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Gingerbread Bars (Paleo!)

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5 from 18 votes

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.

A soft gingerbread bar slice with a bite taken out

Sneha said: “This was delicious – we went through them way too quickly. Will definitely make them again in the future. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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.

A soft gingerbread bar slice surrounded by other slices

What is gingerbread made of?

Classic gingerbread recipes typically call for a range of spices that includes: ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and some people include cardamom and anise.

As for sweeteners, it's typically a combination of brown sugar, molasses and/or dark corn syrup.

However, since I've made this recipe more paleo-friendly, we're going a little off the old fashioned path by using coconut sugar in lieu of the other sweeteners.

Gingerbread is different than gingerbread cookies

But anyway – 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.

Side note: I've also heard these called “ginger molasses bars”, which certainly helps clear up any confusion.

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 moist crumb – it's everything I never knew I needed in a gingerbread bar.

A closeup of the soft center of gingerbread bars

Is molasses paleo-friendly?

I will admit, 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.

Molasses is the dark syrup left over after sugar cane crystals are removed during sugar cane production, molasses is the dark syrup left after sugar cane crystals are removed. Sugar cane is a natural plant, so technically it's Paleo-compliant – but if you disagree, I totally get it.

Can I add a frosting to the top of gingerbread bars?

You totally could! But I'll be honest – I haven't come up with a paleo frosting that I like yet, since everything I've tried has to be refrigerated or is just too runny for my taste.

Here are some of my favorite frostings that would be great on top of these bars:

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.

A closeup of the soft center of gingerbread bars

Ingredients for paleo gingerbread bars

  • ½ cup almond butter
  • ⅓ cup coconut sugar
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, solid
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ cup almond flour
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt

How to make gingerbread bars

Even though these are paleo, it's a pretty easy gingerbread recipe – so don't let that scare you off!

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together almond butter, coconut sugar, and coconut oil until smooth.
  2. Add eggs, molasses, and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed to combine.
  3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
  4. Add dry ingredients to a bowl of wet ingredients and stir until completely combined.
  5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only moist crumbs.

Boom! That's it, my friends.

How many calories in gingerbread bars?

If you slice these into 16 squares, it's about 169 calories per bar. See the nutritional information at the bottom of the recipe card below for more information.

Want more gingerbread flavor?

Serving Suggestions

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Paleo Gingerbread Bars

4.67 from 18 votes
Soft and moist cake-like bars with that classic gingerbread flavor and scent. Paleo, gluten free, dairy free, and delicious!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 16 bars (or 9 large)

Ingredients
 

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8×8” square pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer (aff link) fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together almond butter, coconut sugar and coconut oil until smooth.
    1/2 cup (125 g) almond butter
    1/3 cup (53 ⅓ g) coconut sugar
    2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • Add eggs, molasses, and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed to combine.
    2 eggs
    1/4 cup (84 ¼ g) molasses
    2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, clovers and salt.
    1 3/4 cup (196 g) almond flour
    1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1 teaspoon ginger
    1/4 teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) nutmeg
    1/4 teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) ground cloves
    1/2 teaspoon (½ teaspoon) 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 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.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 116mg | Potassium: 147mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 31IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

The provided nutrition information is generated by an automatic API and does not take variations across specific brands into account. This information is provided as a general guideline and should not be treated as official calculations. Learn more here.

Recipe created by Leslie Kiszka

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48 Comments

  1. I just made this and the batter was very dense and stiff. It didn’t rise much. Not sure why. The almond butter was a bit dry, so I added a little more coconut oil, but otherwise I followed the recipe. Any input?

    I will also use less sugar or molasses next time, as it is extremely sweet to me.

  2. Before baking I minced some preserved sugared ginger on top to add some sparkle before topping with applesauce. Thank you for this great paleo recipe!

