Gingerbread brownies are a delightful fusion of classic gingerbread spices and rich, fudgy brownie goodness. With hints of molasses, ground ginger, and cinnamon, these brownies bring a unique twist to the traditional dessert and these brownies are perfect for the holidays.
Perfect for holiday parties or cozy evenings, gingerbread brownies are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth this holiday season.
These gingerbread brownies are a wonderful treat to make during the holiday season and they're very easy to make with children!
This was inspired by my Gingerbread Cupcakes, a deliciously rich cupcake with spiced cream cheese frosting.
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Ingredients in Gingerbread Brownies
These are the ingredients you will need to make these brownies:
- Unsalted butter
- Unsulphured molasses
- Eggs
- All purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking soda
- Cocoa powder
- Ground ginger
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground cloves
- Powdered sugar
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for Making Gingerbread Brownies
Set your oven to preheat at 350º Fahrenheit and spray a 9x9 baking dish with baking spray or line the dish with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Whisk them together until the ingredients are mixed.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Once melted mix in the molasses and beat in the eggs until just combined.
Mix in the cocoa powder and gently stir in the bowl of dry ingredients until the batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into your prepared pan, spreading it evenly throughout the pan.
Bake them in your preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Check the center with a toothpick to ensure that they are done. Don't overbake or they will come out dry.
Once the gingerbread brownie pan has cooled for 10 minutes, carefully remove the brownies from the pan by either inverting the pan to remove the brownies if using baking spray or using the parchment paper to gently lift them out of the pan.
Allow the gingerbread brownies to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar and slicing.
Hint: Avoid overbaking these brownies to produce a fudgy tender texture.
Substitutions
There are a few substitutions you can make for this gingerbread brownie recipe:
- Butter - instead of unsalted butter you can use salted butter in it's place. If using salted butter, it may be a good idea to omit the salt in the recipe as it may make these brownies more salty.
- Sugar - You can swap out the granulated sugar for brown sugar but it will give these brownies a more intense molasses flavor.
- Cocoa Powder - in place of cocoa powder, you can melt down chocolate chips and add them to the batter with the butter.
Variations
Here are some variations that can be made for this recipe:
- Frosting - this recipe calls for a dusting of powdered sugar but they can be frosted with a cream cheese frosting if you'd like. Combine ¼ cup of softened butter with ¼ cup of softened cream cheese and mix in a teaspoon of vanilla. Lastly, beat in 2 cups of powdered sugar to create a creamy cream cheese frosting to frost these gingerbread brownies.
- Add Gingerbread men cookies - After frosting or dusting these brownies, top with small gingerbread men cookies for decoration.
See this Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies recipe on my site, a delicious gingerbread cookie perfect to add to cookie boxes during the holidays.
Equipment
Having the proper equipment to make this gingerbread brownie recipe is important because it will be easier to make when you have everything you need on hand.
Microwave or double boiler: A microwave or double boiler is necessary for melting the butter. The melted butter creates a fudgy texture in this recipe.
9x9 baking pan: A 9x9 baking pan is the pan of choice in this recipe. For easy removal of the brownies from the pan, either line the pan with parchment paper with a one-inch overhang on all sides or spray the pan with baking spray for easy release.
Hand Mixer or whisk: This recipe is easy to make and doesn't require a lot of work so you can get away with just using a whisk. To make the recipe even easier, opt for a hand mixer instead.
Mixing Bowls: Two mixing bowls, one being microwave-safe are used in this recipe because you will be melting the butter.
Tips for Storing Gingerbread Brownies
The first step to storing these gingerbread brownies is to allow the brownies to cool completely. This step helps to prevent the brownies from becoming soggy.
Once cooled, transfer them to an airtight container. This will reduce any exposure to air, and help lock in freshness.
You can also freeze these brownies! To do so, carefully wrap each brownie individually in plastic wrap, and then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, let them sit out on the counter before eating.
Top tip
For maximum freshness and the best flavor, eat these gingerbread brownies within 3 to 4 days if not freezing.
If frosting with cream cheese frosting, store them in the refrigerator.
FAQ
Can you make gingerbread brownies with melted chocolate?
Yes, you can make gingerbread brownies with melted chocolate. It's easy to swap out the cocoa powder for melted chocolate in this recipe. Instead of using the cocoa powder, melt ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips into the butter before mixing in the remaining ingredients.
Can you make gingerbread brownies gluten free?
Yes, you can make these gingerbread brownies gluten free. Swap out the all-purpose flour for measure for measure gluten free flour in this recipe. Make sure to use gluten free flour that doesn't require the addition of xanthan gum unless you have that on hand to add to your gluten free flour.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these recipes below and check out these cute Gingerbread Men Sugar Cookies!
📖 Recipe
Gingerbread Brownies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter - melted
- ⅓ cup unsulphered molasses
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- powdered sugar - for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat at 350º F and spray a 9x9 baking dish with baking spray or line the dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter.
- Once melted, mix in the molasses and granulated sugar.
- Beat in the eggs until just combined.
- Mix in the cocoa powder until mixed.
- Gently stir in the bowl of dry ingredients until the batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan, spreading it evenly throughout the pan.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Check the center with a toothpick to ensure that they are done. Don't overbake or they will come out dry.
- Carefully remove the brownies from the pan by either inverting the pan to remove the brownies if using baking spray or using the parchment paper to gently lift them out of the pan.
- Allow the gingerbread brownies to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar and slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.
Pam says
The recipe calls for granulated sugar but the instructions don't say when to add it. The instructions also say to add salt to the dry ingredients but it is not listed in the ingredients. I made the adjustments and they were delicious!
Dana says
Whoops! I'm added the sugar and salt in the appropriate spots. I'm so glad you like them!