Gingerbread Brownies with Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting
Soft and chewy Gingerbread Brownies capture the cozy flavors of your favorite holiday cookies but in rich chocolate brownie form. Topped with luscious Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting, these brownies are destined to become a must-make festive treat—much easier than rolling and baking individual cookies!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12-16 brownies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 cup packed light brown sugar
⅓ cup molasses
3 tablespoons crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 ¼ cups powdered sugar, divided
4 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1–2 tablespoons eggnog
Ground cinnamon for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil, grease and dust with flour.
- Melt butter in microwave-safe bowl, add chopped chocolate, let sit 5 minutes, whisk smooth.
- Whisk dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, spices, baking powder, soda, salt) in a medium bowl.
- In large bowl, whisk eggs, brown sugar, molasses, crystallized ginger, vanilla. Mix in melted chocolate and butter.
- Fold in dry ingredients until just combined. Pour batter into pan evenly.
- Bake 25–30 minutes, rotating halfway, until toothpick has moist crumbs.
- Cool completely in pan on rack, lift out using foil.
- For frosting: beat butter and 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar until fluffy (1 min).
- Beat in cream cheese pieces one at a time until smooth.
- Add vanilla, nutmeg, eggnog; mix well.
- Gradually beat in remaining 1 cup powdered sugar; add eggnog if needed to spread.
- Spread frosting evenly on cooled brownies, sprinkle with cinnamon.
Notes
Adjust crystallized ginger for spice preference.
Substitute eggnog frosting with cream cheese frosting or chocolate glaze.
Add chopped nuts to batter for crunch.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 140mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
