Cranberry Lemon Bars

December 2, 2022 by Tristin 28 Comments

Cranberry Lemon Bars boast quite a tangy flavor since they are filled with fresh cranberries AND tart lemons! With its buttery shortbread crust, gooey layer of cranberry, and luscious topping of lemon custard, this is one delicious holiday dessert.

If you love dessert as much as we do, you will adore this cranberry bar recipe. Try these Coconut Macaroons, made with only 3 ingredients. Or these Peppermint Brownie Cookies, perfect holiday cookies.

Lemon Cranberry Bars

Just thinking about these bars is enough to make my mouth water. If you are a lemon bar lover like I am, or just love tangy desserts in general, then you have got to try these bars.

Since the holidays fall right in line with cranberry season, Thanksgiving and Christmas are the perfect time to make this cranberry recipe. But, I’m sure you are smart and probably buy a few extra bags to throw in the freezer to use all year long. This means you can enjoy these cranberry bars anytime you like!

I try to stow away many bags so that I can also make this Cranberry Orange Bread with a sweet orange glaze.

I really have an appreciation for this dessert because the holidays are usually filled with some really rich, overly sweet treats. These cranberry bars will cut through all of that sugar, with a refreshing, tart burst of flavor. To make them without the cranberries, make these lemon bars with shortbread crust.

Cranberry lemon bars on parchment paper with some cut lemons and cranberries.

Whether you make them for your holiday dessert table, a gathering, or just because, these two-toned lemon bars are going to be a show stopper.

What are Cranberry Lemon Bars?

Cranberry lemon bars, also known as cranberry lemon squares (’cause they get cut into little squares), are a zingy dessert that is most enjoyed during the holidays, but can be eaten anytime.

These bars are three layers layers high! It all begins with a buttery shortbread crust, which is like the most delicious cookie base ever.

Simmer some fresh cranberries with sugar to break them down and make them sweet, this is just like making homemade cranberry sauce. Lay down that cranberry layer on top of the baked cookie crust. Create the lemon layer and add it right on top of the cranberries. Bake up the bars and sprinkle with some powdered sugar snow to make it look extra pretty.

My Favorite Way to Store Lemons

Even though lemons look so pretty all stacked up in a bowl at room temperature, did you know there is a better way to store them? Just stick them in a sealed plastic bag and put them in the refrigerator. With this method you will get a few more weeks out of your lemons.

Can these Lemon Bars be made in Advance?

Yes, these bars are a great dessert to make ahead of time. They firm up in the fridge so they work really well being made a day in advance.

Tart Cranberry Bars Ingredients

Here is the list of only 9 ingredients you need to make these cranberry bar cookies. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full amounts.

Cranberries: You will need one bag of fresh cranberries (or frozen, not thawed).
Water: The water is used to cook the cranberries.
Sugar: Granulated sugar is used to sweeten those berries up.
Lemon: Fresh lemons are necessary, the bottled lemon juice won’t give you the same tart flavor. I like using large lemons.
Flour: All purpose flour. Make sure to spoon it into your measuring cup and then level it off.
Vanilla: Make sure to use pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor.
Salt: A little salt is used to bring out flavor.
Butter: Fresh, unsalted butter.
Eggs: Large eggs will be used in the lemon layer. Room temperature eggs are best.
Powdered Sugar: You will need confectioners’ sugar to sprinkle on top of the finished bars if you like.

All of the ingredients needed to make cranberry bars.

How to Make Cranberry Lemon Bars

It may look like there is a lot to do to make this tart cranberry dessert, but really it is pretty straight forward. These are the basic instructions, check out the printable recipe card at the bottom of this blog post to get the step-by-step instructions.

Rinse and pick through the cranberries.
In a medium saucepan, add in cranberries, water, and granulated sugar. Bring cranberry mixture up to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and cover with a splatter screen. Stir occasionally at first and then constantly to keep from burning. Simmer until all of the cranberries are broken down. Set aside.
Preheat oven and line a 9-inch square dish with parchment paper, leave a little overhang to easily remove bars.
In a medium bowl, combine together melted butter, vanilla, sugar, and salt. Once combined mix in flour. Press the thick dough firmly into the prepared pan in an even layer.
Bake until lightly browned. Remove the crust from the oven and poke all over with a fork. Turn off oven. Let the crust cool.
While crust is cooling, in a large bowl combine together flour and sugar. Whisk in eggs and then add lemon juice. Set aside.
Once crust is cool, pour the cooled cranberry filling over the crust. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Pull the cranberry crust out of fridge. Pour the lemon layer on top. Bake for 43-45 minutes until the center is set and doesn’t jiggle. Cool on wire rack in baking pan at room temperature for 2 hours, then put in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
To serve, lift the parchment out of the pan and place on cutting board. Dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares. For clean slices, wipe the knife off between cuts.

Step by step instructions to make cranberry layer and crust.

Step by step instructions to make lemon cranberry bar lemon filling.

Recipe Tips & Variations

Frozen cranberries. If you are using frozen cranberries, they do not need to be thawed before using.
Splattering cranberries. Be careful when cooking cranberries, they like to pop open and splash everywhere. Using a splatter screen or lid on top of saucepan will help.
Parchment paper. To keep lemon bars from sticking to the pan, make a parchment paper sling.
Fresh juice. Using fresh lemon juice will give you the best results and flavor.
Fresh cranberry. Use fresh tart cranberries (or frozen), just not dried cranberries or canned cranberry sauce.
Extra lemony. Add 2 teaspoons of lemon zest to the crust batter for more lemon flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my bars have a layer of bubbles on top? If you end up with tiny white bubbles on the top of your lemon dessert, it is completely normal. It is just the air rising to the top of the lemon layer from the eggs. It is easily covered with a dusting of powdered sugar.

When is the best time to add powdered sugar? Add the powdered sugar right before serving because the sugar will absorb into the top layer. If you have leftover bars, you may need to sprinkle them again before serving.

Do lemon bars have to be refrigerated? Yes, you will want to store these bars in the fridge.

Storage Instructions for Leftovers

How to refrigerate cranberry bars? Put bars in an airtight container. They should last about 6-7 days in the fridge. Serve cold.

Try these other lemon favorites!

If you’ve tried this lemon cranberry bar recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below in the comment section. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes!

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4.86 from 14 votes