Sweet Bites: Gingerbread Brownies with Eggnog Frosting

Perfect for parties or a solo snack in front of the Christmas tree. Gingerbread Brownies with Eggnog Frosting for the win!

It’s only mid-December, and if you’re like me you still have some holiday baking on your To Do list. If so, bookmark this page, you’ll want to keep this one handy.

The Occasion: Perfect for an office party, a church social, a holiday potluck, a post-caroling dessert buffet, treats for Santa, or a Christmas Day snack before cleaning up all the wrapping paper. The Gingerbread Brownies with Eggnog Frosting are also perfect for non-holiday munching opportunities, but I’ll admit, the eggnog does signal December, Christmas, and special edition lattes at Starbux. You can always fiddle with the frosting recipe when eggnog is unavailable, or just get a move on so you can enjoy it during the festive holiday season that we’re in right now. 

A sprinkle of cinnamon on top is optional, but very nice.

The Recipe: Ilise made these ginger-brownies for our annual holiday open house last weekend and a test batch a few months earlier. Yumm-o was the verdict on both occasions! The recipe comes from Carlsbad Cravings, a food blog that delivers “extraordinary flavors out of everyday ingredients,” and we thank them for it. Good stuff indeed. 

What Makes it Special? It’s a rich, dense, spice-forward brownie. Some gingerbreads are intended to be on the light side in terms of both spice intensity and cake crumb. But I’m happier on the dark side. If that’s you too, then be sure to give this recipe a try. 

Also special – you can make the brownie ahead of time and freeze for up to two months. Thaw and frost them the day before you plan to serve (or the day of, if you prefer). 

Serve With: This versatile dessert pairs well with a range of beverages – milk, coffee, red wine, or my personal favorite – a small sip of aged tawny port. Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

The Verdict: The verdict is … Guilty! Guilty of stealing my heart AND my taste buds with this spicy, satisfying bar cookie with the flavorful frosting. Like most brownies, these are very easy to make despite a lengthy list of ingredients. Personally I think these brownies would be delicious any time of year, but there’s no denying that gingerbread flavors seem right at home during the holidays. Enjoy!

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Gingerbread Brownies with Eggnog Frosting
Recipe source: Carlsbad Cravings

INGREDIENTS:

Chocolate:

• 4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter

Bowl One:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon EACH ground ginger, ground nutmeg, salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Bowl Two:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 3 tablespoons crystallized ginger finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 4 oz. softened cream cheese cut into 8 pieces
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2-3 Tablespoons eggnog

Garnish:

• Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Line a 9x13 with foil with a large piece of foil so it overhangs lengthwise (so you can pick up the brownies by the foil edges later). Grease with butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray with flour. Set aside.
• Melt butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Add chopped chocolate and set aside for approximately 5 minutes then whisk together until chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Meanwhile, whisk all of Bowl One ingredients together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Whisk all of Bowl Two ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk in melted chocolate/butter mixture until incorporated. Stir in flour mixture with a rubber spatula just until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
• Bake at 325 degrees F until toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
• Let brownies cool completely in pan on wire rack. Using foil overhang, lift brownies out of pan.

Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Make frosting when brownies are completely cool and ready to frost. Beat butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar with handled mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and add cream cheese, 1 piece at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
• Add vanilla, nutmeg, and eggnog and beat to combine. Beat in remaining 1 cup powdered sugar. Add additional eggnog, if needed, a teaspoon at a time to reach desired consistency. Evenly spread frosting over cooled brownies and lightly sprinkle with ground cinnamon.
• Brownies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for 2 days, then refrigerated.

What is your favorite holiday baking tradition?