Chocolate-Gingerbread Bars

SAVE FOR LATER

With Christmas just around the corner, I’m definitely getting in the holiday baking spirit! I’ve been itching to bake with the traditional flavors of the season: gingerbread, cinnamon, chocolate/mint, and cranberry, to name a few.

However, I’m watching my waistline, so I typically don’t bake unless I’m going to be meeting up with a group, and can give most of the treats away. Because if I have delicious sweets in the house, I will eat them all!

Luckily, I met up with a group of food blogger friends the other night for dinner, which provided me the perfect excuse to bake + share these Chocolate-Gingerbread Bars.

So, how did they taste? Awesome!

These bars are a perfect hybrid between gingerbread and a brownie. Sometimes traditional gingerbread can be a bit too intensely spiced for me, but in these bars, the spice is wonderfully balanced my the richness and sweetness of the chocolate.

And the texture is fantastic – dense enough to feel a bit decadent, but with some of the lightness/airiness of traditional gingerbread. These are scrumptious as an afternoon pick-me-up with a cup of tea, or a late-night sweet with a mug of hot cocoa. And SO perfect as a holiday treat – hope y’all try ’em!

SAVE FOR LATER

Chocolate-Gingerbread Bars

These bars are a perfect hybrid between gingerbread and a brownie. They are dense yet light, with a wonderful balance of spice and chocolate. Perfect for the holidays.

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Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 16 bars

Course: Dessert

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 4 tablespoons 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus more for pan
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom with a strip of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter paper. Dust paper and sides of pan with cocoa; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, ginger, pumpkin-pie spice, and baking soda; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and sour cream until smooth.
4. Add flour mixture; stir just until moistened (do not overmix). Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.
6. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
7. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
8. Using paper overhang, lift gingerbread from pan. Transfer to a cutting board, and cut into 16 squares.
9. Before serving, dust bars with confectioners sugar, if desired.