These fresh cranberry shortbread bars consists of two layers of buttery shortbread that sits between a sweet and tart cranberry filling. These are a must-bake for the holiday season!
This recipe was originally published in December of 2020, but was updated on November 2, 2023 with newer content.
These cranberry bars can be made with either fresh or frozen cranberries, making them a perfect Thanksgiving and Christmas dessert.
The cranberry mixture sits between layers buttery crust, which compliments those tart berries so well. I added just a touch of cinnamon to the shortbread base to bring in that warm and cozy holiday taste!
Looking for more cranberry desserts? Then check out these: white chocolate cranberry fudge and cranberry white chocolate loaf.
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Why You'll Love These Bars
- The shortbread is both the top and bottom crust.
- There's a hint of cinnamon flavor.
- The cranberry filling is tart and sweet.
- You can use either fresh or frozen berries.
- They're super easy to make, requiring just 10 minutes of prep before baking!
Everybody loves leftover cranberry sauce around the holidays, but I bet you'll have none of these bars leftover by the end of the night!
So go grab that bag of fresh cranberries from your local grocery store and make these delicious shortbread bars.
Ingredients Needed
Here are some notes on the ingredients we'll be using. For the full ingredients list, look at the recipe card below.
- All-Purpose Flour: The base and structure for the bars.
- Sugars: Both brown sugar and granulated sugar are used for sweetness.
- Corn Starch: Makes the crust crumbly and tender.
- Butter: Gives the crust a delicious, buttery flavor. Make sure to use cold unsalted butter.
- Cranberries: Fresh or frozen. During November and December you can find fresh cranberries in the produce aisle.
- Honey: Adds a touch of sweetness to the cranberries.
INSTRUCTIONS
Here are the step by step instructions on how to make this cranberry bar recipe.
Step 1: Make the crust. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, corn starch, cinnamon, and salt.
Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter and then mix in the beaten egg and vanilla extract.
Step 2: Prepared baking pan. Press half of the flour mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Use your fingers to firmly press it down.
Step 3: Cranberry filling. In a medium bowl, combine the cranberries, sugar, and honey. Pour over the crust.
Step 4: Crumble topping. Take the remaining shortbread dough and sprinkle it over the top of the cranberries.
Step 5: Bake. Bake for 30-35 minutes allow them to cool for 1 hour on a wire rack at room temperature. Then slice into bars.
Storage Tips
Store any leftover cranberry bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Expert Baking Tips
- Baking Pan: Line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, creating "handles" that hang over the sides. Then spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cold Butter: Make sure your butter is cold before adding it to the flour. The cold butter is what gives us a crumbly and flaky shortbread crust.
- Pastry Cutter: Having one of these is super helpful for cutting the butter into the flour. If you don't have a pastry cutter, you can also use two forks or a food processor.
- Cranberries: You can use either fresh or frozen cranberries.
Recipe FAQs
When the crumble topping is a golden brown color and the cranberry filling is bubbling.
Yes you can! These bars are great to make anytime of the year using fresh or frozen cranberries.
You could mix in a ½ cup of white chocolate chips with the cranberry filling. You could also serve these bars with homemade whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I love hearing from you! Also, please tag me on Instagram and check out my Pinterest for even more recipe ideas.
It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy Baking!
More Christmas Desserts
📖 Recipe
Fresh Cranberry Shortbread Bars
Equipment
- 8x8 inch baking pan
- Pastry Cutter
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients:
Shortbread Crust & Crumble
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed (1.5 sticks)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cranberry Filling
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, creating "handles" that hang over the sides. Then spray with non-stick spray.
Shortbread Crust & Topping
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, corn starch, cinnamon, and salt with a whisk. Add the cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the flour until crumbly (this will take 3-4 minutes). Then mix in the beaten egg and vanilla extract using a wooden spoon.
- Press about half of the shortbread crust onto the bottom of the prepared pan using your fingers (you will have about 3 ½ cups of this mixture). The crust will be slightly crumbly, but that's ok! Just make sure you press it down well. Set the extra shortbread mixture aside (this will also be the topping).
Cranberry Filling
- Combine the cranberries, sugar, and honey together in a medium-sized bowl. Mix until the cranberries are well coated and then pour over the shortbread crust, even the extra sugar that is on the bottom of the bowl (you may need to use your mixing spoon to spread out the cranberries evenly). Sprinkle the rest of the shortbread mixture over the top of the cranberries.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, just until the crumble starts to turn light brown and the cranberries are bubbling (mine take about 35 minutes). Allow the bars to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing into bars (9-12 bars are made). Serve either at room temperature or place them in the refrigerator to chill. Both ways are delicious!
- Store any leftover cranberry bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes:
- Baking Pan: Line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, creating "handles" that hang over the sides. Then spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cold Butter: Make sure your butter is cold before adding it to the flour. The cold butter is what gives us a crumbly and flaky shortbread crust.
- Pastry Cutter: Having one of these is super helpful for cutting the butter into the flour. If you don't have a pastry cutter, you can also use two forks or a food processor.
- Cranberries: You can use either fresh or frozen cranberries.
Nutrition
This looks delicious. Can't wait to try it.
Thank you, Kalu!
This recipe is perfect for my Thanksgiving leftover cranberry sauce, and I love how simple and easy this recipe is! Thanks for making your recipe so detailed!
Thank you so much, Colette!
Perfect snack! I love shortbreads and these are perfect 🙂 Will try this soon. Thanks for sharing
Shortbreads are SO good!
How delicious are these. This reminds me of Valentines Day for some reason. I feel like they would be good warm with coffee or a warm glass of milk.
I could see them being great for Valentine's Day! My husband loves to eat these bars warm.
These sound amazing! I even have some cranberries left so I might have to try this!
Sounds great, Holly! You'll have to let me know how you liked them 🙂
I have some leftover cranberry sauce, so I will be using it to make these bars! So glad you posted this!!!
Thank you so much, Cindy! Let me know how you like them 🙂
I looove this recipe, sooo easy to follow, I will bake cranberry shortbread following the instructions this weekend. Thank you!
Must try these! Will they freeze well?
Hi Deb! Yes, they should freeze well for up to 2 months. Just make sure they are in an airtight container or some good freezer bags so as to not get freezer burn.