Gingerbread Brownies Recipe with Molasses Frosting — Sugar & Cloth Desserts (2024)

This Gingerbread Brownies recipe is the perfect way to celebrate the holidays! These delicious brownies are made with rich chocolate and spicy ginger, and they’re sure to be a hit at your next party.

Gingerbread Brownies Recipe with Molasses Frosting — Sugar & Cloth Desserts (1)

For a seasonally inspired flavor, I’ve taken my basic brownie recipe up a notch with this Gingerbread Brownies recipe.

I, Alextake homemade brownie baking very seriously.

When faced with amultitudeof dessertoptions, I will always choose the brownie.

Rich fudgy brownies studded with chunks of chocolate chips.

Bonus points for a heaping layer of molasses frosting on top.

In college, I made a pan of brownies almost every Sunday.

It was the ultimate reward after a day of studying and an easy way to win friends (and any potential boyfriends).

While I don’t make them quite as frequently, I still want to be known for my double chocolate brownies.

I take a pan of them to almost every gathering we are invited to — potlucks, dinner parties, and lazy afternoons with friends.

These Gingerbread Brownies have become an almost cult favorite, prompting, “will you bring your brownies?” from everyonewho’stried them!

I know.

It’s almost ironic that a registered dietitian takes brownies this seriously.

But it’s one of the few baked items I enjoy making as much as I enjoy eating them.

Finely chopping chocolate, whisking the eggs, and folding in the flour, it’s cathartic and calming.

If you still feel guilty, you can make this vegan egg-free brownie recipe for all the fudgy goodness you’re craving.

Gingerbread Brownies Recipe with Molasses Frosting — Sugar & Cloth Desserts (2)

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Table of Contents

Ingredients Needed to Make Gingerbread Brownies

Unsalted butter

Semi-sweet chocolate — Chips and coarsely chopped

Granulated sugar

Molasses

Large eggs

Pure vanilla extract

All-purpose flour

Unsweetened cocoa powder

Ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves

Salt

Gingerbread Brownies Recipe with Molasses Frosting — Sugar & Cloth Desserts (3)

How to Make Gingerbread Brownies

1 — Melt the butter and chopped semi-sweet chocolate in a medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour it into a large mixing bowl.

Cool until slightly cool, about 10 minutes.

2 — Preheat the oven to 350°F.

3 — Line an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper or lightly spray with cooking spray.

4 — Whisk the sugar and molasses into the chocolate mixture.

5 — Add in the eggs, one at a time, whisking until smooth after adding each one.

6 — Whisk in the vanilla.

7 — And then, fold in the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.

8 — Once fully combined, fold in the chocolate chips.

9 — Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

10 — Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out without the batter sticking to it.

Remove from the oven and let the brownies cool completely.

Once cooled, lift the brownies out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang and place them on a cutting board.

Slice into squares and frost, if desired.

Gingerbread Brownies Recipe with Molasses Frosting — Sugar & Cloth Desserts (4)

Ingredients Needed to Make Molasses Frosting

While these brownies are incredible on their own, I like serving them with a generous drizzle of molasses frosting on top.

Butter

Powdered sugar

Egg white

Vanilla extract

Molasses

Milk or water

How to Make Molasses Frosting

1 — Place butter in a medium bowl and cream with a hand beater until fluffy.

You can also use a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.

2 — Add in 1 cup powdered sugar, egg white, and vanilla extract.Mix well to combine.

3 — Then, add 1 cup of powdered sugar and molasses.

4 — Mix again and add in the remaining powdered sugar.

5 — If the frosting is too thick, thin it with 1 tablespoon of milk or water.

Place in the fridge and let sit for 30 minutes before frosting.

(You can also try this chocolate cupcake recipeif you want some delicious chocolate frosting instead or with the molasses frosting.)

Gingerbread Brownies Recipe with Molasses Frosting — Sugar & Cloth Desserts (5)

Storing and Reheating the Gingerbread Brownies

If you have gingerbread brownies that you need to store, there are a few things you should keep in mind;

First, gingerbread brownies are best stored in an airtight container.

This will help to keep them fresh and prevent them from drying out.

Secondly, gingerbread brownies can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

However, if you plan on storing them for longer than a week, it is best to freeze them.

Finally, when reheating gingerbread brownies, be sure to do so slowly and carefully microwave or oven set too high can cause the gingerbread brownies to become dry and crumbly.

More Easy Brownie Recipes

Completelyunnecessarybut totally worth it, especially when paired with a mug of spikedeggnog, Christmas Old Fashioned or a glass of port.

Gooeybrownies and port wine?

Swoon, just promise me you’ll try it. It’s hands down my favorite way to finish a dreary day.

Whatever the reason, whatever the occasion, brownies are always the answer.

