No-Bake Ginger Slice (GF and Vegan)
I know it can be hard to imagine a delicious, satisfying sweet that may not contain chocolate or fruit, but this no-bake ginger slice will certainly win you over, trust me!
After scrolling through Pinterest one day, I was looking for some inspiration for developing a dessert recipe that was quick to make and that didn’t require an oven. Because, you know, sometimes it’s nice to not have to turn it on. I also wasn’t really interested in a raw style dessert, even though I’ve got plenty of those!
The other great reason to not use an oven is when it’s boiling outside and you want something to treat yourself with. I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to do is turn the oven on when it already feels like an oven inside!
Through my exploring, I quickly realised that a ginger crunch is a New Zealand traditional recipe. It has been passed down through generations and you can find it at most cafes. So if you want to transport yourself to a cafe in New Zealand, this no-bake ginger slice will definitely do the trick!
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I’ve used ginger slice and ginger crunch interchangeably as they are pretty much the same thing. I didn’t call mine a ginger crunch, well, because there is no “crunch” to it. I don’t believe others have “the crunch” either based on the ingredients that they’re using, but I’ve chosen to stick to something that seemed a little more authentic.
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Even though I was inspired by their traditional ginger crunch recipe, I wanted to create a much healthier version. Mine is free from white flour, butter, icing sugar, golden syrup, and refined sugars. I instead picked to sweeten it with Medjool dates and pure maple syrup. They are much healthier alternatives, as well as full of added health benefits.
Speaking of health benefits…
The health benefits of ginger
This ginger slice has a decent amount of ginger powder in it. You might be wondering what the health benefits of ginger are?
Here is a nice list to get you feeling oh so excited for these!
- Can help with nausea and morning sickness
- It may reduce muscle pain and soreness
- Has been known to be a healthy anti-inflammatory
- Can assist in reducing blood sugars
- Has been known to reduce period cramps and pain
- It may help to reduce cholesterol
- The active ingredients in ginger can help to fight infections (great for when you feel like you’re coming down with something, try my immune-boosting herbal tea)
- Can improve brain function
- It can also stimulate digestion
Need I say more? You’ll be running to your cupboard to start making these in no time!
Can I use fresh ginger instead of ground ginger?
You can, the only thing to consider is that fresh ginger naturally has water in it, unlike dried ginger. This means that when you mix it in with the coconut butter (an oil) it will separate. If you don’t mind that, then go for it!
I would, however, still choose to use ground ginger to get that beautiful silky, caramelly consistency.
Since I haven’t tried it with fresh ginger, I would suggest you start off with 1:1 ratio to the dried ginger and go from there.
Can’t find coconut butter?
Coconut butter is different from coconut oil. Sometimes coconut butter can be hard to find in stores, so here is a quick and easy way to make it yourself! It will probably cost you much less as well.
In a food processor, add in equal parts desiccated coconut and coconut oil and blend until you reach a nice creamy consistency. That’s it! How easy is that?
If you make more, you can use it in your morning smoothie, porridge or in your curry.
Even if you’re not head over heels for ginger, try this recipe. Trust me, you’ll love it. You can always reduce the intensity of it by adding a little less and experiment to see how strong you like it.
This slice is quite sweet so you can cut the slices in half, which will give you 20 pieces.
You’ll also love:
- 3-Ingredient Chocolate Puffed Rice Slice
- Rose and Chocolate Raw Slice
- Raw Vegan Zesty Lemon Slice
- No-Bake Choc Coconut Slice (Vegan)
- Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding With Cashew Cream
If you try this recipe, let me know! I would love for you to leave a comment and rating below. If you want to go that extra mile, tag us on Instagram or share your photo of the recipe on Pinterest.
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No-Bake Ginger Slice (GF and Vegan)
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices
Description
This no-bake ginger slice is the perfect fudgy afternoon treat when you want something naughty but healthy as it’s made from wholesome ingredients.
