Description
These Vegan Gingerbread Cookie Bars are a delightful holiday treat, featuring warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Made without eggs or dairy, they’re perfect for vegans and those looking for a cozy, plant-based dessert. The bars are moist, flavorful, and easy to make, baking up fluffy yet dense in a convenient 8×8 pan.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup fancy molasses
- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water)
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Melt Vegan Butter: Add the vegan butter to a large mixing bowl and melt it in the microwave. Set aside to cool to prevent cooking other ingredients.
- Prepare Flax Egg: Combine 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water. Stir and let sit for at least 10 minutes to thicken and gel, acting as an egg substitute.
- Preheat Oven and Prep Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position the oven rack in the middle and grease an 8×8-inch baking pan using cooking spray or vegan butter.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: To the cooled melted butter, add vanilla extract, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and molasses. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, blend until smooth but avoid over-mixing to maintain texture.
- Add Flax Egg: Mix the thickened flax egg into the wet ingredients until just incorporated.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt to the bowl. Mix gently until the batter is smooth and evenly combined.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, smoothing the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Store: Remove from oven and let the bars cool completely on a cooling rack—allow at least one hour before cutting to ensure clean slices. Store bars in an airtight container in a cool place.
Notes
- Ensure the vegan butter is cooled before mixing with sugars and molasses to prevent melting the flax egg prematurely.
- Allow the flax egg to thicken fully for proper binding.
- Do not over-mix the batter to keep the bars tender.
- Cooling the bars completely before cutting helps maintain their shape.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature or freeze for longer storage.