For more easy brownie recipes, check out a few of our favorites from the archives —

  • Vegan egg-free brownies
  • Frosted heart shape brownies
  • 5-ingredient Nutella brownies
  • Layered Brownie Parfait Ideas

Gingerbread Brownies Recipe with Molasses Frosting — Sugar & Cloth Desserts (6)

Gingerbread Brownies Recipe with Molasses Frosting — Sugar & Cloth Desserts (7)

Gingerbread Brownies Recipe with Molasses Frosting

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Taking up the basic brownie recipe up a notch with seasonally inspired flavor, Gingerbread Brownies.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course Desserts

Cuisine Brownies

Equipment

  • Baking pan 8"×8" or 9"×9"

  • Parchment paper or cooking spray

  • Whisk

  • Large mixing bowl

  • Medium bowl

Ingredients

For the Gingerbread Brownies:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 8 oz coarsely chopped semi-sweet chocolate
  • 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1/8 cup molasses
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the molasses frosting:

  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 piece egg white
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp molasess
  • 1 tbsp milk or water

Nutrition

Calories: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 324mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 58g | Vitamin A: 473IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 3mg

Servings: 12

Calories: 536kcal

Instructions

To make the Gingerbread Brownies:

  • Melt the butter and chopped semi-sweet chocolate in a medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Cool until slightly cool, about 10 minutes.

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  • Line a baking pan with parchment paper or lightly spray with cooking spray.

  • Whisk in the sugar and molasses into the chocolate mixture.

  • Add in the eggs, one at a time, whisking until smooth after adding each one.

  • Whisk in the vanilla.

  • Fold in the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

  • Once fully combined, fold in the chocolate chips.

  • Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

  • Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out without batter sticking to it. Remove from oven and let brownies cool completely. Once cooled, lift the brownies out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang and place on a cutting board. Slice into squares and frost, if desired.

To make the molasses frosting:

  • Place butter in a medium bowl and cream with a hand beater or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until fluffy.

  • Add in 1 cup powdered sugar, egg white and vanilla extract. Mix well to combine.

  • Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and molasses.

  • Mix again and add in the remaining powdered sugar.

  • If the frosting is too thick, thin with 1 tablespoon milk or water. Place in the fridge and let sit for 30 minutes before frosting.

KEYWORD: gingerbread brownies

Gingerbread Brownies Recipe with Molasses Frosting — Sugar & Cloth Desserts (8)

Don’t forget to share your Gingerbread Brownies with us on Instagram using the hashtag #sugarandclothloves. We always love seeing all of your creations! Looking for more quick and delicious recipes? You can find them all right here with a few co*cktails to go along with them.

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Gingerbread Brownies Recipe with Molasses Frosting — Sugar & Cloth Desserts (2024)

FAQs

What kind of molasses is best for gingerbread? ›

Medium Or Dark Molasses

“It adds enough bold flavor and sweet notes with a hint of bitterness to any recipe, which is exactly what you want for making gingerbread cookies.”

Why do you put granulated sugar in brownies? ›

Granulated sugar is the key to any batch of shiny brownies because the sucrose in granulated sugar will create a fine crystal surface over the top of a brownie once it's out of the oven that is smooth enough to reflect light. This process doesn't work with corn syrup, brown sugar, or molasses – only granulated sugar.

What does molasses do to gingerbread? ›

Medium Or Dark Molasses

“It adds enough bold flavor and sweet notes with a hint of bitterness to any recipe, which is exactly what you want for making gingerbread cookies.”

What are the three types of gingerbread? ›

The three distinct types of gingerbread are brown gingerbread, wafer-based gingerbread and honey gingerbread.
  • BROWN GINGERBREAD.
  • WAFER GINGERBREAD.
  • HONEY GINGERBREAD.

What sugar is best for brownies? ›

Brown Sugar:

Most brownie recipes call for only granulated sugar, although some call for a ratio of both granulated and brown sugars. I love brown sugar and feel that it adds a depth of sweet flavor and moisture to baked goods so I thought it would be perfect to test how brown sugar affects brownies.

What happens if I use brown sugar instead of white in brownies? ›

The sweetness level will be the same, but the brown sugar may change the texture of your baked goods. You'll likely notice a more robust flavor, and the finished baked goods' color may also be darker. These color, flavor, and texture alterations come from how brown sugar is made.

Is brown or white sugar better for brownies? ›

Getting the perfect crust for you means choosing a recipe with just the right proportions of granulated and brown sugars. More brown sugar leads to dense brownies with incredible depth of flavor, but the additional moisture can cause their upper crust to be more solid than delicate as a result.

What type of molasses is best for baking? ›

Light molasses is the liquid that remains after the first white sugar is extracted from cane juice. The flavor is lighter and has more fruity notes to it, in the same way the first pressing of olives makes a lighter, fruitier olive oil. Light (sometimes called "fancy") molasses is ideal for baked goods and candies.

What can I use instead of dark molasses in gingerbread? ›

Dark Molasses Gingerbread Cake

This is a good place to explore a mix-and-match substitute, so you don't put too much pressure on any one ingredient. In place of the 1 ½ cups molasses, you can swap in ½ cup dark brown sugar, mixed with 1 cup honey, sorghum, or golden syrup.

Is sulfured or unsulfured molasses better? ›

Sulfured vs.

Molasses made from ripe sugar cane is called unsulfured molasses because it has no additives. If green, unripe sugarcane is used, it is treated with sulfur dioxide first to preserve it. It can leave a chemical taste in the mouth, so we recommend looking for unsulfured molasses whenever possible.

What can I use instead of dark molasses for gingerbread cookies? ›

The nine best replacements for molasses are:
  1. Honey.
  2. Maple syrup.
  3. Dark corn syrup.
  4. Sorghum syrup.
  5. Golden syrup.
  6. Brown sugar.
  7. Black treacle.
  8. Simple syrup.
Nov 27, 2022

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