These cranberry lemon bars are next-level satisfaction! If you like tart flavors like lemon, then you'll love these. Not too sweet, surprisingly simple, and perfect for entertaining!
I've never had a big sweet tooth, I'm always more of a savory & salty girl. But, if I'm going to enjoy a dessert, it's gotta be tart or sour!
These cranberry lemon bars are perfect because they're plenty tart and not too sweet, but the tartness is balanced by the buttery shortbread crust.
And, before you freak out, this recipe looks really scary. But as someone who is not a good baker, it's really not very hard. There are quite a few steps, but none of them are very hard.
Table of Contents:
📖 Recipe Origins
Lemon bars don't have a particularly long history. It seems that they were published in a Betty Crocker cookbook in the 1960's and have been an American staple dessert ever since.
Cranberry has long been a part of holiday and Thanksgiving meals, so we added it in to the classic lemon bar. You may have seen that NYT Cooking has a similar recipe to this. While NYT can be a great source of inspiration, this recipe is entirely my own. Considering I don't have a subscription to NYTCooking, I couldn't have copied it. But I will give credit for the inspiration of this recipe.
🎥 Watch the video of this recipe
🍋 Why you'll love these Cranberry Lemon Bars
- Tart & Tangy! These bars are light, refreshing, tangy, and perfectly balanced.
- Unique. Lemon bars are overdone, cranberry desserts are everywhere, but this is something new and fun!
- SO Pretty! The bright red cranberry layer sandwiched between shortbread and vibrant lemon curd is so pretty when sliced!
🥘 What you need for this recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Cranberries - Fresh or frozen, I used fresh.
- Sugar - White, granulated cane sugar. I do not recommend substituting this.
- Flour - All-purpose flour is best for this recipe. Be sure to measure in grams if you can. If you can't be as accurate as possible by filling, not scooping, the measuring cup using a separate spoon. Spoon the flour into the cup, the use a butter knife to level the top.
- Butter - Unsalted butter works best. I have not attempted this recipe with vegan butter, though it should have a similar result.
- Lemon Juice - Fresh squeezed is highly recommended, especially since you'll need the zest too.
- Eggs - This recipe uses whole eggs.
Tools and Equipment
- 8x8 Baking Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Mixing Bowls
- Medium Pot
- Whisk
📋 How to make Cranberry Lemon Bars
Step 1: Make the Cranberry Jam
To start this recipe, go ahead and pull out your butter and eggs to allow them time to get to room temperature.
In a medium-sized pot, add cranberries, sugar, and water.
Heat to medium-high heat until simmering.
Continue to simmer until the cranberries break down. Use the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to crush the cranberries.
Once thickened and mostly smooth, remove from heat and allow to cool to at least room temperature.
Step 2: Make the Shortbread Crust
Pre-heat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, add softened butter, sugar, flour, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
Use your hands (or an electric mixer) to combine the ingredients until crumbly but able to clump when squeezed together.
Line a 8x8 baking pan with a bit of butter or baking spray as well as parchment paper. Add the shortbread mixture to the pan and use your hands to press it down until it is roughly even and in all the corners.
Take a fork and lightly prick throughout the dough.
Bake at 350º F for 30 minutes.
Remove when done and allow to cool to room temperature.
Step 3: Make the Lemon Curd & Bake
Lower the oven to 325º F.
In a mixing bowl, combine 3 large eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
In another bowl, whisk together flour and sugar. Add this to the bowl with the eggs and whisk together until smooth. The mixture will be quite thin.
Once the shortbread crust has cooled, add the cooled cranberry sauce to the top of the shortbread. Use a rubber spatula to spread evenly across the crust.
Grab a large spoon. Hold the bowl of lemon mixture in your dominant hand while holding the large spoon in your other hand. Hold the spoon upside down over the cranberry layer (so that the curved/rounded part is facing up).
Very slowly, pour the lemon mixture onto the spoon over the cranberry mixture. The lemon mix will hit the spoon first before falling onto the cranberry. This helps the layers stay even and not mix.
