There’s something about molasses cookies that are so comforting. Maybe it’s because they’re often served around the holidays, or it’s from our childhood memories.
That’s it for me. They hold a special place in my heart. The combination of spicy, chewy goodness with ginger, molasses, cinnamon, and cloves is delightful.
This fat-free recipe for vegan spicy molasses bars makes it even easier than cookies and bakes on parchment paper in just 20 minutes.
I substituted the butter that is in most recipes with applesauce. Adding 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour helps make it even healthier. A flax egg replaces a regular egg. Forming two 12″ flattened logs to bake and then slicing them into bars gets you out of the kitchen quickly.
I tried making these with black strap molasses, but I found it to be too strong so I suggest unsulphured molasses. Molasses has a lower sugar content and more antioxidants than most refined sugars. It’s also a good source of iron and calcium.
This recipe also has brown sugar and I don’t think a sugar substitute would work because the brown sugar makes them chewy and moist. For an additional kick, you can add candied ginger pieces.
The bars will seem soft to the touch at 20 minutes but firm up as they cool, so don’t overcook. Be sure to store them in a closed container to keep them moist, or they may dry out.
I want to try a version with chickpeas because I love this Chickpea Chocolate Chip cookie recipe…
Keep your taste buds craving more plant-based desserts:
- Avocado Tofu Chocolate Mousse
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
- Carrot Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Moroccan Spiced Vegan Eggnog
I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Spicy Molasses Bars recipe! If you have a photo, post it on my Facebook page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking in your caption, and I won’t miss it!
Spicy Molasses Bars
Equipment
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce or pumpkin puree
- 1 cup light or dark brown sugar packed
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds plus 2 ½ tablespoon water (see note for other substitutions)
- 1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon*
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup minced crystallized ginger
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar sifted
- 1 tbsp dark rum (optional)
- 1/8 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and mix the 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds with 2 1/2 tbsp water. Let sit a minute.
- Place the applesauce or pumpkin and brown sugar in a bowl and hand mix until light and fluffy. Add the flaxseed mixture, almond flavoring, and the molasses.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture just until combined.
- Mix in the crystallized ginger. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board, form it into a disk and cut it in half. Roll each half into flat logs 12 inches long.
- Place them 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes. The logs will still be soft in the center.
- Sift the powdered sugar over the bars or, if using the rum, whisk the confectioners sugar with 1 tablespoon rum to make a pourable glaze. While the logs are still warm, drizzle the glaze back and forth across the logs. Allow to cool. Cut each log crosswise into 1 1/2-inch-wide bars
Please check your instructions on the confectioner’s sugar and rum…ingredients say 1 Tbsp rum but instructions say 31 tablespoon rum. Yee ha that might a potent glaze!
Ha, thanks for letting me know. I always appreciate the help. All fixed. 🙂
Is there a nutritional chart for this recipe?
Thank you
Hey Andrea, I’ve never frozen this dish, but I don’t see why you couldn’t. I would only be concerned about freezer burn. I’ve never heard of freezer paper, but here’s what I found as a suggestion. “Too much air in the container will cause freezer burn, so if there’s a lot of empty space at the top of the container, fill it with crumpled freezer paper. Cover the pan or dish first with plastic wrap, and then overlay that with heavyweight aluminum foil.”
Hello! I am very excited to try this recipe 🙂
Just wanted some clarification about “shaping into a log”…in your pictures, the shape looks more flat, like a biscotti maybe? When you say “log”, it makes me think of a more cylindrical shape. Should it be shaped as a cylinder, and then as it bakes it flattens and spreads? Or should it be shaped more like the picture (long and flat-ish?)
Thank you!
Thanks for your question. It should be shaped flatter like biscotti, as you’ve observed. I’ll update that in the instructions so it makes more sense.
Thank you! Will try it out tonight 😊
Just wanted to pop back to let you know I will be making this for the second time tonight! I over cooked it slightly the first time, but it still came out chewy, and spicy, and delicious! Definitely addictive if you’re a fan of Christmas spice/molasses! Thanks for the recipe:)
You’re welcome. 💕 I wish I had some right about now! So glad you enjoyed them!
Hi! You list 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed twice (once alone and once with water added). Does that mean it’s actually 2 Tbsp in the recipe? I’m allergic to flaxseed so I’m trying to figure out the amount (or number of eggs) to substitute for. I use either aquafaba from canned chick peas or a psyllium/starch egg replacer from Bob’s Red Mill. Can you please advise how much I’m replacing—either 1 or 2 eggs for the flaxseed?
Also would love it if you could suggest other egg replacers beyond flaxseed!
Thanks for letting me know. You’d be replacing 1 egg in this recipe. I’ve also heard of chia seeds, banana, or applesauce as an egg replacer, but the recipe already has applesauce so you might want to use something else. It sounds like you like using the aquafaba or psyllium/starch mixture. I’ll put a note at the bottom for other substitutions.
I make this regularly. I sub gluten-free flour. I love this recipe. As someone with both celiac and unable to eat fat, this makes me feel normal around the holidays. Sometimes I’ll throw in a little candied orange peel.
THANK YOU.
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipe and that it works using gluten-free flour! Candied orange peel sounds delicious, too.