Gingerbread shortbread, gooey caramel, chocolate ganache, gingerbread cookies. This Gingerbread caramel slice is the ultimate Christmas dessert!
SPONSORED BY NATURAL DELIGHTS
I firmly believe gingerbread cookies are the most perfect cookie ever created. And not just in the holiday cookie category, year round nothing can compete with the the delicious combination of ginger and cinnamon and molasses in my mind. Every December I try to dream up new ways to gingerbread-ify any and all desserts possible, and I must say the caramel slice turned gingerbread quite effortlessly. Caramel + gingerbread and chocolate + gingerbread are both delicious pairs, so together in one square on top of a crispy gingerbread shortbread cookie crust…it’s glorious.
Gingerbread Caramel Slice: Three Easy Layers
If you’ve never had or heard of a caramel slice (a.k.a. millionaires shortbread), it’s typically a layered treat made up of shortbread, caramel, and chocolate. It’s simple and salty-sweet and texturally wonderful. For this Christmas spin we are infusing the shortbread cookie with molasses and gingerbread spices, swapping cooked caramel with an easy but still so rich Medjool date caramel, trading melted chocolate for a chocolate ganache, and topping with all the sweet gingerbread decor.
Grain-Free Gingerbread Shortbread Cookie
The most “complicated” part of this entire recipe to make, and it still only takes one bowl and about 10 minutes of prep. I took my favorite moist buttery shortbread cookie recipe, and added the classic gingerbread flavor with just a few ingredient additions. The dough is made with almond flour and coconut flour, so it’s grain-free as well as vegan. You will need…
- Almond flour. Not almond meal, you want the finely ground flour for best texture.
- Coconut flour. A little bit of coconut flour balances the almond flour texture and moisture perfectly.
- Gingerbread spices. Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. At least that’s my favorite blend, some people add nutmeg to the list too. You do you.
- Maple syrup. In the original recipe this is the only sweetener, but since this is GINGERBREAD shortbread…
- Molasses. A gingerbread must, of course.
- Coconut oil. It’s tricky to make a shortbread oil free, we need some oil for moisture and crispiness.
- Salt and vanilla.
The EASIEST Dairy-Free Caramel
Made with Medjool dates! No cooking required – 4 simple ingredients and a blender is all you need. But to kick the creaminess and richness up a notch, this is a holiday recipe after all, we are blending with full-fat coconut milk instead of water. This also helps the caramel layer firm up a bit more in the fridge so it’s easier to slice into squares too. You will need…
- Medjool dates. And for the creamiest, sweetest caramel let’s be more specific: Natural Delights Pitted Medjool Dates. Because they are ten times more plump and fresh and flavorful than any dates you’re going to find in a bulk bin, their consistently high quality makes them my hands-down favorite Medjool dates. And they come already pitted, which saves us prep time to spend on cookie decorating instead.
- Coconut milk. Full-fat from a can please. But you can shake the can, no need to scoop out just the solid stuff. I’d recommend starting with one cup and adding more ONLY if you absolutely need to make it blend (try scraping down the sides or using a tamper first though!)
- Vanilla and salt. For that salty-sweet classic caramel goodness.
2-Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Ganache
I tested a batch with melted dark chocolate on top, and it was very tricky to slice after chilling (caramel squishing out the sides…cookies crumbling off the top…not cute things). So I switched gears and went with a chocolate ganache toppings instead. Sliced like a dream! And you just need semi-sweet chocolate chips and coconut milk to make it. Melt, stir, spread on top.
To decorate the top (my favorite step!), I baked up a mini star batch of my favorite gingerbread cut-out cookies and ordered some sweet holiday sprinkles. You could do just cookies or just sprinkles or simply a pinch of flakey salt would be beautiful and delicious too.
More Gingerbread Recipes You’ll Love
- Glazed Gingerbread Bundt Cake
- Gingerbread Cake Bars
- Soft-Baked Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Grain-Free Gingerbread Muffins
Gingerbread Caramel Slice
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Chilling Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 8 hours 52 minutes
- Yield: 16 squares 1x
- Category: bars
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Description
Gingerbread shortbread, gooey caramel, chocolate ganache, gingerbread cookies. This Gingerbread caramel slice is the ultimate Christmas dessert!
Ingredients
Gingerbread shortbread
- 1 1/2 cup (180g) almond flour
- 1/4 cup (30g) coconut flour
- 2 tsp ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp (60g) maple syrup
- 3 tbsp (60g) molasses
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (75g) coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Medjool Date Caramel
- 300g (~15) Natural Delights Pitted Medjool Dates (use code 30NatalieT for 30% off!)
- 1 cup coconut milk (1/4 cup more if needed to blend)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Topping
- 3/4 cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsps (90g) full-fat coconut milk
Gingerbread man sprinkles
Instructions
Gingerbread Shortbread
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 8×8″ pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, spices, and salt.
- Add maple syrup, molasses, coconut oil, and vanilla. Mix to form a sticky dough.
- Press into the pan firmly. Bake 20-23 minutes. Cool.
Medjool Date Caramel
- Blend all ingredients until super smooth, add more coconut milk only if needed to blend.
- Spread on top of the gingerbread shortbread.
Chocolate Topping
- Coming chocolate chips and coconut milk in a bowl and microwave approximately 1 minute on high to melt. Stir until smooth.
- Drizzle and spread on top of the caramel layer.
- Top/decorate with cookies and sprinkles.
- Refrigerate overnight.
- Carefully slice into 16 squares.
Keywords: gluten free, Christmas, holiday, caramel, shortbread, healthy, easy, chocolate, dairy free, gluten free, paleo
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Only Nat could make a monochromatic dessert look THIS beautiful. All these flavors, layers and textures sound like the ultimate holiday treat! I love a gingerbread cookie, but I love molasses desserts even more when the involve components like caramel and chocolate! And once I made a caramel with medjool dates, I was a convert for life! I currently have a few containers of Natural Delights that I can’t wait to transform =)
Aw you are the sweetest🥰 I did have quite a lot of fun with the decor on this one, all the most delicious flavors of brown are definitely involved haha! Totally agree with you on molasses desserts. It also involves chocolate, the best of the Christmas baking lineup if you ask me😋😋 thanks, Ashley!
This came at the perfect time!! I was just looking at a recipe like this in pie form and was trying to figure out how I could make it gf. And here comes your recipe with even more swaps that I appreciate! Do you think I could make this in a pie dish? Maybe double the recipe or something?
You could totally do this in a pie pan, I love that idea!! I think 1.5x the amounts should be plenty for a regular 9″ pie pan 🙂
Thank you! And do you think I can freeze it in advance of serving? If so, how long? 🙂
I am afraid the shortbread layer will get soggy if you freeze, I’d recommend just refrigerating. It will be fine for a couple days in there!
Great idea, 💡
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Hi, could i substitute the coconut flour for another flour? oat perhaps? or whole wheat pastry?
thank you!
It’s such a small amount, that will be fine! I’d go with oat flour, that will be the closest in texture. Happy baking Melissa!
Weigh your dates in grams! I just counted out 15 and my caramel didn’t set right. I ended up removing the ganache and taking it out the next morning. Next time, I’ll just skip the caramel altogether— these bars are decadent enough without it. If I were to make these again just for me, I would probably decrease the ganache by 25% to make them more suitable for snacking (they’re very rich- which is perfect for a special occasion).
Also: the video for these shows baking powder being added to the batter but they do NOT need it.
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Yes weight measurements is always the most accurate way to go! I am happy you liked them and I appreciate your feedback