Once poured, carefully transfer to the oven and bake at 325º F 25-35 minutes. It is done when the center of the pan no longer jiggles.
Remove and cool in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar, slice, and serve.
💭 Expert Tips & Tricks
- Be sure to use the upside down spoon trick to pour the lemon mixture. If you don't, you run the risk of the pour being too strong and breaking into the cranberry layer.
- If the edges of the lemon layer begin to puff while baking, don't worry. They should deflate while cooling.
- For a cleaner look, slice the edges off all four sides. When slicing, use a knife that has been run under very hot water and rinse off after each slice.
Recipe FAQs
Use the back of a large spoon. Gently pour the lemon mix onto the back of the spoon to disperse the pour, this will make it more even.
Sure! Use a GF all-purpose flour blend for the shortbread and the small amount needed in the lemon layer. I haven't tested it, but it should work just fine.
To store leftover cranberry lemon bars, place them in an airtight container, with parchment between them if you need to stack. They should last up to 5 days.
Related Recipes
Love a recipe you've tried? Please leave a 5-star🌟 rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Don't forget to tag me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook when you try one of my recipes!
📖 Recipe
Tangy Cranberry Lemon Bars
Equipment
- 8x8 Baking pan
- Parchment Paper
- Mixing Bowls
- Medium pot
Ingredients
For the Shortbread Crust
- 1 stick Unsalted butter softened
- ⅓ cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp All purpose Flour (134 grams)
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Zest
For the Cranberry Jam
- 8 oz Cranberries frozen or fresh
- ½ cup Water
- 6 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
For the Lemon Layer
- 3 large Eggs room temperature
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon All-purpose flour
- ½ cup Lemon juice fresh
- 1 tablespoon Lemon zest
Instructions
- To start this recipe, go ahead and pull out your butter and eggs to allow them time to get to room temperature.
- In a medium-sized pot, add cranberries, sugar, and water.
- Heat to medium-high heat until simmering.
- Continue to simmer until the cranberries break down. Use the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to crush the cranberries.
- Once thickened and mostly smooth, remove from heat and allow to cool to at least room temperature.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, add softened butter, sugar, flour, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
- Use your hands (or an electric mixer) to combine the ingredients until crumbly but able to clump when squeezed together.
- Line a 8x8 baking pan with a bit of butter or baking spray as well as parchment paper. Add the shortbread mixture to the pan and use your hands to press it down until it is roughly even and in all the corners.
- Take a fork and lightly prick throughout the dough.
- Bake at 350º F for 30 minutes.
- Remove when done and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Lower the oven to 325º F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine 3 large eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- In another bowl, whisk together flour and sugar. Add this to the bowl with the eggs and whisk together until smooth. The mixture will be quite thin.
- Once the shortbread crust has cooled, add the cooled cranberry sauce to the top of the shortbread. Use a rubber spatula to spread evenly across the crust.
- Grab a large spoon. Hold the bowl of lemon mixture in your dominant hand while holding the large spoon in your other hand. Hold the spoon upside down over the cranberry layer (so that the curved/rounded part is facing up).
- Very slowly, pour the lemon mixture onto the spoon over the cranberry mixture. The lemon mix will hit the spoon first before falling onto the cranberry. This helps the layers stay even and not mix.
- Once poured, carefully transfer to the oven and bake at 325º F 25-35 minutes. It is done when the center of the pan no longer jiggles.
- Remove and cool in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar, slice, and serve.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to use the upside down spoon trick to pour the lemon mixture. If you don't, you run the risk of the pour being too strong and breaking into the cranberry layer.
- If the edges of the lemon layer begin to puff while baking, don't worry. They should deflate while cooling.
- For a cleaner look, slice the edges off all four sides. When slicing, use a knife that has been run under very hot water and rinse off after each slice.
daphne
definitely one of the best lemon bar recipes i’ve ever made only change i made was some extra lemon juice and zest. the short bread crust really put it over the top never using a different crust for lemon bars again!