Cranberry Lemon Bars
These Cranberry Lemon Bars layer silky lemon custard and sweet-tart cranberry sauce over a buttery shortbread crust. With their bright flavor and beautiful layers, they're a festive make-ahead dessert for the holidays or whenever a cranberry craving strikes!
Servings: 16 squares
Calories: 180kcal
Ingredients
For the shortbread base
- ½ cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, optional, see Recipe Notes
- ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) kosher salt
- 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
For the cranberry layer
- 2 cups (200 grams) whole cranberries, fresh or frozen, about 7 ounces, see Recipe Notes
- ½ cup (114 grams) water
- ⅓ cup (66 ⅔ grams) granulated sugar
For the lemon layer
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (22 ½ grams) all-purpose flour
- 3 (150 grams) large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup (120 grams) lemon juice, about 3 lemons, see Recipe Notes
- powdered sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 °F. Lightly coat a 9- x 9-inch baking pan with baking spray (it helps the parchment paper to stick to the pan). Line the baking pan with two pieces of parchment paper placed perpendicular to each other, covering all four sides and leaving a 2-inch overhang. If desired, use binder clips to keep the parchment paper away from the curd while baking. Just clip them to the sides of the pan. Set aside.
- Make the shortbread: In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled), ¼ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons lemon zest (if using), and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Stir in the 1 cup all-purpose flour and mix to form a soft dough.
- Transfer the shortbread dough into the prepared baking pan. Press the dough evenly into the pan, making sure to get the dough all the way into the corners. Covering the dough with plastic wrap and rolling it out with a pie roller helps. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes.
- Bake the shortbread for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Pierce the top lightly with a fork (don’t go all the way through), then let the crust cool on a wire rack while you make the cranberry sauce.
- Make the cranberry layer: Rinse and pick through 2 cups whole cranberries, discarding any that look bad.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, ½ cup water, and ⅓ cup granulated sugar. Bring the cranberry mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally at first and then constantly as the cranberries cook, mashing any whole berries as they cook. The sauce should be thick and jammy, with no watery liquid pooling around the berries. It will thicken further as it cools.
- Transfer the cranberry sauce into a small bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Pour the cooled cranberry filling over the crust, spreading it all the way to the edges and corners. Chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to firm up the cranberry layer so it won't mix with the lemon custard.
- Make the lemon layer: In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 cup granulated sugar and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Add in 3 large eggs, then ½ cup lemon juice, whisking well to combine.
- Carefully pour the lemon custard on top of the cranberry layer. You can pour the lemon custard slowly over the back of a spoon, holding it just above the cranberry layer. This helps distribute the liquid gently without disturbing the sauce underneath.Tap the pan a couple of times on the counter to release the trapped air.
- Bake the bars at 325 °F for 35 to 40 minutes or until filling is set around the edges with only a slight wobble in the center. Crack the oven door and allow the bars to cool gradually in the oven for 1 hour. The residual heat will continue cooking it during the slow cooling period.
- Remove the bars from the oven and cool to room temperature, then chill for 1 hour.
- Cut the bars: Use the parchment paper as a sling to transfer to a cutting board, then release the slab from the paper. Cut the slab into 16 squares, dipping the knife in hot water and wiping it dry between cuts to get neater squares.
- Chill the bars until ready to serve. Use a fine mesh strainer to generously dust the bars with powdered sugar just before serving - that will help keep the sugar from melting away.
- Storage instructions: Store the bars in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. They also can be frozen, cut into squares but without the powdered sugar dusting, for up to 4 months. Wrap the frozen bars in plastic wrap and store in an airtight bag. Thaw in the refrigerator for an hour or two, then dust with powdered sugar and serve.
- Make ahead-instructions: You can make the cranberry sauce several days ahead. This is also a great way to use up leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving - you'll need about 1¼ cups to make the cranberry layer thick enough. If your leftover cranberry sauce is chunky, mash it down a bit before using.
Recipe Notes
If you want the crust to have extra lemon flavor, include the lemon zest as you make the shortbread dough.
Use fresh or frozen whole cranberries, NOT dried cranberries to make the cranberry layer. Frozen cranberries do not need to be thawed before using. For the best flavor and texture, I wouldn't recommend using canned cranberry sauce - making your own is quick and easy!
Fresh lemon juice will give you the best flavor (I used this citrus juicer) - I recommend it over bottled lemon juice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1square | Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 50mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 230IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
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