Chocolate gingerbread bars are thick, chewy, and so decadent! These are a great treat for the holidays or for anytime!
I was in a baking mood the other day…do you ever get that way? Where you just want to bake something yummy and have your house smell awesome?
Anyway, I was looking at my spices, and I realized that I don’t use ginger very much (except at Christmas, for gingerbread). Then I remembered these this bar recipe that I used to make and love, and I thought I could change the recipe around to make it gluten free, vegan, and almost refined sugar-free.
This recipe worked very well with the gluten free and dairy free substitutions! I used Earth Balance vegan buttery spread and unsweetened coconut milk. My gluten free flour blend will work well in this recipe, or if you have a blend you love, that should be okay, too!
Will coconut flour work in this recipe?
No, I don’t recommend coconut flour. Without eggs, coconut flour tends to produce dry, flat baked goods.
These chocolate gingerbread bars were a huge hit with my family! They’re rich, chewy, and have a hint of spice that goes so well with the chocolate.
What to serve with these chocolate gingerbread bars:
These are delicious plain, but you could drizzle some vanilla icing on top, or serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
How to store leftover gingerbread bars:
These will stay fresh if you store them in an airtight container or a ziploc bag. They should stay fresh for about 5 days.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Chocolate Gingerbread Bars.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons vegan buttery spread melted
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup gluten free flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup unsulfured molasses
- 3 Tablespoons prune puree or applesauce
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk I used SO Delicious unsweetened coconut milk from the refrigerator section
- ½ cup dairy free chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a piece of parchment paper in an 8 inch square baking dish so that it hangs over both sides.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon.
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Add the melted vegan buttery spread, prune puree, and coconut milk. Stir until smooth.
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Stir in the dairy free chocolate chips.
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Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth it out with the back of a spoon.
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Bake at 350 degrees for about 24-29 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Recipe Notes
Store leftover bars in an airtight container for up to five days.
I think you’ll love these chocolate gingerbread bars. They’re:
- like a brownie and gingerbread cookie all rolled up in one
- perfect for the holidays
- gluten free, vegan, and top 8 allergy friendly!
Katie
Delicious recipe!
Deb Collins
This recipe was so tempting until I discovered that the GF flour had xanthan gum in it. I am wondering if I could get away with trying the recipe, using my own flour/starch combination, with the xanthan gum.
Thanks for sharing the recipe idea. It’s a good one!
Kelly Roenicke
You can use my blend, it’s free of xanthan gum!
Joyce
Thes chocolate gingerbread bars look so delicious. When I first looked at them I thought they were brownies. Delicious either way! Thanks for sharing!
Kelly
Hope you love them!
Nadine
Hey Kelly,
I love the recipe redux idea- I probably even have some chinese 5 spices powder that expired in 2006 in my cupboard, so feel free to post a recipe! :P haha
These bars look amazing, I will definitely try them soon!! But do you absolutely need the molasses in there or can I leave them out? Because I don’t have any at home.. ;)
Thank you,
Nadine
Kelly
If you don’t want to do molasses, I would up the other spices to add more gingerbread flavor and be prepared to add a little more of another liquid (maybe maple syrup) to keep them moist.
Sandra
These look seriously amazing! Question: Could I use soaked dates in place of the prune puree and coconut nectar in place of the molasses? Thanks!
Kelly
I think you could! I haven’t tried that, but if you do, let me know how it goes! Thank you so much for the compliment!
genevieve @ gratitude and greens
I love gingerbread! I actually have some ginger sitting around the house, and since it’s been grey and rainy, I feel like these would be the perfect pick me up. I hope you re-share this around Christmas time because I’ll be going on a mad ginger recipe hunting spree then!!
Kelly
Thanks, Genevieve! You should make them now, why wait until December? :)
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven
Chocolate and gingerbread is my ultimate combo! These look so perfectly soft and chewy! Totally wishing I had a few to go with my coffee this morning!
Kelly
Thanks, Sarah!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
These bars sound delicious, Kelly! I love the chocolate and gingerbread combo. Perfect!
Kelly
Thanks, Gayle!
wearenotmartha
I probably need to clean out my spice cabinet too….
I LOVE the ginger and chocolate combination and these bars look seriously awesome!
Sues
Kelly
Thank you!
olivia - Primavera Kitchen
These bars look so soft and chewy! Love how healthy they are too ;-)
Kelly
Thank you!
Marie @ Nourish You Delicious
I love this combo and they look so moist and delicious!!
Deanna Segrave-Daly (@tspbasil)
Ooh whee – chocolate + gingerbread? Sing me up! Look forward to baking these.
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely
These bars look delicious! Love how healthy they are. We’re having a nice rainy spring day here in California. Would love to make these and cozy up on the couch : )