Y’all. We did it. That’s right. We got through Thanksgiving. Yay! Our taste buds might not have been so lucky, but that’s okay. That’s what leftovers are for. 😉
I’m not quite sure what it is about the Thanksgiving holiday specifically, but the days after we always find ourselves wanting to bake more. Insane, right? We quite literally just stuffed ourselves until we couldn’t anymore within a 24 hour period. How on earth could we possibly be thinking about baking (or cooking) anything else? Well…here we are.
To be honest, this is the truth. Tell the kids to leave the room, and then come close. Ready…? Thanksgiving is the “gateway drug” for holiday baking. 🤷🏼♀️ There. We said it.
Let’s not get into the weeds on this one (agree to disagree and all that stuff…) and instead let’s ride our sugar high right into discussing what we are craving now that turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin everything can be crossed off the list. One word quickly comes to mind for us.
CRANBERRIES. ❤️ We are talking anything with them in it. Muffins, salads, breads, tarts, spiced cocktails 😏…all of it! We are willing to bet after making all those cranberry sauce sides to pair with your turkey that you might happen to have some extra cranberries laying around. Whether or not you panicked and stockpiled too many during #stayathome or you happen to love cranberries, we won’t judge. Get those babies out and ready because we have the perfect holiday recipe for them. These easy Cranberry Almond Bars will help you use those extra berries and kick off part two of our 2020 holiday baking season!
The crust is a simple, yet classic shortbread base that is buttery and flaky. Then, add in tart cranberries that blends perfectly with the sweet cookie crust. Lastly, the addition of sliced almonds adds a perfect salty crunch to the overall texture and taste of this holiday treat.👩🏼🍳
If you are looking to make these a little lighter in calories, feel free to use Stevia instead of the granulated sugar, and/or swap your all-purpose flour with coconut or almond flour. They actually taste amazing either way (we love a low-cal versatile recipe!). With that said…real talk here. We all deserve to not stress about things like calories right now – especially for the rest of 2020. #selflove
So, grab those beautiful cranberries, and let’s bake some bars!
What You Need
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 cups butter (softened)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds
3 cups cranberries (thawed or fresh/rinsed/and patted dry)
Step by Step
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper. Or, spray pan with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- Take your cranberries and make sure they are thawed, rinsed, and patted dry. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add your butter and beat until creamy and smooth.
- Next, add in your sugars and mix until fluffy.
- Add in your flour next one cup at a time. Mixture will start to thicken after third cup, so don’t be alarmed.
7. Take the shortbread dough and divide into three portions. Take two portions, (reserving a third for topping later) and press into your pan and up about two-thirds of the way up the edges.
8. Pour your cranberries on top of dough layer and spread across evenly.
9. Add 1/2 cup of sliced almonds to your remaining dough and mix in until combined.
10. Take different sized chunks of your dough and randomly top the cranberries until it is all used.
11. Sprinkle granulated sugar over the top of your creation to add some extra sweetness (not required, but definitely encouraged!)
12. Place pan in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set. This makes for a perfect shortbread texture.
13. Take out and let sit 5 minutes, then place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. They will be ready when the edges and chunks are a golden brown color.
14. Let cool for 30 minutes before cutting. Serve as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
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Cranberry Almond Bars
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups butter softened
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 3 cups cranberries thawed or fresh/rinsed/and patted dry
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper. Or, spray pan with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- Take your cranberries and make sure they are thawed, rinsed, and patted dry. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add your butter and beat until creamy and smooth.
- Next, add in your sugars and mix until fluffy.
- Add in your flour next 1 cup at a time. Mixture will start to thicken after 3rd cup so don’t be alarmed.
- Take 2/3 of your shortbread dough and press into your pan evenly and up about 2/3 up the edges.
- Pour your cranberries on top of dough layer and spread across evenly.
- Add your 1/2 cup of sliced almonds to your remaining dough and mix in until combined.
- Take different sized chunks of your dough and randomly top the cranberries until it is all used.
- Sprinkle granulated sugar over the top of your creation to add some extra sweetness (not required but definitely encouraged!)
- Place pan in the fridge for about 30 min to set. This makes for a perfect shortbread texture.
- Take out and let sit 5 min and then pop in the oven and bake for 40-45 min. They are ready when the edges and chunks are a golden brown color.
- Let cool for 30 min before cutting. Serve as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
