Vanilla Chai Bars

Recipe by Charlotte Rutledge
27 Reviews 4.3 out of 5 stars

In the world of bars, these are a spiced-up, unique version of a blondie. Their crunchy top hides their ultra-moist and chewy interior, while their chai-like flavor envelops your mouth like a sip of their namesake tea. With their spiced sugar coating they're a casual teatime treat. But with a drizzle of white chocolate they can be dressed up to be quite fancy for any special occasion.

Prep
20 mins
Bake
17 to 25 mins
Total
45 mins
Yield
2 dozen bars
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Sprouted Wheat Vanilla Chai Bars

Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.

  2. To make the bars: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, spice(s), and salt until well blended. Set aside.

  3. Melt the butter in a saucepan set over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes together and forms a fairly smooth, shiny paste, about 3 to 5 minutes. If you have a digital thermometer, the temperature will reach about 200°F; but no worries if you don't have a thermometer, it's not critical.

  4. Transfer the hot mixture to a medium bowl and allow it to cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Again, if you have a thermometer, the temperature of the cooled mixture should be no higher than about 160°F; you're going to add eggs next, and you don't want them to cook.

  5. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir until well combined; the batter will be stiff. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

  6. Bake the bars for 17 to 21 minutes (for chewy bars) or 23 to 27 minutes (for cakier bars), until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it; the top crust will have risen and fallen.

  7. Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool for 15 minutes.

  8. To make the topping: Mix together the sugar and spice(s) in a small bowl.

  9. Gently brush the melted butter evenly over the surface of the warm bars, then sprinkle on the spiced sugar, shaking and tilting the pan to distribute the sugar evenly.

  10. Allow the bars to cool completely, then cut them into squares.

Tips from our Bakers

  • The bars will improve in flavor and texture when left to rest, covered, overnight.
  • If the bars have a particularly big bubble that doesn't fall while the bars are baking, gently press it down with a spatula when the pan comes out of the oven.
  • For a more elegant bars, omit the sugar topping and drizzle them with some melted white chocolate.

  • Looking to cut back on the sugar in your baking? See our blog post, How to reduce sugar in cookies and bars.

  • This recipe originally called for our sprouted wheat flour, which is no longer available. We've since updated the recipe to produce delicious results using our white whole wheat flour.

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