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    Home > American Recipes

    Published: Dec 11, 2018 · Modified: Mar 26, 2020 by Denise Browning · "This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission." · 11 Comments

    Brazilian-Style Gingerbread Cookie Bars (Barrinhas de Pão de Mel)


    Jump to Recipe ↓

    This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser for these gingerbread cookie bars. All opinions are mine alone. #NestleTraditionallyUnited #CollectiveBias

    Brazilian-Style Gingerbread Cookie Bars (barrinhas de pão de mel) are cookie-based gingerbread bars filled with a thin layer of dulce de leche and topped with chocolate ganache. They are perfect for enjoying with a cup of hot chocolate... a holiday treat that mixes tradition with new flavors! 

    a pile of gingerbread cookie bars

    Finally, the jolly season is here! And along with it comes food, family, and holiday traditions -- some old and some new. Our Brazilian-Style Gingerbread Cookie Bars deliver a lovely blend of both...

    They bring back cherished memories of the holidays from my native country, Brazil, all while going hand in hand with new traditions from my current home, the United States-- allowing me to pass on both to my children.

    Our cookie bars are made with homemade cookie dough, filled with dulce de leche, and then topped with chocolate ganache.

    Ingredients for gingerbread cookie bars

    For the cookie dough we used butter, two types of sugar, molasses, spices, eggs, flour, vanilla, and baking soda.

    The great thing about this dough, besides its rich flavor, is that it doesn't require any chilling in the refrigerator or a resting period. 

    The filling consists of a mixture of chewy caramel and NESTLÉ® LA LECHERA® Sweetened Condensed Milk, which we also used, along with chocolate chips, to make the velvety chocolate ganache topping.

    I grew up enjoying treats made with La Lechera, and now it's what I use to prepare both everyday and holiday treats for my family.

    Our Gingerbread Cookie Bars, a twist on a Brazilian classic, come served with a cup of NESTLÉ® ABUELITA Mexican Hot Chocolate...

    cooking hot chocolate to serve with gingerbread cookie bars

    ... my "new" tradition, acquired in my 16 years of living in America.   

    After all, what would the winter season be without hot chocolate, right? My children and I have lots of fond memories of steaming mugs of rich, sweet hot chocolate... and I bet you do, too.

    All ingredients fro our gingerbread cookie bars are conveniently available at your nearest Walmart, saving you time. 

    four combined images showing Walmart treat ingredients on shelves

    Interested in trying these out for yourself? You can simply click on the items below to shop online as well!

     

    If you enjoy our Brazilian-Style Gingerbread cookie bars (also known as barrinhas de pão de mel) , visit elmejornido.com for more recipe inspiration.

    HOW TO MAKE BRAZILIAN-STYLE GINGERBREAD COOKIE BARS  

    Start by preheating oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 8 x 8-inch baking pan with no-stick spray, line with parchment paper, and set aside.

    Prepare the cookie dough: using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine butter and sugars, mixing just until creamy.

    Add molasses, egg, flour, spices, vanilla, and baking soda. Beat the mixture on medium speed until homogeneous.

    Mixing batter for gingerbread cookie bars

    Spread half of the batter in an even layer in the prepared pan, using your hands if needed; reserve. 

    Layering cookie batter into baking pan

    Meanwhile prepare the dulce de leche filling. In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt caramel until mostly smooth.

    Stir in ½ cup of sweetened condensed milk until obtaining a homogeneous mixture.

    preparing dulce de leche filling for gingerbread cookie bars

    Pour dulce de leche filling on top of the cookie batter, spreading gently in an even layer. 

    layering filling into pan

    Then, drop flattened pieces of the remaining cookie batter on top of the filling until they mostly cover the dulce de leche filling. 

    Bake for about 20-23 minutes, transfer pan to a rack, and let it cool for 10-15 minutes before topping with chocolate ganache.

    While cooling, make the ganache. Mix the remaining sweetened condensed milk with chocolate chips in another microwave safe bowl and heat for about 90 seconds.

    spreading chocolate ganache over baked gingerbread cookie bars

    Stir in until chocolate fully melts and ganache is smooth and has thickened. Mix in ½ teaspoon of vanilla and spread over the baked cookie batter. 

    Let set in the refrigerator for at least 30-50 minutes, cut into squares, and then decorate as desired. Enjoy gingerbread bars with a cup of hot chocolate!

    A pile of gingerbread cookie bars served with hot chocolate

    What's pão de mel? 

    The classic recipe for pao de mel, of European origin, consists of a sandwiched cake that is made mostly from honey, chocolate, and a lot of spices,  including ground ginger.

    It is coated in chocolate to prolong its flavor and moist texture, and can be filled with dulce de leche.

    It usually has either a square or round shape (resembling a cookie sandwich or Alfajor). 

    But on this occasion I adapted the recipe to make cookie bars, and so have substituted a few ingredients. 

    Well, what are your holiday traditions? I would love to hear all about them, including your favorite food recipes at this time of the year. 

    Enjoy our gingerbread cookie bars!

    Happy Holidays!

    PIN & ENJOY!

