Go Back
Print
Three bars stacked on top of the other.

Cranberry Bars

Cranberry Bars feature a zesty cranberry jam filling sandwiched between a buttery shortbread crust and a nutty almond streusel. They’re the perfect balance of sweet and tart and the ideal treat for the holidays.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 16

Ingredients

Cranberry Jam Filling

  • 2 cups cranberries plus ¼ cup more for sprinkling
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch

Shortbread Crust

  • ½ cup butter softened to room temperature
  • ¼ cup icing sugar
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup almond flour

Almond Streusel Topping

  • 1 cup almond flour
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds for topping

Instructions

Cranberry Jam Filling:

  1. Add 2 cups of the cranberries, orange juice, sugar and cornstarch to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat while stirring constantly until hot and bubbly and the cranberries start popping and splitting, about 10 minutes. The jam should look chunky with visible cranberries. Remove from heat and transfer it to a bowl to cool for at least 1 hour or longer; it will thicken as it cools. Reserve the remaining ¼ cup cranberries for assembly.

Shortbread Crust:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare an 8” x 8” brownie pan by greasing and lining it with two long pieces of 8” wide parchment paper laying each in opposite directions extending the ends over each side of the pan to create handles.

  2. In a large bowl with a spatula, combine butter, icing sugar and almond extract until smooth. Add all purpose flour and almond flour and stir well until dry ingredients are absorbed and a ragged dough forms.

  3. Turn dough into the prepared pan and with floured hands press dough firmly into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 – 17 minutes until lightly golden. Leave oven on, remove pan from oven and let cool slightly for ten minutes.

Almond Streusel Topping:

  1. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine almond flour and all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, egg and almond extract. Stir with a spatula until the mixture is damp, thick and crumbly.

Assemble and Bake the Bars

  1. To assemble the bars spread 2 cups of the cooled cranberry filling over the crust, leaving a ½” border around the edges of the pan. Reserve any remaining cranberry filling for another use. Sprinkle the additional ¼ cup of fresh cranberries on top.

  2. Crumble almond streusel topping over the cranberry filling. Sprinkle top with sliced almonds and pack them down very lightly.

  3. Bake for 20 minutes, then lightly tent with top with foil (to prevent the almonds from over browning) and continue baking for 12 – 15 minutes more for a total of about 30 – 35 minutes. The bars should be lightly golden and firm to the touch.

  4. Let cool in the pan for about 2 – 3 hours then refrigerate for 1 hour or more to chill before cutting. To cut the bars, lift them from the pan using the parchment paper handles and transfer to a board. With a chef’s knife cut into 16 squares. Wipe the knife clean after each cut.

Recipe Notes

  1. Use fresh or frozen cranberries for equal results. No need to thaw frozen cranberries – just cook them as directed.
  2. Cool cranberry jam slightly before spreading it on the shortbread crust and be sure and leave a ½” border around the edges of the pan so that the jam doesn’t make contact with the pan and burn.
  3. Don’t forget to top the jam filling with additional fresh cranberries before adding the streusel.
  4. The bars must be completely cooled and set before cutting. Wipe the knife clean after each cut which helps you get a cleaner cut.
  5. To double the recipe, bake the bars in two 8” x 8” pans for the best results.