Cranberry Walnut Shortbread Bars are an unbeatable combination of buttery walnut shortbread and tart homemade cranberry curd. These cranberry bars are the first thing I make when I spot cranberries in the supermarket!
Cranberry walnut shortbread bars are amazing!!
I don’t know what I’m more excited about today, these Cranberry Walnut Shortbread Bars themselves, or the tangy homemade cranberry curd tucked inside. They’re homey and comforting but just different enough to be extra special, I’m really happy with the recipe. The curd filling is bright and tart, the walnut shortbread crust is buttery and soft, and the topping is, well, nutty. It’s so good, this is a must try recipe.
Homemade cranberry curd is easy to make in the microwave!
The cranberry curd is made with my favorite easy microwave method and it turns out gorgeously thick and glossy. If you love lemon curd and lemon bars, you will love these. Cranberries bring a similar tartness along with their distinctive berry flavor, and nothing can touch that color.
Fill your freezer with fresh cranberries while you can!
This is just one of the many reasons to stockpile lots of bags of cranberries now for use through the winter. Trust me on this, I’m going to be tempting you with cranberry goodies in February, and you’ll be upset if you can’t join in…
Most curds are made with juice, but I use a puree of fresh cranberries
Add a little sugar and some eggs, then about 3 minutes of microwaving, and, voila! You can also do it on the stove top if you like. One standard bag of cranberries will make two batches of this curd, so you can use one for the bars, and save the other for your morning toast and scones.
You are going to LICK the bowl clean.
The walnut shortbread dough is used for the crust and crumble topping
The fact that the bottom crust and crumble topping are the same dough makes this recipe so easy. I load it with nuts for an extra ‘walnutty’ flavor. Then I shower the whole thing with a layer of more nuts just before baking, which gives every bite a little crunch.
Bring the whole batch to a party, or a neighbor…or wrap one or two squares in waxed paper for a long day of work or travel. They’re mainstream enough to please everybody, but just different enough to elicit wows. They are going on my personal list of favorite recipes, I adore them.
More recipes that feature fresh cranberries ~
Cranberry Gingersnap Pie
Baked Brie with Maple Roasted Cranberries
Cranberry Walnut Wild Rice Porridge
What to Eat Now: Fresh Cranberries
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Cranberry Walnut Shortbread Bars
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup walnuts, plus a few extra for topping
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour, play around with whole wheat if you like
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 good cup cranberry curd, recipe here
Instructions
- Set oven to 375F
- lightly grease and line a 9×9 square baking pan with a parchment ‘sling’ so you will be able to life the bars out after baking to cut them cleanly.
- Put the walnuts in a food processor and pulse several times until they are finely chopped. Divide the ground nuts in half, and set aside.
- Put the flour and sugars in the processor and pulse to combine. Add in the soft butter, in pieces, as well as as HALF of the nuts. Process briefly to bring the dough together, until there is no more dry flour left. The mixture will have a coarse crumble texture.
- Measure out 1/2 cup of the dough and set it aside for the topping. Pat the rest of the dough into the bottom of the pan. Use your fingers to distribute the dough evenly. Cover the entire surface of the bottom…if you need a little extra take it from the reserved dough.
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
- Mix the reserved dough with the nuts, using your fingers to make a coarse crumble.
- Spread the cranberry curd out over the warm crust. Be careful, the dough will be soft.
- Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the top. If you like you can sprinkle a few more finely chopped walnuts over that.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool before cutting.
Notes
- The walnut shortbread crumble dough is particularly wonderful, so if you don’t have time to make the cranberry curd, you could certainly fill this with something else like store bought lemon curd, or jam, etc.
- I like to store these at room temperature, under loose foil. Plastic tends to make them soggy. Bars like this are at their very best the same day.
This is just the sort of sweet treat my MIL would love. She recently moved in with us and I find myself looking to please! Thanks, GREG
These will earn you LOTS of brownie points Greg 🙂
Your cranberry curd is amazing, I need to try it as soon as I can I love it, it’s perfect your those beautiful shortbread bars 🙂
Cranberries and walnuts.. I know I would like these bars 🙂
Well, I know what my Christmas dessert is going to be! I can’t wait to try these!
These look so SCRUMPTIOUS!!
Thanks for sharing the recipe and the beautiful photos.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My Blog
You are amazing! I think these must be the prettiest and most creative shortbread bars I’ve ever seen. LOVE walnuts and cranberries and shortbread – I am smitten!
THIS WAS TOTALLY WORTH THE WAIT!
I am soooo doing this, I can hardly stop thinking about it…. I made a raspberry bar the other day and loved it, but this, with homemade cranberry curd…. no, this is it, my friend. This is it!
MERCI BIEN!
Sue, I just love your blog and have made many of your recipes over the last year or so since finding it.
I’m not a blogger and don’t usually leave comments on the blogs I read, but all these cookies & squares etc… are just sooooo tempting, especially coming into the holiday season.
The reason I’m commenting now is – I’m wondering how I could make these recipes “wheat free” as my daughter has an major intolerance to wheat.
Any help or guidance would be appreciated. Thanks a million.
Thanks for the nice words, Adrienne, I’m glad you finally commented! My oldest daughter recently converted to gluten free eating, and we have had good luck with the shortbreads substituting a good gluten free flour mix. She likes one from Costco, and I have the Bob’s Red Mill blend. The texture is definitely not the same, but in a case like this where there is a relatively small amount of flour, and lots of nuts, it should work. Hope that helps.
I can just taste them..your pb choco chip shortbread roll is in the fridge and the espresso one;) Baking today..rainy and gloomy here..
I kind of wish it were a little teeny bit gloomy here…this constant California sunshine makes it hard to get in the holiday mood!
Hi Sue, that’s it, I am going out today and loading up on fresh cranberries, this looks fabulous.
Cram your freezer full, Cheri 😉