Fresh Cranberry Bars layer tart, jammy cranberries between a buttery shortbread crust and crumble topping ~ bright, simple, and made for the holidays.
When I spotted the first stack of fresh cranberries in my supermarket the other day I lunged at them. These easy cranberry shortbread bars were in the oven before the other groceries were even unpacked. So good.
➡ The filling for these crumble bars is simply raw cranberries ~ just toss them in! They bake up into tart little jammy pockets.
➡ There’s only one bowl to worry about, no nuts to chop, no spices to measure.
➡ These are perfect for pot-lucks, bake sales, book groups, office parties, all that stuff. They pack and travel well, and can be eaten with fingers or forks.
Simple shortbread dough in 3 ingredients
The crust and crumble of these cranberry bars are made with the same simple shortbread dough. Pat some of it into your pan for the bottom crust, and crumble the rest over the berries for the topping.
Butter: I use a good quality salted butter. Cheap butter can contain extra water and doesn’t bake up as nicely.
Sugar: I use white sugar for this classic shortbread crumble, but you can also use light brown, or even maple sugar.
Flour: regular AP flour is standard. A good gf baking blend also works.
Using fresh cranberries
Just give them a rinse and dry well. They’re ready to go. Tumble them right onto the bottom crust.
Note: if you find cranberries too tart on their own you can cook them down with a splash of water and a little sugar in a saucepan until they start to pop. Then let cool and spread over the bottom crust.
cranberry shortbread bars are a versatile holiday treat
- For dessert: serve them with coffee after dinner. Dust with powdered sugar for a festive look.
- For breakfast or brunch: fresh out of the oven in the morning.
- Take along: perfect for the office, bake sale, church supper.
- Holiday cookie collection: once cooled these bars are quite sturdy. You can even cut them into small squares and add them to a cookie platter.
- Get a head start: they freeze well.
the flavor of cranberries blooms in the oven
They get soft and jammy, and become even more brilliant red when they bake, so these bars are especially pretty. I use vanilla in these cranberry bars, but you can also use almond extract, and then the cranberries take on a cherry flavor.
Reader wisdom: tips, tweaks & little discoveries
Over the years, readers have left some really useful ideas in the comments:
- You guys have had great luck using frozen cranberries straight from the freezer ~ no thawing needed, and no soggy bars.
- Orange is a favorite addition. A little orange zest in the dough or cranberries, or a simple orange glaze on top, comes up again and again.
- Almond is another popular direction. Readers have added almond extract, sliced almonds, and even a little almond paste.
- A double batch works beautifully in a 9×13 pan, which is handy for holidays, potlucks, and bigger groups.
- One reader solved a too-hard bottom crust by pressing the dough in more lightly and pulling the bars as soon as the edges started to turn golden.
- You’ve also played with extra cranberries, white chocolate, walnuts, coconut, cinnamon, and a little sugar sprinkled over the top.
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Fresh Cranberry Bars
Equipment
- 9×9 baking pan you can also use an 8×8 pan
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- Line an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper or foil with overhanging edges, this will make it easy to lift the bars out of the pan for cutting. Alternatively you can just lightly spray the pan with non-stick spray.
- Cream the 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature and 2/3 cup sugar together. Beat in the 1/2 tsp salt and 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract.
- Mix in the 2 cups AP flour, just until combined. The dough will be crumbly, but should hold together when pressed between your fingers. Mix long enough so that there is no dry flour left.
- Using your fingers, pat 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of the pan. The dough will be soft and sticky, do your best to cover the entire surface of the bottom, but you don't need to compact the dough, just firmly pat it down.
- Spread the 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and patted dry out across the dough, and then, using your fingers again, crumble the remaining dough on top. Try to get the dough in smallish crumbles, but don't worry about covering all the cranberries, they will show through.
- Bake for about 45-50 minutes until just beginning to get golden around the edges.
- Cool on a rack before slicing.
Nutrition
you can never have too many cranberry recipes
Vanilla Cranberry Bundt Cake
A soft vanilla Bundt with bursts of tart cranberry and a silky glaze that catches the light ~ simple to make, beautiful to serve, and unmistakably festive.
Fresh Cranberry Muffins
When Fresh Cranberries Hit the Stores, I Make These Muffins.
Nantucket Cranberry Pie
Nantucket cranberry pie is a vintage inspired dessert with tart juicy cranberries baked beneath a sweet almond cake layer.
Fresh Cranberry Recipes
Fresh cranberry season is short, so I make the most of it ~ muffins, cakes, pies, sauces, preserves, and savory recipes that put those tart little berries to work. fresh cranberry recipes for cranberry season This is what you do with those bags of crimson gems you score in October through December.
Oh my GOD these are incredible!!!! Made them yesterday and brought them to work, they were gone in minutes. I even got the comment that they were “life-changing” they were so good!! Making more tonight!
OMG! Just made this! They are soooo good! Was looking for a easy cranberry recipe but yours is the easiest and the tastiest ! Not a expert of baking and normally my husband doesn’t like my cookies( well he says he likes then but he nicer really eat them!) but they turn out so good! Not to mention I did add a little bit more cranberry in it because I like it a little bit tart.
So glad they worked out for you, Katherine — better stock up on the fresh cranberries while they’re around!
I have made these bars!! They are so buttery and the cranberries give them a tart, sweet bite!! I could hardly stop eating them!!
Do these freeze/keep
well. I thought of doing in a Xmas cookie exchange
I think they would freeze perfectly, Vicki.
I found you’re recipe via Facebook and adapted the recipe as I only had blueberries and rhubarb and it’s superb with any fruit!
It really is, I have several more recipes like this one, Lorraine, and I’m slowly working my way through all the fruits I can think of 🙂
Oh just asked the same question Sue, sorry about that will make up a second batch and freeze these right up for the hubby when I have little time for cooking/baking. Sue again what a great recipe.
First time visit here and I think these bars are going to have to get made very soon. I love all things “cranberry” so it’s great to have a new dessert to make. I’ve been on the Cape for several weekends recently and have seen (very) fresh cranberries being sold from the backs of people’s cars, I wonder what everybody’s making? Heading now to look through all your lovely recipes.
I envy you being on the Cape at this time of year! I made a cranberry butter last week that I’ll be sharing on the blog soon, that’s a good way to use up an overabundance of berries.
Oh my goodness these looks heavenly. I have to make these and those flourless chocolate chip cookies RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU.
Elizabeth
I saw some fresh cranberries at the farmers’ market and I was thinking, what could I do with those? these bars look great!
i love seeing fresh cranberries finally on store shelves. this is a pretty and tasty use for them!
I love the true red color in these. And how simple they are. I think I may fall in love!