Gingerbread Squares (Sneak peek of ENJOY cookbook)

Whenever I bring these gingerbread squares to a gathering they are gone within minutes. You will never guess that they are grain-free, gluten, dairy, and nut-free. They are so incredibly delicious and a must for the holiday season.

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Gingerbread Squares

I am so excited to share this super delicious gingerbread square recipe with you all. They are such a hit/crowd pleaser and will make this fall/winter season so much sweeter for you. The recipe is inspired by my beloved grandma’s delicious holiday cake.

My husband loves them, my friends love them and I am convinced you are gonna love them too! But the most exciting part about this recipe is that it is dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, nut-free, molasses-free, and refined sugar-free! Hence, if you have food restrictions and you can never eat dessert at a holiday party, just volunteer to make dessert and bring this gem along. I promise your friends won’t be able to tell that it is free from so many common food allergens.

This recipe is a sneak peek of my cookbook “ENJOY – healthy festive meals for you and your loved ones”. Filled with more than 50 recipes, ENJOY teaches you how to make delicious gluten and dairy-free, soy-free, paleo, and autoimmune protocol (AIP) friendly versions of favorite festive dishes, like stuffing and pumpkin pie. It’s also filled with tips and tricks to help you navigate social situations with dietary restrictions and live (and eat!) more sustainably. If you haven’t already, grab a copy here. 

Wanna get more holiday and special occasion recipes? Get my AIP/Paleo holiday cookbook, including a full Thanksgiving spread.

Ingredients

  • coconut milk
  • banana
  • coconut oil
  • honey
  • eggs 
  • vanilla extract
  • tapioca flour
  • coconut flour
  • ground cinnamon
  • ground ginger
  • ground cloves
  • ground cardamom 
  • baking soda

How to Make Ginger Bread Squares

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine the liquid ingredients (coconut milk, banana, coconut oil, honey, eggs and vanilla) in a blender and mix until smooth.
  3. In a separate medium size bowl combine all the remaining dry ingredients.
  4. Add the flour/spice mix into the liquid one and blend until you have a smooth batter.
  5. Pour into a small square cake or brownie pan and bake for 30 minutes in the middle of the oven.
  6. Let cool off, cut into squares and enjoy!

How to Make these AIP

The original version calls for eggs and cardamom. You can simply omit the eggs and substitute them with apple sauce and omit the cardamom. That version however will not have a fluffy, spongy texture, it will be chewier (think more moochi type) in its texture. I redid this recipe to make an AIP version with a cakey texture. It is exclusively available in my holiday baking class. The original recipe has been around for a while and I know many of my readers like the current version. But if you are looking for a fluffier version, know that you can find that in my baking class.

Wanna make the cakey AIP version of these? Get my holiday baking class and learn how to also make AIP Linzer cookies and get plenty of AIP/Paleo baking tips and more.

These Gingerbread Squares Are the Perfect Recipe to Make When You…

  • have friends over
  • want to bring something for a holiday party
  • want to cuddle up at home.

A nice side effect is that your house will smell divine!

More Holiday Dessert Recipes

Do you crave sweets a lot? Desserts on occasion are great, but frequent cravings are a sign of blood sugar dysregulation. This can easily be fixed without deprivation and restriction. If you need help with this schedule a free discovery call to work together.

Now I would love to hear from you. Try the recipe and let me know what you think in the comment section below. And as always don’t forget to tag me in your food pictures on Instagram.

Happy baking

~Annika

Gingerbread Squares

You will never guess that these gingerbread squares are grain free, gluten, dairy and nut free. They are so delicious and a must for the holiday season.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 16 small squares

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup coconut milk canned, fullfat
  • 1 banana
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 eggs pasture raised (exchange with 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce for AIP or egg-free), see notes
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup tapioca flour
  • 1/3 cup coconut flour
  • 3 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom (omit for AIP), see notes
  • 1 tsp baking soda

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Combine the liquid ingredients (coconut milk, banana, coconut oil, honey, eggs and vanilla) in a blender and mix until smooth.
  • In a separate medium size bowl combine all the remaining dry ingredients.
  • Add the flour/spice mix into the liquid one and blend until you have a smooth batter.
  • Pour into a small square cake or brownie pan and bake for 30 minutes in the middle of the oven.
  • Let cool off, cut into squares and enjoy!

