Description
Delight in these tangy and sweet Lemon-Cranberry Bars that blend zesty lemon flavor with tart cranberry sauce for a perfect holiday dessert or a refreshing treat any time of year.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust
- Cooking spray
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
For the Filling
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 1 medium lemon)
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 4 medium lemons)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup canned whole berry cranberry sauce
For Garnish
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and dust it with flour to prevent sticking.
- Make the Crust: In a mixing bowl, cream together the unsalted butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt until smooth and fluffy. Gradually blend in 1 cup of all-purpose flour until the mixture forms a crumbly dough. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan to form the crust base.
- Bake the Crust: Place the pan in the oven and bake the crust for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
- Prepare the Filling: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour until fully combined and smooth.
- Assemble the Bars: Spread the canned whole berry cranberry sauce evenly over the baked crust. Carefully pour the lemon filling mixture over the cranberries, ensuring even coverage.
- Bake the Bars: Return the pan to the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the lemon filling is set and no longer jiggly in the center.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cool, dust the top with powdered sugar before slicing into 16 bars for serving.
Notes
- For a more intense lemon flavor, increase the lemon zest to 2 teaspoons.
- Use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled for the best taste.
- Allow bars to cool completely before slicing to ensure clean cuts.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- These bars freeze well; wrap tightly and freeze for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 237 cal
- Sugar: 28.5 g
- Sodium: 138.3 mg
- Fat: 7.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.6 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3.0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
