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Cranberry Lemon Bars Recipe

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★★★★★

4.4 from 125 reviews

Deliciously tangy and sweet Cranberry Lemon Bars featuring a buttery crust, a tart cranberry layer, and a zesty lemon topping, perfect for a refreshing dessert or snack. These bars combine fresh cranberries with bright lemon juice baked into a layered treat that’s both vibrant and satisfying.

Ingredients

Scale

Cranberry Filling

  • 8 ounces fresh cranberries (or frozen, not thawed)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 6 tablespoons granulated sugar

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 fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

Optional

  • Powdered sugar for dusting on top

Instructions

  1. Prepare Cranberries: Rinse and sort through the cranberries, removing any spoiled or squishy ones.
  2. Cook Cranberries: 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 first occasionally then constantly to prevent burning, for 10-15 minutes until cranberries break down. Set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, ensuring no gaps and with an overhang to lift out bars later. Grease well with butter or non-stick spray.
  4. Make Crust: In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, vanilla, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt. Mix in 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour until dough forms. Press the dough into the prepared pan evenly, ensuring it reaches all edges to prevent filling leakage.
  5. Bake Crust: Bake for 16-18 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and poke the crust all over with a fork. Turn off oven and allow crust to cool about 20 minutes.
  6. Prepare Lemon Layer: In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons flour and 1 cup sugar. Add eggs and blend well, then whisk in lemon juice. Set aside.
  7. Assemble Cranberry Layer: Spread the cooled cranberry filling evenly over the crust, reaching edges without gaps. Refrigerate for 45 minutes to set.
  8. Bake Lemon Layer: Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the pan from fridge, pour lemon mixture over cranberry layer carefully. Bake 43-45 minutes until center is set and no longer jiggles.
  9. Cool and Serve: Cool bars in the pan on a wire rack at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Lift bars out using parchment overhang, sift powdered sugar on top if desired, and cut into squares. Clean knife between cuts for neat slices.

Notes

  • Use fresh or frozen cranberries; if using frozen, do not thaw before cooking.
  • Ensure crust is pressed firmly and evenly to the edges to prevent filling leakage.
  • Allow cranberry filling to cool completely before spreading to avoid soggy crust.
  • Don’t skip chilling between layers; it helps set the bars for clean slicing.
  • Wipe knife between cuts to achieve clean slices.
  • Powdered sugar on top is optional but adds a lovely finishing touch.

Keywords: cranberry lemon bars, cranberry dessert, lemon bars, holiday dessert, tart dessert, baked dessert, citrus bars

Find it online: https://jedentaglecker.com/cranberry-lemon-bars-recipe/