Gingerbread Brownies

Gingerbread Brownies are moist and fudgy, with a touch of molasses and warm spices. A fun Christmas twist on a traditional brownie recipe!

Gingerbread Brownies are a Fun Christmas Treat!

Our freezer space is filling up. Because we’ve been baking ALL the Christmas treats!

Thankfully we have a second refrigerator/freezer and a chest freezer for stashing all the holiday goodies we make each year!

I definitely inherited this December baking gene from Mom. She taught us girls how to turn up the Christmas tunes and dip, roll, sprinkle, and bake – and then share all the goods with friends and family during this special season. If you were one of our school or Sunday school teachers, coaches, bus drivers, or neighbors, you probably received a colorful tin full of Mom’s sweet handiwork.

These Gingerbread Brownies are a fun holiday twist on the traditional brownie. If you like fudgy brownies and the warm flavors of gingerbread, you (and your friends and neighbors, perhaps?) are in for a real treat!

Looking for a few more Christmas treat recipes that freeze well? Try these bonkers-good Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies and watch everyone clamor for them. Peanut Butter Blossoms are also a favorite, as well as Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies and Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies!

I’m kind of a brownies snob.

I like my brownies rich and moist and fudgy, and almost a little under-baked, with a super thin crackle to the top crust.

Cakey, dry brownies just don’t do it for me.

Rest assured, these warmly spiced brownies pass my inspection!

Recipe Ingredients

The ingredients list for this recipe is pretty typical for a traditional pan of brownies. But what makes it stand out for the holidays is the addition of molasses and spices. Here’s what you’ll need!

• sugar
• butter
• vegetable oil
• eggs
• molasses
• all-purpose flour
• cocoa powder
• kosher salt
• ground spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves
• pure vanilla extract
• powdered sugar and Sugared Cranberries to finish, if desired

How to Make These Brownies

Nothing complicated about these brownies. It’s just a matter of measuring ingredients, mixing, and baking.

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Spray a 9” x 13” pan lightly with cooking spray or line pan with parchment paper and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, butter, oil, eggs, and molasses.
4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
5. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and then mix just until incorporated. Stir in the vanilla.
6. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly, then bake for 20 minutes. Then turn the heat off and leave the pan in the oven for another 15 minutes.
7. Remove pan to a rack to cool completely.
8. Cut into desired size brownies. Sprinkle individual brownies with powdered sugar before serving, if desired. And serve with vanilla ice cream and Sugared Cranberries, optional.

If you’re wanting an especially beautiful presentation for the brownies, with clean cut lines, then line the pan with parchment paper or foil. This will enable you to lift the brownie in one large piece out of the pan.

Then use a long non serrated knife to make the cuts, wiping the knife in between each cut.

This is totally not necessary, though. Only if you’re wanting super clean cuts!

How to Serve Gingerbread Brownies

To serve these Christmas brownies, I recommend a sprinkle of powdered sugar over the tops of individual pieces. This adds a pretty touch, kind of like a gentle snowfall.

I also like to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. There’s just something special about eating brownies and chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream!

And if you’re really looking to amp up the festivity, add a few Sugared Cranberries over the top. I love this easy and BEAUTIFUL recipe! Add the cranberries to holiday cheese boards, cocktails, and so much more.

These gingerbread brownies get high marks for their moist, fudgy texture and warmly spiced chocolate flavors. The recipe is easy to make and definitely in tune to the holiday season.

Can I Freeze These Brownies?

Back to the beginning of this post, when I was telling you how our freezer is filling up with baked goods…

Yes. These gingerbread brownies freeze extremely well.

The only thing I would suggest, if you are planning to freeze them, is to hold off on the powdered sugar sprinkle until after they thaw from the freezer. Otherwise you risk smudging the dusting of powdered sugar during freezer storage.

Just cut the cooled brownies and place in a single layer in an airtight container. Separate any layers with wax paper or parchment paper. They’ll keep well for up to two months.

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Gingerbread Brownies

Yield: 24 brownies

prep time: 15 minutes mins

cook time: 35 minutes mins

total time: 50 minutes mins

These Gingerbread Brownies are moist and fudgy, with a touch of molasses plus warm spices. So fun for the holidays!

4.5 Stars (13 Reviews)

Print

Ingredients

• 2 c. sugar
• ½ c. unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
• ½ c. vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 T. molasses
• 1.5 c. all-purpose flour
• 10 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp. ground allspice
• ¼ tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• powdered sugar optional
• Sugared Cranberries optional garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Spray a 9” x 13” pan lightly with cooking spray or line pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, butter, oil, eggs, and molasses.
• In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
• Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and then mix just until incorporated. Stir in the vanilla.
• Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20 minutes. Then turn the heat off and leave the pan in the oven for another 15 minutes. Remove pan to a rack to cool completely.
• Cut into desired size of brownies. Sprinkle individual brownies with powdered sugar before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream and Sugared Cranberries, if desired.

Notes

from a farmgirl’s dabbles

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 Calories: 211kcal Carbohydrates: 30g Protein: 2g Fat: 9g Saturated Fat: 3g Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 41mg Sodium: 92mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 22g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.

Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!

© Brenda | A Farmgirl’s Dabbles

Cuisine: American

Course: Bars & Brownies

This post was originally published in 2016, and then updated in 2020.