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    Home » Paleo

    Paleo Cranberry Crumb Bars (Gluten Free)

    Published: Dec 11, 2022 · by Katie

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    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!

    paleo cranberry crumb bar on plate and topped with 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 - 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.

    Paleo Cranberry Crumb Bars

    • paleo friendly - made with real, whole food ingredients
    • gluten free and nut free - these crumb bars are made with cassava flour
    • egg free - they use a flax egg, however an egg will work too
    • dairy free - no butter or milk
    • refined sugar free - no white sugar, no brown sugar and no corn syrup

    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.

    top view of bars that have just been cut

    Ingredients

    These easy cranberry crumble 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.

    Crust & Crumble

    • cassava flour
    • coconut sugar
    • cinnamon
    • baking soda
    • salt
    • non-hydrogenated shortening (or butter)
    • flax egg (or real egg)
    • water
    • vanilla extract

    Cranberry Filling

    • cranberries
    • orange juice (I used fresh squeezed orange juice)
    • raw honey
    • cinnamon
    • salt
    gluten free cranberry bar on plate

    How to Make Paleo Cranberry Crumb Bars

    To make these cranberry orange crumble bars, first preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Line an 8 square o 7" x 11" baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

    Make the Crust & Crumble

    Next, make the crust and crumble.  To do this, combine the cassava flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.  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.

    crust and crumble dough

    Separate the dough into two equal halves (one half for the crust, the other for the crumble topping). 

    Press one half into the lined baking dish.  Keep the rest in the mixing bowl and set aside.

    Make the Filling

    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.

    make-the-cranberry-filling

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

    putting the filling on the crust

    Lastly, add the crumble on top.  Lightly press down the crumble with your hands.

    Bake the Cranberry Bars

    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 hue.

    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.

    baked cranberry crumb bars in pan

    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.

    top-view-of-cranberry-bars-on-plate

    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.

    More Recipes Using Cranberries

    cranberry apple crisp

    Cranberry Apple Crisp

    cranberry apple energy balls

    Cranberry Apple Energy Balls

    cranberry thumbprint cookies

    Paleo Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies

    Print
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    paleo cranberry crumb bar on plate and topped with coconut cream

    Paleo Cranberry Crumb Bars (Gluten Free)

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews
    • Author: Katie
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 20 minutes
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 8" x 8" pan
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    These paleo cranberry crumb bars have a simple shortbread crust and crumble that's filled with a tart cranberry-orange filling.  These cranberry bars are paleo, gluten free, dairy free, egg free and nut free.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    Crust & Crumble

    • 1  ⅓ cup cassava flour (188g)
    • ¼ cup coconut sugar
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • ½ tsp baking soda
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • ½ cup non-hydrogenated shortening (or butter)
    • flax egg* (or egg)
    • 4 Tbsp water
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

    Filling

    • 12 oz fresh cranberries (about 3.5 cups)
    • ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
    • 3 Tbsp raw honey
    • ½ tsp cinnamon
    • ⅛ tsp salt


    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line an 8" square baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
    2. 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, flax egg, water and vanilla.  Mix with a fork, then use your hands to knead the dough.
    3. Separate the dough into two halves.  Press one half into the lined baking dish.
    4. 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.
    5. Spread the filling over the crust in a nice, even layer.
    6. Break apart the crumble topping so that it is in little pieces.  Place it over the filling and gently press down.
    7. Put the bars in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
    8. Cool at least 20 minutes in the baking dish.  Serve warm or chill in the fridge overnight (I love them chilled).
    9. Storage: store bars in a sealed container or cover the baking dish.  Place the bars in the fridge and eat within one week.

    Notes

    *The crust/crumble may be made with an egg or flax egg.  1 flax egg = 1 Tbsp ground flax + 3 Tbsp water

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

    pinterest image for cranberry crumb bars
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katie

      February 19, 2022 at 7:02 am

      These cranberry crumb bars are one of my favorite winter desserts. Hope you all love them!

      Reply
    2. bells

      December 14, 2022 at 11:45 pm

      Made this twice. Cranberry is very tart for my bf, so I added extra sugar! This pastry makes me feel healthy even after I overindulge in it. Best of all, it’s so easy to bake like you mentioned !!

      Reply
      • Katie

        December 15, 2022 at 6:04 am

        I'm so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.

        Reply
    3. Lauren Neuman

      November 14, 2023 at 1:38 pm

      Hi there, could you use coconut oil instead of the shortening? Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Katie

        November 14, 2023 at 1:58 pm

        Yes, coconut oil will work. The bars might be a little extra crumbly though.

        Reply
    4. Gina

      November 17, 2024 at 2:55 pm

      Hi Katie. These look heavenly. I was wondering if by chance I could use frozen cranberries instead of fresh?

      Reply
      • Katie

        November 18, 2024 at 7:14 am

        Hi! Yes, frozen cranberries will work.

        Reply

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    Hi there!

    I'm Katie and I have a passion for baking healthy treats using real, whole food ingredients. On my blog you'll find a variety of sweet and savory recipes, all gluten free and dairy free. My mission is to make baking nutritious, delicious, simple and family friendly.

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