar

Meet Rachael

Hi! I’m Rachael, a home baker who creates dairy-free, indulgent treats. As a sweets lover and former candy addict, I believe we shouldn’t have to give up everything we love in pursuit of wellness. That’s why I create delicious and approachable desserts that you can enjoy, in moderation, no matter your goals! Because, let’s face it, sometimes you just need a giant slice of frosted cake, sans guilt! Read More…

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Never miss a recipe!

Instagram

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies — save these for when your mid-week cookie craving hits 🍪🥛
Ultra fluffy Coconut Cake!! Three 6” layers of homemade coconut flavored cake with coconut buttercream — all wrapped up with plenty of shredded coconut for maximum flavor 🥥✨
Easy, one-bowl Coconut Lime Cookies packed with SPRING flavor! Add your fave chocolate chips and enjoy these soft-baked cookies ☺️
Thin Mint Cookies 🌱 Snappy chocolate peppermint cookies with a dark chocolate peppermint coating — a homemade version of the cookie we all know and love 🤎
Quick & simple Double Chocolate Banana Cookies with a *real* cookie texture! These chocolate cookies use mashed banana in place of eggs for a lovely banana flavor (without sacrificing texture — no cakey cookies here) 🍌✨
Fan of cookie bars? You’ll love these Peanut Butter Cookie Bars with chocolate chips and a sprinkling of sea salt (optional!) 🥜🧂
✨NEW✨ Ginger Kale Smoothie — a zippy, nutritious drink based off the beloved green smoothie from Jamba Juice. With bright lemon, nutrient-dense kale, and frozen fruit, this flavorful smoothie makes for a perfect snack 🥭
It’s officially spring, which means I’m ready for all things FRUITY 🫐🍑✨
These Healthier Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins are lightly-spiced, perfectly fluffy, and vegan-friendly 🌱 With a 5-star rating over on the blog, I think you’re gonna love them! 🌟

Top Recipes

  • Egg Yolk Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
  • Peanut Butter Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
  • Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Big Chocolate Chip Cookies for Two
  • Double Chocolate Banana Cookies

Footer

Connect with Me

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework

 

Loading Comments...