This super easy ginger crunch rivals anything you’ll find at a bakery. A buttery shortbread base topped with silky, fudgy ginger icing makes a wonderful sweet treat for any time of day. You need no special equipment – just mix your base, press it into a tin and make the icing as the base cooks. The hardest part is waiting for the icing to set!
This classic New Zealand slice just takes me right back to childhood. There’s nothing better than curling up on the sofa with a piece of ginger crunch, a big cup of tea or coffee and a good book!
If you’re new to it, essentially, ginger crunch is a crispy buttery, shortbread-esque biscuit base, topped with a very gingery, silky smooth icing. It’s sweet, spicy and seriously moreish. I’ve added oats and coconut to the base to give it a little more texture and flavour, and added a LOT of crystallised ginger on top, just to emphasise that ginger flavour even more.
The ratio of base to ginger icing can differ quite a lot – some will be almost all base with just a thin layer of icing – but I prefer this version, with a lovely thick layer that’s almost in the same proportion as the base.
Ingredients
- Ground ginger. I use a decent amount here – in both the base and the ginger topping. It’s definitely gingery, but I urge you to use the whole amount to really get that lovely ginger flavour. Reducing it can make the icing a little too sweet.
- Golden syrup. This is a common ingredient in New Zealand, Australia and the UK, but it can be tricky to find elsewhere. It’s a caramelly syrup that brings a BEAUTIFUL flavour to the base and the icing, but if you can’t find it, you can use maple syrup or honey. It won’t be quite the same, but it will still be tasty. Or, you can find it on Amazon. It’s also a key ingredient in Anzac biscuits.
- Oats. I’m using porridge oats, but you can use steel-cut oats if you like (they’ll give the base more texture).
- Caster sugar. Also known as superfine sugar, this is finer than regular granulated sugar. It’s not essential here, so you can use granulated sugar if that’s what you have to hand.
I’m using a 23cm/9″ x 23cm/9″ square tin here and you’ll also need baking paper to line it with.
How to make it
Start with the base. Mix your dry ingredients, then melt the butter and golden syrup. Add to the dry ingredients, mix well, then press into your lined tin. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.
When your base has about five minutes left in the oven, make the ginger icing. That’s as simple as adding all your icing ingredients to a small pan and stirring until melted, smooth and glossy.
Pour the icing over the hot base as it comes out of the oven, then sprinkle over the crystallised ginger pieces. Leave at room temperature to set.
Got a question?
At least 7 days – it’s fine in an airtight container at room temperature but will last even longer in the fridge.
It definitely has a good kick of ginger but that’s quite key here – without it the icing can feel too sweet. If you’re worried it’ll be too gingery for you, cut the ground ginger in the icing back to 1.5 tablespoons.
Golden syrup is a staple in baking in New Zealand, Australia and the UK, but it’s trickier to find elsewhere. You can find it on Amazon, or speciality grocery stores if you’re lucky. But if you can’t find it, you can use maple syrup or honey instead. It won’t be QUITE the same (and will be a bit more floral if you use honey), but it will do the job.
This will depend on the temperature and environment in your kitchen, but usually, it will take a couple of hours. You can speed it up by by popping it into the fridge.
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If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave me a comment below.
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Super Easy Ginger Crunch
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This super easy ginger crunch rivals anything you’ll find at a bakery. A buttery shortbread base topped with silky, fudgy ginger icing makes a wonderful sweet treat for any time of day. You need no special equipment – just mix your base, press it into a tin and make the icing as the base cooks. The hardest part is waiting for the icing to set!
Ingredients
For the biscuit base –
- 300g (2 cups) plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 150g (3/4 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
- 100g (1 cup) oats
- 35g (1/2 cup) desiccated coconut
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 230 g butter, diced
- 70g (1/4) cup golden syrup (or maple syrup, or honey)
For the ginger topping –
- 140g butter, diced
- 125g golden syrup
- 2 tablespoons ground ginger
- 330g icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup crystallised ginger, chopped
Instructions
- Heat your oven and prepare your tin. Heat the oven to 180C/350F fan, and line a 23cm/9″ x 23cm/9″ square tin with baking paper. I find the easiest way to do this is with two pieces, cut to fit the width of the tin, making sure they’re long enough so that at least 5cm/2″ sticks out the top of each side. Place them so that there is paper sticking out of each side, so you can easily pick the ginger crunch up and out once you’re done (see the photos in the post above for an example of this).
- Mix the dry ingredients. Add 300g flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 tablespoon of ground ginger and 1 teaspoon of salt to a large bowl, then use a whisk or a fork to mix together well. Add 150g caster sugar, 100g oats and 35g desiccated coconut to the bowl, and mix to combine.
- Bake the biscuit base. Set a small pot over medium heat, then add 230g diced butter, 70g golden syrup and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stir as the butter melts, then when it’s looking bubbly, pour it into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix until you can see no dry streaks of flour. Transfer to your lined tin, pressing the mixture right into the corners and smoothing down the top to an even layer. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until it’s looking golden around the edges and a little drier.
- Make the topping. Start the topping about 5 minutes before the base is ready – you want to pour it on top while it’s still hot from the oven. Set a pot over low heat, then add 140g butter, 125g golden syrup, 2 tablespoons of ground ginger, 300g icing sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir until the butter melts and a smooth icing forms. Pour the icing over the hot base, then use a spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth the top to an even layer. Scatter the crystallised ginger all over the top, then leave it to set at room temperature for a few hours.
Notes
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: It will keep well for at least 7 days, stored in an airtight container. It’s absolutely fine at room temperature but will last longer in the fridge. Ideally, bring it back to room temperature before eating (or pop it in the microwave to heat slightly if you like).
INGREDIENT NOTES: Golden syrup is a thick, caramelised sugar syrup, commonly used in baking recipes in New Zealand, Australia and the UK but it can be trickier to find elsewhere (though you can find it on Amazon). If you can’t find it, use honey or maple syrup instead.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: baking
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: new zealand
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 416
- Sugar: 32.1g
- Sodium: 295mg
- Fat: 20.8g
- Saturated Fat: 13.3g
- Carbohydrates: 56.1g
- Fiber: 1.6g
- Protein: 3.2g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
Keywords: ginger crunch, ginger slice
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