Description
These Cranberry Lemon Bars combine a tart cranberry layer with a bright, tangy lemon topping on a buttery shortbread crust. Perfect for a refreshing dessert or a sweet snack, they balance sweet and sour flavors beautifully with a crisp texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Cranberry Layer
- 8 ounces fresh cranberries or frozen not thawed
- 1/2 cup water
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
Shortbread Crust
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Lemon Layer
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup lemon juice fresh, about 3 lemons
- optional: powdered sugar sprinkled on top
Instructions
- Prepare Cranberries: Rinse and pick through the cranberries, discarding any that look bad or squishy. In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, water, and 6 tablespoons granulated sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low. Cover with a splatter screen and simmer, stirring occasionally at first and then constantly to prevent burning, for 15 minutes until cranberries break down. Set aside to cool at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare Pan and Crust: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, ensuring no gaps and leaving an overhang for easy removal. Coat with butter or non-stick spray. In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, vanilla, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt. Mix in flour until combined into a thick dough. Press evenly into the prepared pan, making sure crust covers edges completely.
- Bake Crust: Bake the crust for 18 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and poke all over with a fork to prevent bubbling. Turn oven off and let crust cool about 20 minutes.
- Make Lemon Layer: In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar and flour. Add eggs and lemon juice, whisking until smooth. Set aside.
- Assemble Cranberry Layer: Once crust is cool, spread the cooled cranberry mixture evenly over the crust, covering edges fully. Refrigerate for 45 minutes to set.
- Add Lemon Layer and Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove pan with cranberry layer from fridge and carefully pour lemon layer on top. Bake for 45 minutes until center is set and no longer jiggles.
- Cool and Serve: Cool bars on a wire rack in the baking pan at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate 1-2 hours to fully set. Lift out parchment paper and dust with powdered sugar before cutting into squares. For clean slices, wipe knife between cuts.
Notes
- Frozen cranberries do not need thawing before use.
- Use fresh lemon juice (not bottled) for best flavor.
- Use fresh or frozen tart cranberries; avoid dried cranberries or canned cranberry sauce.
- Add 2 teaspoons lemon zest to crust for extra lemon flavor.
- Bars store 6-7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
