Dessert Recipes

Gingerbread Bars

12 servings

Are you looking for a simple-to-make dessert that is full of flavor? My Gingerbread Bars are full of European-style gingerbread flavor and aroma, with a light and refreshing touch of prune preserve or plum preserve and a delicate chocolate coating. You can prepare them in your favorite baking dish for an amazing sweet treat that is sure to impress everyone at the table. Read More

☆☆☆☆☆0x(write a review)👁306x

Tom the ChefPublished: 4.21.2026

Dessert Recipes

Vegetarian

90 min.

1/5

513 calories Per Serving (of 12) Read More

Before You Start

Let’s talk about important parts of the recipe before you start…

Jump to Recipe

Welcome to My Gingerbread Bars Recipe

I am so excited to share my favorite dessert with you! These Gingerbread Bars are absolutely packed with that classic European-style gingerbread aroma we all love. By utilizing wonderful spices like anise seeds, cloves, and ginger root, the flavor profile is incredibly earthy and fresh. The addition of a sweet prune preserve or plum preserve brings a refreshing touch to the cake, while a rich chocolate coating ties it all together beautifully. Whether you use medium or dark rye flour, preparing this batter in your trusty baking dish will yield a spectacular treat for everyone to enjoy.

Crafting the Perfect Gingerbread Spice Blend

One of the most vital steps in making my Gingerbread Bars is creating the spice mixture. I highly recommend using whole anise seeds, fennel seeds, and cloves, and grinding them into a fine texture in a mortar and pestle or a small food processor. This method creates an incredible aroma, giving the dessert an authentic European-style gingerbread flavor. If you do not have whole seeds, the recipe allows you to use the ground alternatives listed in the ingredients, but preparing it fresh truly elevates the entire baking dish.

The Importance of Room Temperature Ingredients

When preparing the bubble cake batter for these Gingerbread Bars, you must ensure your eggs and unsalted butter are at room temperature. I always remove my eggs and butter from the fridge about an hour before I start baking. This allows the ingredients to combine properly when whisked on high speed with the granulated sugar, creating a creamy but still slightly liquidly texture. Taking this simple step ensures the base of your sweet treat turns out flawless.

Choosing the Right Rye Flour

The addition of rye flour is what gives these Gingerbread Bars their distinct, earthy depth alongside the all-purpose flour. You can use any rye flour you have available, but the type you choose will slightly alter the flavor profile. For a much earthier taste, a dark rye flour is a wonderful choice. If you prefer a lighter touch, a classic medium organic rye flour works perfectly and is actually the closest to traditional Czech Rye bread. This unique ingredient perfectly complements the prune preserve and plum preserve used later in the process.

Mastering the Creamy Batter Base

To build the foundation of this dessert, whisking the eggs, sugar, and butter on high speed is essential. You want to process them in your kitchen mixer with a whisk attachment until they reach that perfect creamy texture, which usually takes about three to five minutes. Once achieved, I gently fold in the dry mixture, milk, vanilla extract, and a half cup of plum preserve. If ingredients stick to the side of the mixer, I always stop and use a silicone spatula to mix it back in to ensure the Gingerbread Bars batter is perfectly uniform.

Assembling and Filling the Cake

Once the cake has fully cooled after baking for about sixty minutes, the fun assembly process begins. I carefully remove the thin top layer to make the top flatter—do not dispose of this, as it makes a fantastic chef’s snack! Then, I divide the cake horizontally into two parts using a long knife. Spreading a generous cup of prune preserve or plum preserve on the bottom half adds a necessary tartness and moisture that cuts through the rich European-style gingerbread spices perfectly.

Finishing with the Chocolate Coating

The crowning glory of my Gingerbread Bars is the delicate chocolate coating. After placing the top half of the cake back on over the preserve filling, you will evenly spread half a recipe of chocolate coating over the very top using an offset spatula. It is crucial to let the dessert cool until the chocolate completely hardens before you slice it into twelve even pieces. You can speed this hardening process up by placing the baking dish in the refrigerator for a bit.

Buy me a coffee

Gingerbread Bars

12 servingsTom the ChefPublished: 4.21.2026 ☆☆☆☆☆0x(write a review)👁306x

90 min.

