Gingerbread Squares
It’s……the holiday season!!! And that means all the happiness, Christmas movies, bright lights, and mint chocolate/gingerbread flavored everything! I love this time of year. I also know this time is not always beautiful for everyone; if you are struggling, know that I’m sending you lots of love.
If you like gingerbread flavored anything, even if you don’t like gingerbread men/cookies (I personally dislike them), please don’t dismiss these bad boys! I was on the hunt for a refined sugar free gingerbread cake/bar a few weeks ago and spent almost an hour browsing online to be left with no recipes that I approved of. So I set out to create a new little gem of a recipe and they came out much better than I thought they would! They’re cake like, moist, and full of flavor. My family enjoyed them yesterday at our holiday party; many of whom love dairy AND gluten, if that tells you anything! These squares are perfect to serve as a sweet bite on a brunch table or as a dessert after your holiday dinner. I like it think of it as a snacking cake, really truly delicious any time of day. I hope you enjoy as much as my family and I have. Happy Holidays!
Dairy free, gluten free, refined sugar free, soy free, grain free
Yield: 9-16 squares
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup almond butter
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp dried ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Icing:
2 T coconut butter
1-1.5 tsp coconut oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F
In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk by hand or with an electric mixer, all ingredients except apple cider vinegar until mixed
Pour in apple cider vinegar and gently mix
Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper or grease with coconut oil
Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 27-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean
Let bake cool. while waiting, add coconut butter and coconut oil to a small microwaveable bowl. chop up the coconut butter with the oil so its somewhat mixed. microwave in 8 second increments, stirring after each interval, until you have an icing like consistency. be careful as coconut butter burns easily!
Once bake is cooled, at least 30 minutes or so out of the oven, drizzle icing over the top. cut into either 4x4 squares for 16 bars, or 3x3 for 9
Enjoy!
*Will keep in a container at room temp for two days. If storing longer, it’s best stored in the fridge