Notes

AIP Version:
The substitutions mentioned in the recipe above version will make for a cake that is not fluffy, and spongy, it will be chewier (think more moochi type) in its texture.  I redid this recipe to make an AIP version with a cakey texture. It is exclusively available in my holiday baking class. The original recipe has been around for a while and I know many of my readers like the current version. But if you are looking for a fluffier version, know that you can find that in my baking class.
 
German version:
  •    113ml Kokosnuss milch
  •    1 Banane
  •    2 EL Kokosnuss öl
  •   88g Honig
  •     2 Eier (oder 113ml ungesüßtes Apfelmuss)
  •    1 TL Vanille Extrakt (ohne Alkohol)
  •   140g  Tapioca Mehl
  •   47g Kokosnuss Mehl
  •    1 TL Natron
  •    3 TL Zimt
  •    2 TL Ingwer (gemahlen)
  •    1 TL Nelkenpulver
  •    1 TL Kardamom (weglassen für AIP)
Zubereitung:
  • Kokosnuss milch, Banane, Honig, Kokosnuss öl, Eier, und Vanille Extrakt in einen Mixer geben und vermischen.
  • Die restlichen Zutaten dazugeben und vermissen
  • In eine kleine viereckige Backform (ca 17 cm Durchmesser) geben und bei 175 grad ca 30 min backen.
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Comments

  1. Anke Käferstein

    Suuper lecker! And so easy to make! Thank you so much for the recipe.
    This is my first gluten free Christmas ever and as I was looking for some Plätzchen-recipes, I came across your webside. I like it alot.
    Have a wonderful Christmas and keep sharing your yummy recipes 😉

    Greetings from Fürth / Bayern

    Anke

    1. Anke, thank you so much for nice words and your feedback! I am so happy you like the recipe! Merry merry Christmas to you too, Schoene Gruesse momentan aus Muenchen 🙂

  2. Leona

    I just made these and my boys devoured them!!! However I altered it a bit; used arrowroot instead of tapioca because of a suspected sensitivity, and applesauce instead of eggs because I’m on the AIP diet. Although they tasted delicious, they were very gummy. Is that because of the arrowroot? Is there something I should do differently next time? Thank you.

    1. Hi Leona! Thank you so much for your feedback. And I am so glad your boys liked them :). I have never tried making them with arrowroot flour, although I don’t think it would make them gummier, but I am not sure. The AIP version does not look like the ones in the pictures (it is flatter and definitely more on the gummier side compared to the version that does have egg). You could try adding a bit more coconut flour next time, that might help. Let me know if you have any other questions. <3

      1. Leona

        Thanks for responding. ???? Perhaps that’s why mine looked like that, because they’re AIP. No matter, I ate one straight out of the fridge and it was better, less gummy. But I’ll definitely try more coconut flour next time. Thanks again!

  3. Stephanie

    Gingerbread usually has molasses. Is there a reason you chose not to use any molasses?

    1. Hi Stephanie. There is no specific reason. I experimented with different ingredients a few years ago and really loved the outcome.:)

  4. Monica

    This recipe is so good! It’s my first Christmas baking AIP and this was just perfect. I might try using molasses to replace some of the honey, it needs just a tad of molasses flavor, but the texture was perfect. I took some to a party and people really enjoyed these. Than you for the recipe 🙂

  5. Cesar

    5 stars
    These ones are so soft and delicious that it’s hard to stop eating them. A few years ago I made some for my coworkers and they all loved it!

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