1/5

🖨Print

Ingredients:

Click any ingredient to learn more

Gingerbread spice:

2 TSP of anise seeds - whole (or 1/2 TSP of ground )

1 TSP of fennel seeds - whole (or 1/2 TSP of ground )

1 TSP of cloves - whole (or 1/2 TSP of ground )

2 TSP of cinnamon - ground

1 TSP of allspice - ground

1 TSP of ginger root - ground

Bubble cake:

4 egg - room temperature (remove from the fridge about an hour before you start)

1 ½ cups of granulated sugar

2 sticks of unsalted butter - room temperature (½ LB)

3 cups of all-purpose flour

½ cup of rye flour (*)

2 TBSP of cocoa powder

1 TBSP of baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 cups of milk

1 cup of prune preserve (or plum preserve)

1 TSP of vanilla extract

Greasing form:

1 TSP of oil (any kind)

2 TBSP of all-purpose flour (adjust if needed)

Filling & coating:

1 cup of prune preserve (or plum preserve)

1/2 recipe chocolate coating (store-bought or recipe here)

* You can use any rye flour you have available. For a more earthy flavor, dark rye flour will be a great choice, and for a little lighter flavor, classic medium organic rye flour would be great to use. The medium rye is probably closest to the traditional Czech Rye bread.

Tools:

Click any tool to learn more

1x Measuring Cups

1x Measuring Spoons

1x Mortar and Pestle Set (or small food precessor)

1x Kitchen Mixer with Whisk Attachment

1x Medium Mixing Bowl (3 – 4 QT)

1x French Whisk (optional)

1x Silicone Spatula

1x 9 or 10” cake pan or Baking Dish or Roast Pan or Medium Chafer Pan (with High Rims at least 3")

1x Chef’s knife

1x Offset Spatula

Nutrition per 1 Serving:(recipe split into 12 servings)

Estimated

Calories 513 Protein 8.2 g Fat 19.4 g Saturated fat 11.0 g Carbohydrate 80.1 g Sugars 41.7 g Fiber 2.9 g Sodium 60 mg Cholesterol 106 mg

Vegetarian

Estimated. Worked out from the ingredients above using the United States Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central reference data. An estimate, not a measurement — brands, sizes and how much of a marinade actually ends up on the plate all move it.

Directions:

1.Before You Start:

1.1.

Set oven to 350°F.

1.2.

Grease and flour your baking dish.

2.Gingerbread Spice:

Note:

If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can use a small food processor.

2.1.

Place into the mortar (or small food processor):

2 TSP of whole anise seeds

1 TSP of whole fennel seeds

1 TSP of whole cloves

2 TSP of ground cinnamon

1 TSP of ground Allspice

1 TSP of ground ginger

And process using a pestle until a fine texture is reached.

3.Place into a Kitchen Mixer with a Whisk Attachment:

4 eggs (room temperature)

1 ½ cups of granulated sugar

2 sticks (½ LB) of butter – soft

Whisk on high speed until all ingredients nicely combine and turn into a creamy but still a little liquidly texture (about 3 – 5 minutes).

4.Dry Ingredients Mixture:

4.1.

Meanwhile, prepare the dry ingredients mixture. Add into a medium mixing bowl:

3 cups of all-purpose flour

½ cup of rye flour

Gingerbread spice (prepared above)

2 TBSP of cocoa powder

1 TBSP of baking powder

Pinch of salt

Shortly stir together using a whisk until nicely combined (about 1 minute).

5.The Batter – Part 2:

5.1.

When eggs, sugar, and butter reach a creamy texture, stop the mixer and add:

Dry ingredients mixture prepared in the previous step.

2 cups of milk

½ cup of prune or plum preserve

1 TSP of vanilla extract

And then process on high speed until fully combined (about 1 – 2 minutes).

5.2.

Gently pour and distribute the batter in a greased and floured pan using a silicone spatula.

6.Bake:

6.1.

Bake in a preheated oven until fully baked (about 60 minutes, it may take a little longer if you bake more than one thing at a time in your oven).

6.2.

Test with a toothpick.

6.3.

Let fully cool before further manipulation.

Note:

From certain kinds of pans, you can remove it while still warm (for example, a spring pan makes removing very easy). In order to perform that, you need to be very careful to prevent injury.

7.Assemble:

7.1.

Remove the thin top layer to make the top flatter (do not dispose of it but rather enjoy the top layer as a snack).

7.2.

Carefully divide it into 2 parts using a long knife.

7.3.

Spread 1 cup of prune preserves on the bottom part.

7.4.

Cover with the top part.

8.Chocolate Coating:

8.1.

Prepare ½ of the recipe for chocolate coating and then evenly coat the top using an offset spatula.

Recipe for chocolate coating here.

8.2.

Let it cool in until the chocolate hardens before serving (optionally speed up by placing in a refrigerator).

9.Serving:

9.1.

After fully cooled, leave it in the pan and cut it into approximately 12 even pieces (or adjust to your preference).

If parts of the ingredients stick to the side of the kitchen mixer during processing, stop the mixer, and use a spatula to mix it back in. Then, continue processing.