Cranberry Lemon Bars
Cranberry Lemon Bars are made with a buttery shortbread crust and layered with cranberry sauce and a sweet and tangy lemon curd filling. They taste like classic lemon bars with a festive twist, tangy burst of flavor and perfect to make ahead for holiday parties!
Servings: 16 bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened at room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Lemon Cranberry Filling
- 4 whole large eggs
- 1 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl with a hand or stand mixer, beat together the softened butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add vanilla extract and mix until combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Slowly add in the flour, mixing until shortbread dough has formed. Be sure not to over-mix.
- Spread shortbread dough into the prepared baking pan and evenly spread with a rubber spatula or your hands. Bake the crust for 20-25 minutes until the top is lightly browned.
- In the meantime in a medium or large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest and juice. Sift flour and add to the mixture. Mix until the lemon mixture is smooth.
- When the crust is done baking, let cool for a few minutes then add cranberry sauce (the crust should still be warm, this will help the layers stick).
- Add the lemon layer on top and bake for another 30-35 minutes. Let the bars cool completely and then place in the refrigerator to set and get cold for a few hours to overnight. Dust the tops with powdered sugar and cut into 16 bars and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe adapted from Savory Experiments