Keto + SCD Gingerbread Bars
Celebrate the holidays with our deliciously addictive Keto + SCD Gingerbread Bars!
Happy Saturday Friends, I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving!
Today’s recipe is extra special as it’s a new favorite for both the SCD + Keto diets. These bars are TRULY delicious, totally addictive and such fun to decorate! The fact that they’re so easy to put together just makes these delectable dreamies a win-win.
You’ll find both versions of the recipe below. By the way, I can’t tell you how much joy it brings me when we can create a treat that is both Low-Carb + SCD-friendly. We know how hard these diets can be to follow. And it really warms my heart every time one of you shares photos of your bakes on Instagram and Pinterest. We really put our hearts and souls into making each recipe as enjoyable as possible and regardless if you share or not, we’re always just so thankful to have you here with us on the blog! And if this is your first time, welcome!!
Baking Tips:
•One of the many things I like about this recipe is that you have control over the kind of texture you prefer– 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda gets you chewy, brownie-like bars and 1/2 teaspoon gives you a cakey, fluffier feel. I’m always amazed by the power of baking soda and how such a tiny amount can have such a mighty influence! I love them both ways, but I wanted to share as we do prefer one version over the other depending on mood and what we’re craving and figured you might as well.
•If you wish to decorate your bars beyond that yummy cream cheese layer of frosting as we have here, I recommend doubling that part of the recipe. That way you’ll have plenty for additional colors. Also…if you use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes, just keep in mind that a bit of patience is required to push the bars up and out of the cutter due to the thickness of the treat (chilling them in the freezer can help as well). Out of frustration, we came fairly close to throwing the poor gingerbread man you see above out the window! A gentle touch works wonders, there are far too many broken gingerbread men in the world as it is 😉 And to reiterate, chilling them really does make for an easier release from the cookie cutter.
• You can easily pipe leaves without a proper icing tip, we love this DIY video by Special Occasion Arts.
If you love these Gingerbread Bars, you might also enjoy our Keto Pumpkin Graham Squares or our SCD Holiday Cheesecake Bars!
Happy Holiday Baking!
Keto + SCD Gingerbread Bars
- Total Time: about an hour
- Yield: 12-16 squares 1x
Description
*Less than 3 net carbs per serving for the Keto Squares, see nutrition info below recipe.
*See baking + decorating tips in post above for this recipe.
*Both Keto + SCD Versions below, scroll down to find desired recipe.
Ingredients
Keto Gingerbread Bars
- 2 + 1/4 cups almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
- 2/3 cup Swerve Confectioners Sugar Replacement
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1.5 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice (can add additional ground ginger if desired)
- 2.5 teaspoons guar gum
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 7 tablespoons softened butter (or Earth Balance for Dairy-Free)
- 1 egg (large egg is fine but not jumbo sized)
- 1.5 tablespoons vanilla extract (make sure to use tablespoon, not teaspoon for this and Pumpkin Spice measurements)
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream or coconut milk
- 1.5 teaspoons molasses (this small amount is just .4 carbs in each serving)
Keto Cream Cheese Frosting
SCD Gingerbread Bars
- 2 + 1/4 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1.5 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice (can add additional ground ginger if desired)
- 1 tablespoon gelatin (Knox brand or Now Foods brand both work well)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 5 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 egg (large is fine, but not jumbo sized)
- 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp honey
- 2.5 tablespoons prune juice (naturally sweetened)
- 1.5 tablespoons vanilla extract (make sure to use tablespoon, not teaspoon for this and Pumpkin Spice measurements)
SCD “Cream Cheese” Frosting
- 7.5 ounces Friendship Farmer Cheese (available in most groceries)
- *a touch of beet powder if you wish to color the frosting pink or red, spirulina powder for green,
Instructions
Keto Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a large bowl, sift then whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, Swerve Confectioners Sugar Replacement, pumpkin pie spice, guar gum and baking soda.
- Add softened butter, egg, vanilla extract, heavy cream and molasses. Work wet ingredients into dry ingredients with your hand until a loose, sticky dough starts to form. Let dough sit for 2 minutes, it will thicken a bit.
- Press dough evenly into a parchment paper lined 8×8 baking dish.
- Place dish into a preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for 38 minutes altogether: the first 20 minutes covered tightly with foil, then remove the foil and rotate baking dish 180 degrees and bake for another 18 minutes. The top will become a golden-light brown. The middle will still be soft similar to a batch of brownies. Remove from oven and let stand for ten minutes, then transfer dish to freezer to cool and firm–about 20 minutes. Make sure they are cooled completely before frosting–they will firm up during this cooling process.
- Make your frosting while you’re waiting for your bars to cool.
- Keto Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Use a rubber spatula to stir and smooth the frosting, then spread a thin layer on the top of the bars, cut and serve. Decorate with additional frosting if desired. Store any leftovers in an airtight container to maintain moistness, enjoy!
SCD Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, pumpkin pie spice, gelatin and baking soda.
- Add softened butter, egg, honey, prune juice and vanilla extract. Work wet ingredients into dry ingredients with your hand until a loose, sticky dough forms. Let it stand for 3 minutes, it will thicken just a touch.
- Spread your dough into a parchment paper lined 8×8 baking pan. You can dip your fingers in water, this will allow you to be able to spread it more easily–and make sure to smooth the surface so it is nice and even.
- Place baking dish in preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes total: make sure to cover it tightly with foil for the first 15 minutes, then remove foil, rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue to bake uncovered for 20 minutes. The top will be golden with a touch of golden brown around the edges. The middle will be a touch soft like a large cookie at this point-it will firm up during the cooling process.
- Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes, then transfer to freezer for 15-20 minutes until completely cooled.
- While you’re waiting, go ahead and make your frosting.
- SCD “Cream Cheese” Frosting:
-
Serve + Enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 38 minutes
You are the best little baking decorator! These are absolutely adorable, and look incredibly delicious Can’t wait to bake these soon!!
Aww thanks my friend! They were so much fun to make, can’t wait for you to try them!
I can always count on your blog for the best holiday recipes! I am all about gingerbread so these bars will definitely be on my list! Bravo my friend 🙂
That is so kind of you to say my friend, thank you!! 😀 I hope you love them!!