Soft and moist cake-like gingerbread bars with that classic gingerbread flavor and scent. Paleo, gluten free, dairy free, and delicious! Serve with a big scoop of Gingerbread Ice Cream for even more gingerbread goodness.
Who here associates gingerbread with Christmas? Go on, raise your hand. Let’s see… one, two, twenty, everyone. Got it. I used to be the same way.
For the longest time, I believed that gingerbread was meant to be strictly in cookie form, in the shape of little men with no phalanges or neck, decorated with royal icing, and eaten only at Christmas. You draw little worried faces on them, eat their legs and arms, and make quiet screaming noises until you bite off their heads when they can no longer feel pain.
… what, just me? If you haven’t figured it out yet, I have a dark sense of humor, you guys.
But anyway – then one day I discovered gingerbread. Not gingerbread cookies, but gingerbread. I fully recognize that’s totally backwards since it originally started as a moist loaf cake and not anatomically incorrect cookies. I never realized that it could be a perfectly fluffy cake with the same flavors, and could be topped with any number of frostings – cream cheese, brown butter, maple buttercream, etc.
Just look at that crumb – it’s everything I never knew I needed in a gingerbread bar.
Now that I knew that, I had to come up with a paleo version so I could continue to enjoy it post-PCOS diagnosis. I will admit that some of you might not believe these are truly paleo because of the molasses, but like I’ve mentioned before I believe that moderation is key. Just make sure you’re using pure blackstrap molasses and everything will be a-okay.
I’ll be honest – I haven’t come up with a frosting that I like yet, since everything I’ve tried has to be refrigerated or is just too runny for my taste. But the great thing about these gingerbread bars is that they really don’t need to be topped with anything. If you underbake them just slightly, they’re so moist and flavorful that you’ll be perfectly content without frosting.
However, I did come up with another use for these already – add in chunks of these gingerbread bars to my gingerbread ice cream.
Want more gingerbread flavor?
- Gingerbread Linzer Cookies with Cranberry Filling
- The North Pole Cocktail from Half Baked Harvest
- Gingerbread Cake Roll with Eggnog Cream Cheese Filling
- Super Fluffy Gingerbread Donuts from Hunger Thirst Play
- Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Gingerbread Hot Cocoa from Kim’s Cravings
After you’ve made this recipe, please leave a comment below with a rating – and if you came from Pinterest, add a photo of what you make to the pin to share your experience!
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Paleo Gingerbread Bars
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 9-16 bars 1x
Description
Soft and moist cake-like bars with that classic gingerbread flavor and scent. Paleo, gluten free, dairy free, and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almond butter (aff link)
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar (aff link)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, solid
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup almond flour (aff link)
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8×8” square pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together almond butter, coconut sugar and coconut oil until smooth.
- Add eggs, molasses, and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed to combine.
- In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, clovers and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to bowl of wet ingredients and stir until completely combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until center is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only moist crumbs.
- Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to wire rack (aff link) to cool completely. Cut into 9-16 squares and enjoy!
Notes
Note: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: gingerbread bars
Sabra says
I could not find my coconut sugar so I used a raw honey, 1/3 of the amount called for in the recipe. I had to bake it for 10 minutes longer than the recipe states too, maybe bc of the liquid honey. But I will make these again!
Leslie Kiszka says
Glad you were able to make it work with a substitute!
Joanna says
Can this be made in a round 8 or 9 inch cake pan? I would love to decorate it like a cake.
Leslie Kiszka says
I haven’t tried, but that should work just fine!
Joanna says
I used a 9 inch cake pan and it turned out great! I topped it with lemon curd and cream cheese frosting. It was so moist and flavorful. By far the best gingerbread cake I have ever had. Awesome recipe!!
★★★★★
Leslie Kiszka says
That topping sounds amazing – I’m going to have to try that combo sometime! Thank you so much for coming back to leave such a kind comment (and a rating!) – it means so much to me. Happy Holidays!
Jana says
These were really delicious and moist! I also added a bunch of grated orange and grated fresh ginger, which was a perfect touch. Thanks for helping satisfy a craving.
★★★★★
Leslie Kiszka says
That sounds amazing – thank you for sharing!
Suzanne Coulombe says
Absolutely delicious. Such flavours that melt in the mouth good!
It is a bar not a cake…so perfect.
Even think of putting a coco cream & icing sugar frosting to it to make it more irresistible.
thanks for a so good, obviously tested recipe.
★★★★★
Leslie Haasch says
I’m so so glad you liked it! You could totally frost these with whatever you wanted!