Ginger bars

Ginger spice

Ginger has a bold, complex flavor, spicy and peppery with a hint of sweetness and a citrusy zing. I’ve been really into it lately.

It started out innocently enough with some ginger chews that I bought to help out with nausea; they really helped when I took them to Disneyland after riding Space Mountain and The Rise of the Resistance.

Then, I wanted to get some good ginger ale, and that lead me down a ginger ale testing spree. Then I made my own ginger syrup, and now I’m sharing these amazing Ginger Bars. I modified this recipe a bit from its original Dark and Stormy roots. BTW, if you’re interested in the Dark & Stormy Cocktail, it’s a great one! Also check out my Ginger Mocktail for a great drink!

And the funny thing is that just a few years ago I would have told you that I didn’t care for ginger. Want to try another gingery spice treat? Check out my Gingerbread Cottage Cheese Pudding.

How to make

The bars are delicious, not too thick, not too sweet. Lovely soft cookie bars. Full of bright spicy ginger flavor. Then they’re topped with a rich cream cheese frosting.

The full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks in the post.

Make the ginger syrup

You’ll start this recipe with the ginger syrup. And although I have a ginger simple syrup recipe that’s great for drinks, the recipe here will yield a thicker syrup that’s better for baking. You can also just buy ginger syrup on Amazon. It’s up to you.

To make your own ginger syrup for baking: Slice 368g (13 ounces) fresh ginger root, unpeeled, into 1/8-inch or ¼-inch” slices. You can slice it using a food processor, mandoline, or just a knife. I found the knife to be the easiest way. You should have about 4 cups.

In a very large, heavy saucepan, bring the ginger, 3 ½ cups (695g) granulated sugar, and 3 ½ cups (794g) water to a boil. And I can’t stress enough that you want a very large pan; the candy mixture will bubble up significantly as it cooks.

Boil the mixture for 45 to 60 minutes, until it registers 220°F on a digital thermometer.

Remove the pan from the burner and carefully strain the syrup into a non-reactive container.

Store in the refrigerator indefinitely. Yield: about 2 ¼ cups syrup. 

Once you have the ginger syrup all made (or purchased), the rest of the dessert goes pretty quickly.

Peel the ginger for the bars

The easiest and safest way to peel fresh ginger is with a spoon. Hold the ginger root firmly in one hand and the spoon in the other. Press the edge of the spoon against the ginger, and pull down to scrape off the peel. Use a small sharp knife to remove any remaining skin.

Only peel as much ginger as you plan on using, as it will last longer in the fridge if you leave the peel on.  

Once it’s peeled, grate it on the small holes of a box grater. Any larger pieces can be chopped with a knife.

Make the bars

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment or a reusable liner and lightly grease. 

In a small saucepan or in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and fresh peeled ginger. Heat over medium-low, or microwave in 30-second increments on half-power, until just melted. 

Transfer the butter mixture to a large bowl and whisk in the brown sugar, ginger syrup, ground ginger, and salt until smooth and well-combined.

Add the egg and whisk until shiny and emulsified. 

Whisk in the baking powder, then whisk in the flour and diced candied ginger (or crystallized ginger) until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread it to reach all of the corners. 

Bake the ginger bars for 15 to 25 minutes, until set in the center, then let cool slightly in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Make the frosting

Once the bars have cooled, make the frosting.

Working with an electric mixer in a medium bowl or with a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter, cream cheese, and salt until very smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and maple syrup; beat until smooth and spreadable. Spread the frosting onto the cooled bars, then sprinkle evenly with the candied ginger. Slice and serve at room temperature. 

I absolutely love cream cheese frosting, and it goes so well on these bars. If you aren’t a big fan of frosting, you may want to consider cutting the frosting in half. You can use the servings slider on the recipe card to do that if you want.

Storage and make ahead

King Arthur says you can store leftover ginger bars, well-wrapped, at room temperature for up to 3 days. But because these have a cream cheese frosting, I prefer to refrigerate them, tightly covered, for up to 5 days.

If you want to make the bars ahead, I suggest baking the bars and wrapping them tightly and storing them in the fridge, unfrosted. Then, when you’re ready to serve them, make the frosting and frost the bars right before serving.

And these freeze surprisingly well. Wrap them tightly in an airtight container or in plastic wrap, and store them in the freezer for a couple of months.