These paleo gingerbread blondies are rich with holiday spices and made with almond butter, honey, warm seasonings, and a swirl of black currant jam.
Last May I traveled to Cape Cod for a four-day retreat with food bloggers. We photographed dishes, talked about photography, and ate a lot of great food. It was a perfect escape for people obsessed with cooking and pictures.
My accommodations were a small cottage on the property. My roommate hadn’t arrived when I got there, and I was curious—and a little anxious—to find out who I’d be sharing the cottage with and whether we’d get along.
It turned out I loved my roommate. We spent hours talking and laughing late into the night, swapping stories like old friends. I kept thinking, “I hope there isn’t a spider in here,” while also feeling grateful to have such a fun companion.
My roommate was Becky Winkler from the blog A Calculated Whisk. She recently published a cookbook called Paleo Planet, which features global-inspired Paleo recipes. The book includes 125 dishes that pack bold flavors into everyday cooking. I don’t follow a strict Paleo diet, but I was excited to try many of the recipes.
Her recipes are straightforward and use ingredients you’re likely to have on hand, which makes the book very accessible.
Now, about these gingerbread blondies: they have a deep, warm gingerbread flavor with the bright contrast of black currant jam. Because they’re Paleo, they’re made without flour and rely on almond butter as the base. I was a little nervous about baking with almond butter for the first time, but the results were excellent.
The blondies bake up moist, tender, and full of spices. The jam swirled into the batter adds a lovely burst of sweetness and color. These bars are great on a holiday dessert tray and are perfectly acceptable for a morning treat if you enjoy blondies for breakfast.
With the holidays approaching, Paleo Planet is a helpful resource for anyone eating Paleo or simply looking to add flavorful, ingredient-focused recipes to their kitchen.
Looking for more dessert ideas? Try my blueberry crumb bars, pumpkin pie cake bars, or homemade Girl Scout Samoas bars.
Paleo Gingerbread Blondies
Ingredients
- 1¾ cup almond butter
- 1 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons melted ghee
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup all-fruit black currant jam
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C) and line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, beat the almond butter and honey together until smooth using a hand mixer or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.
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Add the melted ghee, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and salt, and beat until just combined. Add the eggs and baking soda, and beat again until the batter is smooth.
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Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking pan with a spatula so it covers the bottom in a uniform layer.
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Drop spoonfuls of black currant jam across the top of the batter. Use a butter knife to swirl the jam into the batter, dragging in one direction and then the other to create a marbled pattern.
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Bake until the blondies are just set, 40–45 minutes. Avoid overbaking to keep them moist. Cool completely in the pan, then lift the blondies out using the parchment and cut into squares to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.