Paleo Cranberry Crumb Bars (Gluten Free)

These paleo cranberry crumb bars have a cassava flour shortbread crust and crumble topping and a tart cranberry-orange filling.  The tart filling is perfectly balance by the sweetness of the shortbread and even better topped with a dollop of coconut cream. These healthy cranberry bars are gluten free, dairy free, egg free and nut free - a delicious paleo friendly dessert!

One of the things I love about having a blog and creating content is that I'm always using new ingredients and products.  I haven't used fresh cranberries in any of my recipes prior to this one.  In fact, this was my first time ever purchasing raw cranberries!

Originally, I needed the cranberries for a holiday photoshoot, but didn't have a plan for what to do with them afterwards.  Since I hate letting food go to waste, I decided to use them in a new recipe - these paleo cranberry crumb bars.

After one bite, I was immediately sold - these are the best cranberry crumb bars! This is an easy cranberry recipe worth making every year around the holidays.

Ingredients

The full recipe for these cranberry crumble bars can be found in the recipe card below, but here's an overview of the ingredients you'll need. I've provided a recipe for the cranberry filling, but leftover cranberry sauce would work too.

Crust & Crumble

• cassava flour - this keeps the bars nut free and grain free. I always use Otto's cassava flour. I have not tested any flour substitute, but a gluten free blend or all purpose flour may work as a 1:1 substitute by weight.
• coconut sugar - to sweeten the crust and crumble. You can swap this with any other granulated sugar/sweetener of your choice.
• cinnamon - for flavor
• baking soda - helps the bars rise and gives them a better texture
• salt - brings out more flavor
• palm shortening - this is a great alternative to butter, but if you aren't dairy free then feel free to use butter instead.
• flax egg - a flax egg is comprised of ground flax seeds and water. The flax gels and creates an egg-like substance. You can swap this for a real egg if you want (it turns out just as good).
• water - to give the dough some moisture
• vanilla extract - for flavor

Cranberry Filling

• cranberries - you'll need fresh cranberries for this recipe.
• orange juice - I used freshly squeezed juice from an organic orange, but you can use bottled orange juice if that's all you have.
• raw honey - to sweeten the filling. You can swap this with maple syrup, but I like the flavor of honey better (for this recipe).
• cinnamon - for flavor
• salt - enhances the flavor

How to Make Paleo Cranberry Crumb Bars

The crust and crumble dough is made in a mixing bowl, then divided in half (one half for the crust, the other for the crumble topping). You'll need to cook the cranberry filling over the stovetop and then the bars are assembled and baked. Here are the steps:

1. First preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Line an 8x8 inch or 7x11 inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

Make the Crust & Crumble

2. Combine the cassava flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. 
3. Add in the shortening, flax egg, vanilla and water.  First, mix with a fork, then use your hands to mix the dough.  The dough will be quite dry and crumbly at first.  Just keep mixing it until the dough can be shaped into a ball.

4. Separate the dough into two equal halves (one half for the crust, the other for the crumble topping). 
5. Press one half into the lined baking dish.  Keep the rest in the mixing bowl and set aside.

Make the Filling

6. Add the cranberries, orange juice and honey to a large saucepan. 
7. Place the pan on your stovetop and set heat to medium.  Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes.  After cooking, the cranberry filling should be thick and most of the berries should have burst.
8. Stir in the cinnamon and salt.

9. Pour the filling over the crust and spread out in a nice, even layer. 

10. Add the crumble on top.  Lightly press down the crumble with your hands.

Bake the Cranberry Bars

11. Bake the bars in your preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. When done, the filling should be bubbling and the crumble topping a golden brown.
12. After baking, cool the bars to room temperature in the baking pan. You may eat them warm, but I find them best refrigerated overnight before being enjoyed.

How to Serve Cranberry Bars

These paleo cranberry crumb bars can be eaten warm or chilled.  Personally, I think they taste better after sitting in the fridge for a day; which is great if you're looking for an easy dessert you can prep ahead of time. They are also easier to cut after chilling.

In addition, these cranberry shortbread bars are great topped with a dollop of coconut cream or served alongside a large scoop of dairy free vanilla ice cream.

Storage

These gluten free cranberry bars must be stored in the fridge. Place them in an air-tight container or cover the dish they were baked in. They keep well in the fridge for up to one week.

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