These healthy Cranberry Crumb Bars are Paleo, nut free and easy to make. They have a cassava flour shortbread crust and crumble topping and a tart cranberry filling. The tart filling is perfectly balance by the sweetness of the shortbread and even better topped with a dollop of coconut cream.
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. And that recipe ended up being these Cranberry Crumb Bars.
After one bite, I was immediately sold – these cranberry bars are SO good!
Healthy, Fresh Cranberry Recipe
These healthy, gluten free cranberry bars are:
- Paleo
- nut free
- dairy free
- gluten free
- don’t contain any refined sugar
- a great way to use up cranberries
Even though I provide a recipe for the cranberry filling, any leftover cranberry sauce can be used. So yes, these bars are an excellent way to use leftover cranberry sauce from a holiday meal.
Ingredients in Cranberry Bars
These crumb bars include a nut-free shortbread crust/crumble and a honey-sweetened cranberry filling. You can either make the cranberry filling from my recipe, or use leftover cranberry sauce.
For the Crust & Crumble
The crust and crumble is made mostly of cassava flour. I chose to use this flour because it is Paleo, gut friendly and nut free.
The other main ingredients include: non-hydrogenated shortening, coconut sugar and egg.
No substitutions have been tested, but coconut oil, grass fed butter or ghee should work as a substitute for the shortening. I have not tried an egg replacement, but since this is a “crumble” you can probably get away with a flax egg. Another option is to use the almond flour crust from my Huckleberry Crumb Bars. Just note, you will want to double the recipe to fit an 8″ x 8″ pan.
Cranberry Filling
The cranberry filling is tart and pairs well with the sweetness of the crust/crumble. This component includes: cranberries, freshly squeezed orange juice, raw honey, cinnamon and salt.
How to Make Paleo Cranberry Crumb Bars
To make these cranberry bars, first preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Next, make the crust and crumble. To do this, combine cassava flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in the shortening, 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 (see photo below). Just keep mixing it until the dough is fully mixed and can be shaped into a ball.
Separate the dough into two equal halves (one half for the crust, the other for the crumbled topping). Press one half into a lined 8-inch square pan. Keep the rest in the mixing bowl and set aside.
Next, make the cranberry filling. Grab a large sauce pan and add cranberries, orange juice and honey. 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.
Stir in the cinnamon and salt.
Pour the filling over the crust and spread out in a nice, even layer. Then, add the crumble on top. Lightly press down the crumble with your hands.
Bake the bars in your preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
How to Serve Cranberry Bars
This crumble can be eaten warm or chilled.
Personally, I think it tastes 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. I also love adding a dollop of coconut cream and a pinch of cinnamon on top.
However, this cranberry crumble is also great served hot with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream.
More Paleo Bar Recipes
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Cranberry Crumb Bars
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8” x 8″ pan 1x
Description
These healthy, gluten free and Paleo Cranberry Crumb Bars are a delicious, nut free holiday dessert. They have a lightly sweetened shortbread crust and crumble and a tart cranberry filling.
Ingredients
Crust & Crumble
- 1 + 1/3 cup cassava flour, lightly packed (210g)
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
- 1 large egg
- 4 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Make the Crust & Crumble: In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. This includes: cassava flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Mix in the shortening, egg, water and vanilla. Mix with a fork, then use your hands to knead the dough.
- Separate the dough into two halves. Press one half into a lined 8″ x 8″ baking pan.
- Make the Filling: Place cranberries, orange juice and honey in a large sauce pan. Set heat to medium and cook (uncovered) for 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. By the end, most of the cranberries should have burst and the filling should be thick. Stir in the cinnamon and salt.
- Spread the filling over the crust in a nice, even layer.
- Break apart the crumble topping so that it is in little pieces. Place it over the filling and gently press down.
- Put the bars in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Keywords: cranberries, Paleo, Nut Free, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Dessert, Crumb Bars, Crumble
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