Gingerbread Brownies give you a rich, dense, and chewy texture like a brownie with the comforting, spicy, and sweet flavors of gingerbread. They are perfect to add to your desserts for your Christmas menu or whenever you crave a gingerbread treat! I also have a Gingerbread Loaf that you will love and get you in the mood for the holidays!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Butter: Unsalted butter is melted before being blended with the brown sugar. This gives the brownies a much denser texture. Plus, you don’t need to get out any mixer, so it’s easier, too! If using salted butter, you may want to lessen the amount of salt in the recipe. It’s the same method used for my Blondie recipe.
Brown Sugar: Only light brown sugar is used in the recipe (no granulated sugar). It contributes a caramel-like sweetness with a subtle molasses flavor. If substituting dark brown sugar, it will result in a different flavor and texture.
Molasses: Molasses is a signature ingredient in gingerbread recipes. Look for unsulphured molasses. Unsulphured molasses (regular molasses) is richer, thicker, and sweeter than sulphured. It is made with fewer preservatives because it is made with more mature sugarcane. Sulphured molasses has added sulfur dioxide to the younger sugarcane, which can alter the flavor of the recipe. There is also a variety of molasses called blackstrap. Do not substitute molasses in a recipe (including this one) for blackstrap unless the recipe is very specific about using it.
Spices: Ginger and cinnamon are the spices that work together to create a well-balanced and complex flavor profile in gingerbread. Ginger brings the spice, and cinnamon adds a sweet, warm touch (or should I say, taste) to each bite.
Confectioners’ Sugar: Sprinkling confectioners’ sugar over the cooled gingerbread brownies adds a bit of sweetness. It also looks really nice! However, the brownies are really good without the dusting of sugar, too!
Optional Toppings
We loved these gingerbread brownies with just a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. But, you could certainly experiment with other toppings, too! Here are a few options you could try:
- Cream Cheese Frosting (from my Cinnamon Roll Blondies)
- Whipped Cream
- Toasted Nuts (like pecans or walnuts)
- Caramel Sauce
- Chocolate Chips: Mix them into the batter or sprinkle over the tops of the brownies.
How To Store Gingerbread Brownies
To store gingerbread brownies, first, let them cool completely. Next, cut them into your desired-sized pieces. Then, store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature. They will last up to 2-3 days. If stored in the refrigerator, the bars will last up to a week.
Can I Freeze Gingerbread Brownies?
Yes, you can freeze gingerbread brownies. First, let them cool completely. Next, cut them into the size you prefer. Then, wrap the brownies in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place the wrapped brownies in a freezer-safe container to freeze for up to 2-3 months. When ready to enjoy, let the brownies thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Gingerbread Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (312.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine butter and brown sugar. Stir well.
- Mix in eggs, molasses, and vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually stir the flour mixture into the butter and egg mixture until completely combined.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is no longer jiggly. If you are using a 9×13-inch pan, bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely before sprinkling with confectioners' sugar. Cut and serve!
Video
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
This is such a fun spin on Brownies, AND it incorporates my favorite holiday flavor of gingerbread! I had a hard time stopping at one.
Elizabeth
These are my new favorite dessert bars! The texture is so dense and moist with the perfect amount of gingerbread flavor in each bite. YUM!!!!
Bella
Each bite is soft and chewy! The gingerbread flavor is just the right amount. Such a good treat to share during the holidays!
Annabelle
These are going to be absolutely perfect for the holidays! The texture is dense and moist, and they taste exactly like gingerbread cookies!
Selena
These are very reminiscent of gingerbread! Moist, dense, and spiced well. I love it with the dusting of confectioners' sugar!
Made these with great anticipation but found that they didn’t live up to the hype. I thought it was just me and brought them to school to feed to my 6th grade students. They had the same impression as me….okay but not great.
With less molasses than you’d normally find in gingerbread, the ginger flavor is STRONG and somewhat overpowering. Depending on the brand, you may want to cut back on the spice.
I made this for the first time last night & topped it with some extra creamy whipped topping (the squeeze cans you get in the milk/creamer section) & I was slightly underwhelmed with the flavor & thought maybe I’d try again; 2nd time around doubling the molasses & at least the cinnamon, if not both. But, then today, I decided to frost the remaining 3/4 of the pan with cream cheese frosting from a can (I know, I know…but I was feeling super lazy), bc it’s one of Amanda’s suggestions for alternate toppings & that was the ticket. My husband agreed that it took them from “okay” or “good” to “fantastic”. At least in our household, a thin layer of cream cheese frosting is the perfect combo with the not-overwhelmingly spiced gingerbread brownies. I’ll probably still try doubling the spices on my 2nd batch to see if we prefer more…but, for this batch, the frosting saved it.
Thank you for the feedback, Hannah! Love that you made this work for you and gave the brownies another chance! 🙂
Wow! I saw this recipe and thought, I’m going to try this for my family dinner night. Well, it was a huge hit! Even my granddaughter, who hates ginger, LOVED it. Thank you so much for this easy and delightful recipe. I have quite of few of yours in my collection, Amanda. 😉
That is wonderful to hear. Thank you, Diane!
I saw this recipe 6 days ago. Have already made it 3 times — to great applause! Two more batches tonight for Book Club. Thank you for this new twist on brownies!
Amazing!!!
These are absolutely amazing and I make them gluten free, everyone loves them! Delicious. 😉
Ooohhhh, good to know they are still delish when made gluten free! 🙂
Excellent recipe! The texture is similar to a fudge brownie. Though perfect as written, for the third batch I added minced candied ginger for extra zing. A keeper!
Love that idea, Gail!
I can’t wait to try these and I think I may add some candied ginger because it’s my favorite!
Please tell me where you got your baking pan. It’s so pretty!
We loved these! I made the mistake of using less ginger and next time will use the whole amount. I will also add crystallized ginger because I am obsessed with it. The texture is over the top – perfectly moist and somehow both cakey and chewy. I might try topping with cream cheese frosting, as suggested by another person reviewing. Thanks for the great recipes! Oh, also my husband said they remind him of the molasses cookies his grandma made when he was little 🩷
I really enjoyed these brownies and wouldn’t change a thing with the recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Awesome and super delicious! I made these for a friend’s Christmas party and everyone loved them! Thanks for the great recipe!
These are so yummy.
All of your recipes that I’ve tried have been great! Wondering, before I make these, if the gingerbread brownies are able to be cut into shapes with a cookie cutter? Or are they too tender? TIA
You definitely could! 🙂 Maybe double the recipe and make it in a sheet pan to get more room for that.