Best Ever Cranberry Bars Recipe - If you love cranberry or fruity desserts in general, this recipe is for you. A buttery crust with a delectable cranberry filling and a dusting of powdered sugar… so good!

This is probably the best make-ahead dessert I’ve made in a long time. These bars need a couple of hours to set up and are even better if left to rest in the fridge overnight. The cranberry flavor gets a lot more intense and develops beautifully.

If you aren’t a big cranberry fan, you could make these bars using a juice from any other fruit like pomegranate or grape as well. Just make sure it’s 100% juice. Talk about versatility.

Not only do I love the taste of these bars, but I adore their color as well. The powdered sugar on top makes them looks extra dreamy. Perfect for the season we’re in right now. Gah, I might just have to go and snag another one. I just can’t resist.

Best Ever Cranberry Bars Recipe

These bars are bursting with cranberry flavor. Such a refreshing yet satisfying treat!

Total time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings: 16 bars

Ingredients

For the Crust

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the Filling

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons cranberry juice (100%)
Zest of 1 orange
6 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon salt
confectioners' sugar, for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
Start by preparing the crust. In the bowl of your stand mixer (with the paddle attachment), combine confectioners' sugar and flour. Mix in butter until fully combined and dough forms. Using your hands press dough into the prepared pan in an even layer. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper. Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.
While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, whisk together four and sugar. Add cranberry juice and orange zest and stir to dissolve sugar.
In a separate bowl whisk eggs and egg yolk as well as the salt. Then add to the cranberry mixture and whisk until fully combined. When the crust is done baking, remove the parchment paper and pour cranberry mixture onto the hot crust (don't remove pan from the oven, but pull out the oven rack instead). Return to the oven and reduce temperature to 300 degrees F. Let bake for 30-40 minutes or until filling is set (no longer wobbly). Remove from the oven and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Cover and place in the fridge until ready to serve, or at least for another hours. Cut into bars and cover with powdered sugar.