Gingerbread Bars

I whipped these Gingerbread Bars up for breakfast but they are also a great snack! These are a healthy and delicious way to start the day. They are not a sweet gingerbread as you can top them with the optional icing or we also like to top them with orange jam or lemon curd if you want them sweeter like a cake you can add a little more coconut palm. It is a dense bar and they stay together so they can also go to school for snack or work on the go. If you don’t want to top them you can sprinkle with a little coconut palm and cinnamon.

Gingerbread Bars

Makes an 8×8 or 9×9 pan

2 1/2 c oat flour, gluten free (easy to make just grind oats to a flour texture, or a little less if you want more texture)

1/2 c buckwheat flour

2 TBSP ground chia seeds or ground flax seed

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

1c pumpkin puree

1/2 c applesauce

1/2 c non dairy milk of choice (used unsweetened almond milk)

1 TBSP coconut oil, liquid state

1/3 c coconut palm or sucanat

1 tsp vanilla

3-4 TBSP molasses

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

We topped ours with Crofter’s Organic Blood Orange Jam and the icing is So Delicious Egg Nog Coconut Milk and powdered sugar (2TBSP milk and 1 c sugar makes a think glaze and you can add more from there to thin if you like).

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl mix together ground chia seeds/flax-seed and 8 tablespoons of warm water and set aside. In a large bowl mix together oat flour, buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger. In a separate bowl mix together pumpkin puree, applesauce, coconut oil, palm sugar, vanilla, and molasses. When the chia/flax has thickened into a gel add in with the wet ingredients. Mix together the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Pour batter into a prepared (sprayed with coconut oil spray or non stick spray of choice) 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish. Bake for 28-32 minutes (a 8×8 pan is thicker so it takes 30-32, remember they will set after they cool). Serve topped with orange jam, lemon curd, egg nog icing or desired toppings. Enjoy!