These are moist, delicious and by far my husband’s favorite low-carb dessert to date. A holiday must, for sure, but we make them year round at our house. I need to make him some more of these soon. I went about making a few changes to my flatter bar cookie version to get to this cake-ier version. The changes have improved moistness level and flavor, more like real gingerbread. These are not suitable for the Induction Phase of Atkins. If you’re at or near maintenance, and can afford the extra carbs, 1-2 T. molasses added to these would make them even better!
INGREDIENTS
2/3 c. oat flour (for gluten-free, be sure to grind from 100% certified gluten-free oats)
1 c. unsweetened, unflavored whey protein powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. glucomannan (konjac) powder
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. each allspice & nutmeg
1 tsp. ginger
1 T. molasses
1 T. coconut oil
3/4 c. granular Splenda (or equivalent liquid sweetener)
¼ c. granular erythritol
1 T. oat fiber(omit for gluten-free version)
1 T. flax meal
4 egg whites (I use carton whites)
2 4-oz. jars baby food carrots
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Grease bottom and sides of a medium baking pan (I used 7″x 12″ ceramic) or line bottom with parchment paper and grease the sides only.
Measure out dry ingredients into medium mixing bowl. Stir well. Beat in the egg whites and pureed carrots, blending well. Baby food carrots can vary with brand on water content. If your batter is stiff, add 1 T. water. I don’t have to do this with Gerber brand of carrots; I do with other brands. Batter is thin if you use carton egg whites, but it will all cook up just fine. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350º for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the center comes out dry and clean. Remove from oven, cool and cut into 16 equal pieces. Delicious topped with fresh whipped cream. Larger pans will yield thinner bars; smaller will yield a taller, cake-like bar.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 16 bars, each contains:
58 calories, 1.82 g fat, 7.0 g carbs, 1.24 g fiber, 5.77 g net carbs, 4.8 g protein, 118 mg sodium
Buttoni's Low-Carb Recipes 
I finally got around to making this. (I’d bought the baby food carrots a few years ago but then forgot what they were for.) I followed the recipe exactly. The gingerbread bars are wonderfully! Very flavorful. Thanks, Peggy!
Aren’t they good?! So glad you finally got around to trying these. We just LOVE ’em. 🙂
I may have to make these soon as I am going to be working on the road and need some food items like this to stay low carb !
These should have you covered nicely on the road, Liam!
These look beautiful Peggy! Will have to try them. I’m betting chia seed can be subbed for the flax very effectively. I may also try out my LC Gluten,Nut, Soy-Free Bread Mix in place of part of the Oat Flour to cut the carbs down a bit more.
Now I just have to wait to clear out all the sugar free Easter Candy I just finished making last week to be able to have another sweet thing in the house! LOL.
I really like the idea of using ground chia for flax in this, Susie.
Me too Peggy. It might be more mild in flavor, but the flax probably doesn’t impart that much flavor in that quantity I would imagine? The one thing I still have to watch is that both flax and chia (chia to a lesser degree) has estrogen properties to them. I avoid flax not only cuz of allergies but also cuz of breast cancer and kinda limit chia for the breast cancer as well. But I do use it on occasion and will save it to use in this recipe. Can’t wait. I do love a yummy, moist gingerbread!!!
Looking forward to trying these.
Hope you like them, Kathleen! I found them very moist. A very low-carb HAPPY EASTER to you and your family.
Sounds lovely, Peggy. Happy Easter!
I hope you and yours have a lovely holiday, too, Jen.
What is oat fiber, is there a substitute?
It’s 94% pure fiber and has little food value other than that. But I find it enhances taste and texture in all my baked goods. I bought my 4# bag at Honeyvillegrains.com, but Netrition.com sells it in a 1# bag for much less: http://www4.netrition.com/lifesource_oat_fiber_page.html
Sorry, but there’s really no substitute for oat fiber. There are other forms of fiber, like psyllium, but that doesn’t give you the flavor/texture enhancement oat fiber will. Omitting it is your best option, but the end results won’t be as good without it.
Thanks a bunch!
Thank you, Happy Easter as well.
Peggy, do these taste like a gingerbread cake? If so, then on up days (love them up days!!) I could add a bit of HWC, just like I used to have in my high carbing days. Don’t you just love the smell of all these spices together? Thanks! Will be putting the baby carrots on my grocery list!
Hubby and I thought they sure did, Nancy. I suppose for a richer flavor, you could add 1-2 tsp. blackstrap molasses, but that’ll add calories and carbs, but MUCH flavor. I’m going to make mine in a smaller pan next time, maybe a loaf pan, and have it cook much taller for just that purpose. Yep, I love the UP days, too! 🙂
what, no ginger in the gingerbread?? LOL…
you could add freeze-dried blueberries for a lower carb count than adding raisins…I get unsweetened ones at Trader Joes..
You could always add some, but I tell ya, these taste just like gingerbread without it. I think it’s the Allspice that does that, but not sure. I don’t think I’d like blueberries in gingerbread, Suze. I wouldn’t add many, maybe 2 T.. And on JUDDD, calories are so crucial on Down days. These were so good without any additions at all, so I’ll probably just keep making them without either fruit until I get to goal. 🙂