  3. 5 stars
    Lol love the name of your site! And I thought I was the only one who “stress baked”! Can’t wait to try these this Fall. They sound so good I just might be tempted to make them now even though it’s the middle of summer!

    1. You are definitely not the only one :) And I encourage you to make these now, even in the middle of summer! They’re delicious all year round, in my opinion.

  4. I’m allergic to almonds. But not peanuts. (go figure!) Can I substitute peanut butter for the almond butter?

    1. Gah! You certainly could, but just know that it will affect the flavor since peanut butter has a sweeter, more pronounced flavor than almond butter (which is generally more neutral).

  5. This sounds delicious! Can you suggest a gluten free flour that would be a suitable substitute?? Thank you!

  6. 5 stars
    I loved the recipe but baked them about 5 minutes longer to get a good cake texture. Also thought that they could use more spice not sure which ones but reminded me of my mom’s back in the day. She always topped gingerbread cake with applesauce so that’s what I did too.

  7. 5 stars
    This was delicious – we went through them way too quickly. Will definitely make them again in the future.

  8. I absolutely love these bars and have been making them over and over for breakfast and snacks. I can make them cake like or more dense in texture depending on my mood. I am not a great cook so this might be a weird question: do you have different flavors you can make this cake, if you were to swap out spices? For example, could you make a vanilla flavor or an apple cake or coffee cake flavor? I’d be into suggestions or recipes like that so I could change it up– now that we are moving into spring.

  9. 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!

      1. 5 stars
        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!!

      2. 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!

  10. 5 stars
    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.

  11. 5 stars
    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.

  12. 4 stars
    Mine came out very dense, not fluffy like the picture above. IT’s very moist looking too…I just put it back in the oven hoping they would fluff up a bit. Maybe I didn’t blend the eggs well enough? Did anyone else have this issue?

    1. 4 stars
      Yes, I had this same issue. I wanted it to be more cake-like than bar like. The finished mixture was more like a paste than a batter, so I added a cup of water, an extra teaspoon of baking powder, a teaspoon of baking soda, and a sprinkle more salt. That fixed the batter texture and eventual outcome. It was completely cake-like.

      1. I’m so sorry! I wish I could figure out how to edit my earlier reply! I added 1/2 cup of water, not a full cup.

      2. That’s odd, as I’ve never had this experience myself – so unfortunately I’m not sure why you would have had the results that you did. The only thoughts I have is that maybe the eggs weren’t fully incorporated, and.or the almond butter was on the “stale” side and thicker than usual?

  13. 5 stars
    Gave these a spin last night. Put in 1/3 cup of molasses and cooked em a bit longer than the 20 minutes. They turned out awesome. Got the thumbs up from the wife! Really good with a cup of coffee, not to sweet just right.

    Thanks for sharing.

    1. 5 stars
      Mine was also like a paste, but it did puff up in baking until it deflated. Haven’t cut into it yet, but my thoughts on the differences might be the size of egg and the type of almond butter. I used chunky instead of smooth and runny, and my eggs were on the small size. My baking powder was super fresh though.

      I made these specifically to be under some homemade applesauce at a pot luck. Hope it works!

  14. I’m like you used to be – I only associate gingerbread with rolled cookies! I keep seeing gingerbread loafs, but I can’t picture them in my head… gingerbread is supposed to be thin and chewy and cookie form! These sure look beautiful, though!

  15. Wow, these gingerbread bars look so nice and moist! I’m loving your topping ideas, and not sure that I could pick just one

  16. I totally love gingerbread this way, especially with sliced bananas and fresh whipped cream! Looks delicious!

  17. These look so moist and delicious! I love anything made with almond flour! I’m definitely going to make these in the weeks to come.

  18. I love gingerbread, but hate that its always so HARD. This bar fixes that and dang, I think Im going to have a problem. When Im already making sure I have enough of the ingredients to make them and know I’ll have to double the recipe to account for my nibbling…. … oh well. Its a nice problem to have to “have to eat gingerbread!”