Hello, friends! Life got you on the run? Same, homie. I frequently turn to baking for a sanity break, and recently crafted these Almond Gingerbread Squares. They’re soft, sweet and richly spiced, with a nice crunch from sliced almonds on top.
These gluten free treats feature almond and oat flours, with flavor boosts from molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and more.
Why make these Almond Gingerbread Squares gluten free?
I was mainly trying to use up some of the specialty flours I’ve accumulated over the past year. For several months, I followed a gluten-free diet to attempt to treat psoriasis (it didn’t seem to help). In that time, however, I did a lot of GF baking with delicious results, especially these butternut squash muffins with maple drizzle! I used gluten free all-purpose flour most of the time, but also had on hand almond and oat flours. Hence, today’s creation was born 🙂
Gluten-free flours produce a slightly different texture. They tend to be less airy and more dense, and don’t rise as high as wheat-based baked goods. All of that works quite well for these gingerbread almond squares. They’re soft, slightly chewy, and bursting with flavors of ginger and cinnamon.
I made these twice, and after a couple of tweaks was very happy with the result. The first batch was delicious, but just a bit sticky for my liking. [FYI: I’m the type of cook who will inadvertently transfer crumbs from her fingers to her hair, and unknowingly sport that look for the rest of the day! So ‘sticky’ doesn’t work for me lol.]
To fix the stickiness, I ditched the extra moisture I’d added via some applesauce I had included. I also reduced the molasses by a tablespoon.
The final result is the gingerbread square of your dreams 🙂
Almond Gingerbread Squares (Gluten Free)
These Almond Gingerbread Squares are dense, chewy and richly spiced with molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Sliced almonds on top add a nice crunch with each bite. This recipe uses almond and oat flours but all-purpose gluten free flour works, too.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 large egg
- 2/3 cup brown sugar packed
- 5 tablespoons butter melted
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare an 8×8 baking pan with spray oil.
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
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In a separate bowl, add the egg, brown sugar, melted butter, and molasses. Whisk until well combined.
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Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, and stir until all the dry ingredients are incorporated well.
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Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, and spread it out with a spatula until evenly distributed. Sprinkle the slivered almonds on top.
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Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes prior to cutting. Once cool, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Recipe Notes
To measure flour, spoon it lightly into the measuring cup – do not pack it in.
You may substitute all-purpose gluten free flour for the almond/oat flour combo I use here.
Before measuring the molasses, spray the measuring spoon with oil. The molasses will then pour easily out of the spoon leaving very little behind.
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