    Two combined images showing gingerbread cookie bars both piled up and on a platter

    a pile of gingerbread cookie bars
    Print SAVE Saved Recipe! Pin
    5 from 2 votes

    Brazilian-Style Gingerbread Cookie Bars

    Brazilian-Style Gingerbread Cookie Bars (barrinhas de pão de mel) are gooey cookie-based gingerbread bars filled with a thin layer of dulce de leche topped with chocolate ganache. 
    Course:Dessert
    Cuisine:Brazilian
    Keywords:chocolate ganache, cookie bars, cookie sandwich, dulce de leche, gingerbread
    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    40 minutes
    Total Time 50 minutes
    Servings 12
    Calories491 kcal
    Author Denise Browning

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup unsalted butter (or 1 stick)
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • ⅓ cup dark brown sugar
    • ⅓ cup molasses
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
    • 1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, divided
    • 2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 20 chewy/soft caramels
    • 1 can NESTLÉ® LA LECHERA® Sweetened Condensed Milk (14 oz)
    • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

    Instructions

    • Start by preheating oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 8 x 8-inch baking pan with no-stick spray, line with parchment paper, and set aside.
    • Prepare the cookie dough: using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine butter and sugars, mixing just until creamy.
    • Add molasses, egg, flour, spices, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and baking soda. Beat the mixture on medium speed until homogeneous.
    • Spread half of the batter in an even layer in the prepared pan, using your hands if necessary; reserve. 
    • Meanwhile prepare the dulce de leche filling. In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt caramel until mostly smooth.
    • Stir in ½ cup of sweetened condensed milk until obtaining a homogeneous mixture. Pour dulce de leche filling on top of the cookie batter, spreading gently in an even layer. 
    • Then, drop flattened pieces of the remaining cookie batter on top of the filling until they mostly cover the dulce de leche filling.
    • Bake for about 20-23 minutes, transfer pan to a rack, and let cool for 10-15 minutes before topping with chocolate ganache.
    • While cooling, make the ganache. Mix remaining sweetened condensed milk with chocolate chips in another microwave safe bowl and heat for about 90 seconds. 
    • Stir in until chocolate is melted and ganache is smooth and has thickened. Mix in ½ teaspoon of vanilla and spread over the baked cookie batter.
    • Let set in the refrigerator for at least 30-50 minutes, cut into squares, and decorate as desired. Enjoy with a cup of hot chocolate!

    Recipe Notes

    • Store these Gingerbread Cookie Bars in a clean airtight container for up to 3-4 days, either at room temp or in the refrigerator.
    • Love Gingerbread? Try its cousin, pao de mel .

    Nutrition

    Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 306mg | Potassium: 415mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 360IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 2.6mg

    ** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.

    Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.

    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Comment and rate the recipe. Also follow us on Pinterest at @easyanddelish for more delish recipes.

     

     

     

     

     

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    Filed Under: American Recipes, Brazilian Recipes, Christmas, Easy Dessert Recipes

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Al Errico says

      December 11, 2018 at 1:04 pm

      It's missing how much flour to use???

      Reply
      • Denise Browning says

        December 11, 2018 at 6:47 pm

        Hi, Al! Thank you for letting me know. It's 2 cups. I don't know why my recipe plugin was not registering that amount of flour but I have fixed the problem. You will find all the ingredient amounts there. I apologize for the inconvenience. I hope you make these bars and enjoy. They are one of my family favorite Xmas treats.

        Reply
        • Al Errico says

          December 12, 2018 at 8:37 am

          Thanks very much! Merry Christmas & happy 2019 to you & yours!

          Reply
    2. Deb|EastofEdenCooking says

      December 12, 2018 at 9:15 am

      I adore gingerbread! Would love a big fat slice of these scrumptious cookies with my morning coffee.

      Reply
      • Denise Browning says

        December 12, 2018 at 8:15 pm

        I am with you Deb! They go well any time of the day with hot cocoa preferably or any other beverage.

        Reply
    3. John / Kitchen Riffs says

      December 12, 2018 at 10:25 am

      Mmm, gingerbread. LOVE the stuff. These bars look great -- really nice recipe. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Denise Browning says

        December 12, 2018 at 8:14 pm

        Thank you! They became a family favorite. So gooey and delicious!

        Reply
    4. OneWholesomeMeal says

      December 16, 2018 at 10:27 am

      5 stars
      Christmas is coming!!! Gingerbread!! This looks delicious.. <3

      Reply
      • Denise Browning says

        December 18, 2018 at 12:44 pm

        Thank you so much. I wish you can try it and enjoy as much as my family and I did. Merry Christmas!

        Reply
    5. Zaika says

      November 11, 2019 at 1:34 pm

      5 stars
      I tried these gingerbread bars recently. All my co-workers loved them. Making again for Xmas.

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Pão de Mel (Brazilian Honey Cakes) - Easy and Delish says:
      December 3, 2020 at 6:38 pm

      […] Pão de mel is the Brazilian gingerbread with a twist, enjoyed all year round in Brazil. It consists of spiced mini honey cakes filled with dulce de leche and covered in chocolate. Truly one of the best Brazilian food desserts you will ever have – just like our gingerbread cookie bars. […]

      Reply

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