Ingredients
Base:
- 4 Medjool dates, pitted
- ½ cup / 40 g gluten-free rolled oats*
- ½ cup / 50g almond flour or meal*
- 2/3 cup desiccated coconut
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tabelspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Pinch of salt
Fudge:
- 1½ cups / 380g coconut butter*
- ¾ cup / 240ml maple syrup
- ⅓ cup almond butter*
- 1½ tablespoons ground ginger
Instructions
- In a food processor, add in all the base ingredients and pulse until the mixture starts to bind. I like to get it a little chunky so I don’t pulse it too much.
- Turn into a lined loaf tin or small baking dish with baking paper and press down evenly with your fingers. If you want it nice and even, I use the back of a silicone spatula to even it out. Set aside in the fridge.
- In a small saucepan, add in the fudge ingredients and stir on low heat until everything has dissolved and is well mixed.
- Pour on top of the base and put in the fridge to set for around 2 hours.
- Once set, cut into squares and serve.
- Keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks or freezer for 3 months.
Notes
Oats: If you don’t have access to certified gluten-free oats and want to swap them out, you can use activated buckwheat in their place.
Almond meal/flour and butter: If you would like to make this slice nut-free, replace the almond flour/meal with more oats and the almond butter for tahini or sunflower butter.
Coconut butter: If you can’t find coconut butter, just blend half/half desiccated coconut and coconut oil until you get a nice creamy consistency. As mentioned above.
- Diet: Vegan
What does the buckwheat do? Just adds a crunch? And can this be baked?
The buckwheat is in place of the oats to create a good structural base for this slice. Unfortunately it won’t work if you bake it.
Can I use buckwheat flour instead of activated buckwheat?
Unfortunately, buckwheat flour won’t work for this recipe. Alternatively, try increasing the desiccated coconut to ¾ cup and add ⅓ cup of nuts in place of the oats. I hope that helps!
I don’t use maple syrup as a rule. Do you think rice malt syrup. Would work in this recipe? Looks delicious and very reminiscent of NZ ginger slice. 🙏🥰
Jane
Hi Jane, I haven’t tried but you could give it a go. It won’t be as sweet, so keep that in mind.
I made this yesterday and it was delicious!!
I actually didn’t have enough maple and used 1/3 date syrup to make up the difference and it was soo good!!
I also chucked in some chopped crystallised ginger as well for extra flavour
So happy to hear you liked it! They sound like delicious additions 🙂
Hi, is there something I could use instead of coconut butter. I am also intolerant to oats so I can’t use it as substitute. Its just that I am making this for someone who is quite cautious of coconut. A bit of coconut oil is ok for the rest of recipe
Hi Shamani, unfortunately, I haven’t tried it with anything else as it forms the base for the slice. You could try cacao butter but use less of it. If coconut is an issue, you could try making some of my other desserts that aren’t as heavy on coconut as this dessert. Maybe my Rose and Chocolate Raw Slice?
Hi there, I’m just wondering what consistency the topping is meant to have once combined? Mine seemed to seperate a lot with half being runny and watery and then the rest being a nut butter like consistency?
Hi Laura, you might have over-stirred it. It will probably set a little separated with the oil sitting on top. The consistency should be a little more combined like it is in the video of this recipe. Please let me know how it turned out after you set it in the fridge.
Thank you for your reply! 🙂 yes I possibly did over stir. When I poured the topping on I panicked slightly and give it a head start to set in the freezer before moving to the refrigerator. I can confirm it still turned out amazing and I don’t think the separation ruined the outcome at all! Definitely will be making these regularly.
Oh, awesome! Thanks for letting me know 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it!
Creamy delicious and tasty!
I love ginger slice, but always found it to be too sweet. I came across this recipe and decided to give it a try. As I prefer vegan treats as they are so nourishing. This by far wins the ginger slice award. It’s better than the original. I’ll be making this over and over again. So simple. So delicious and so nourishing. Thank you so much. ❤️❤️❤️
Oh my goodness! This looks fabulous. Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
You’re welcome Karin! Would love your feedback if you end up trying the slice 🙂