Bright, tangy, and festive, these cranberry lemon bars feature a lemon buttery shortbread crust layered with sweet-tart cranberry sauce and zesty lemon curd. Perfect for holidays or any time you crave a citrusy treat!
“This was delicious and easy 🙂” – Joy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sometimes, you need a dessert that looks impressive but is surprisingly simple. These cranberry lemon bars hit that sweet spot (pun intended 😉). The bright red cranberry layer and sunny yellow lemon curd not only taste amazing but also make a beautiful dessert.
I’ve spent years perfecting this recipe to make sure each layer stays in place and looks great. Here are my best tips for getting perfect layers every time:
- Lightly spray your pan with cooking spray (spray oil works great), then line it with two pieces of parchment paper—one going each direction—so the paper hangs over all four sides.
- After the shortbread crust bakes, poke it all over with a fork. This helps the filling stick to the crust and keeps it from sliding around.
- When spreading the cranberry layer, make sure it reaches all the way to the edges of the pan. This seals the layers and keeps the lemon filling from slipping underneath.
Using leftover cranberry sauce makes this recipe even easier. Whether it’s homemade or from a can, the tart cranberry flavor goes really well with the sweet, tangy lemon curd. It’s a fun way to use up holiday leftovers.
What you’ll need for Lemon Cranberry Bars
- Cranberries: You can use fresh or frozen! This time of year, I always pick up several bags. You may also use leftover cranberry sauce, or canned cranberry sauce–you will need about 1 cup.
- Lemons: For the best flavor, use fresh squeezed lemon juice and fresh lemon zest!
- All-Purpose Flour: I love to use King Arthur’s organic unbleached flour.
- Sugar: You’ll need both granulated and powdered sugar for this recipe.
- Eggs: These are essential for the curd-like topping to set up properly. I use large eggs in baking, room temperature works best for this recipe.
- Butter: Use real butter, not the soft spreadable kind. I used salted, but unsalted butter works too—just add ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Vanilla Extract: I keep this organic Rodelle Vanilla Extract on hand for my holiday baking.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
Recommended Equipment
- An 8×8 or 9×9 square pan — I love a good ceramic baking dish for this recipe
- Zester – This zester will be a game changer for all your zesting (and cheese grating) needs! Makes even quicker work of this Award Winning Key Lime Pie.
- Whisk and a good Wooden Spoon, love my olive wood spoons!
- Parchment Paper – These precut sheets are a lifesaver when it comes to baking!
How to make Cranberry Lemon Bars
Step 1 | Make Cranberry Layer
Make the Cranberry layer ahead of time and cool it (up to a day or two ahead is fine, bring to room temperature before spreading) and make the crust and cool it slightly.
Use a medium saucepan to boil the cranberries and sugar in water.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer while stirring occasionally. As the fruit cooks, break up the whole berries with a spoon or spatula.
Remove the pan from the stove and let the mixture cool for about 30 minutes, or longer.
Step 2 | Making the Shortbread Crust
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175° C). Lightly spray a 9-inch square baking dish with spray oil. Line the pine with two sheets of parchment paper-one going across the pan and the other in the opposite direction–with the paper hanging over the sides. Lightly spray between the sheets to help keep them in place.
For the crust, combine the flour, salt, and sugars with zest in a bowl of a food processor (my dream food processor!). Add the butter cubes and pulse until crumbs stick together. You may also make in a bowl, using a pastry blender to combine the butter into the crumbs.
Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan for your cranberry lemon bars.
Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden, prick bottom of crust with a fork. Cool for 20 minutes, then spread the cooled cranberry mixture over the crust and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 3 | Lemon Layer
For the final layer, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, flour, Rodelle vanilla and salt.
Lightly beat the eggs separately, then whisk them into the other ingredients.
Remove the chilled crust and first layer from the fridge.
Whisk the lemon mix again so it’s frothy and pour it over the dessert.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until the center is set.
Let it cool for one hour on a wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours preferably overnight.
Lift the dessert out of the pan using the excess parchment paper and slice into evenly sized cranberry squares. For even slices, run sharp knife under hot water, wipe dry, slice and repeat.
Dust with powdered sugar before serving. If you would like an extra garnish, top each bar with a few Sugared Cranberries!
NYT Cranberry Lemon Bars Recipe Variations
GLUTEN-FREE LEMON CRANBERRY BARS
You can make these cranberry lemon bars gluten-free by using 1 cup almond flour and ⅓ cup coconut flour as a substitute. The curd-like topping can be thickened with tapioca starch or coconut flour. You may also use a good gluten-free all purpose flour; but in shortbread I have found that I like almond flour better!
CRANBERRY LAYER SUBSTITUTE
If you don’t want to the make the cranberry puree you can use leftover cranberry sauce or canned whole cranberry sauce, just don’t make that layer too thick. You will need about a cup. You may also use raspberry, cherry or strawberry preserves if you wish.
Pro Tips
- Don’t use concentrated lemon juice instead of fresh citrus! It has an off taste. The only alternative I’ve found to use in a pinch is Minute Maid Premium Lemon Juice located in the freezer section.
- Store your cranberry lemon bars in the fridge if you won’t eat them immediately, as they tend to get soft.
- A good hint to know when your shortbread crust is done cooking is by smell. It may only be a little golden, but the aroma will be more like a cookie than dough.
Storage
Store these cranberry lemon bars in an airtight container in a single layer, or lay a piece of parchment between layers. They will keep well for up to 7 days.
Can you freeze Lemon Cranberry Bars?
Yes, lemon bars freeze beautifully! Make sure they are cooled completely first, place on parchment paper and then on pan and flash freeze for one hour until firm. Then wrap well in plastic wrap and again in foil or place in an airtight baggie. Freeze up to 3 months, thaw in fridge overnight.
Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes, increase the pan size to 9×13 and double all of the ingredients! Bake a little longer, 5-10 minutes covering with foil if browning too much.
NYTimes Cranberry Lemon Bars FAQs
If they look runny, they’re not done. The trick is to cook your dessert long enough and give it enough time to set before cutting.
It is normal for them to jiggle slightly when you first take them out of the oven. Once cool, put your treat in the fridge to become firm, and you’ll be set!
If the top of your dessert cracks, it’s getting overcooked and will be chewy. Take it out and let it cool immediately!
Getting them in the fridge as soon as possible will help stop them from continuing to cook in the pan.
Line your pan with parchment paper, when well chilled, at least 6 hours, preferably 12 hours. Using parchment paper, lift out and onto a cutting board.
Run a large knife under hot water, then dry it with a towel. The heat from the blade will slice easily through the dessert and create perfectly clean edges.
They all bake a little differently. Metal pans heat up fast and give a crisp crust, while glass heats slowly and can lead to softer or uneven baking. Personally, ceramic pans are my favorite—they bake evenly and gently, which helps the layers set just right without overbaking.
While I’m no longer a brand ambassador for Rodelle, I still love and regularly use their products—they’re a Colorado-owned company I’ve trusted for years. I used their organic Vanilla Extract in these lemon cranberry bars. Rodelle’s products are all-natural, many are organic, and they’re always high quality.
Thanks for hanging out with me today, I hope if you tried this recipe you will pop down to the comments and let me know!
More Holiday Recipes
- Cranberry Christmas Cake
- Cranberry Walnut Bread (No Knead)
- Easy Traditional Tiramisu
- Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding
- Mini Chocolate French Silk Pies
- White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Champagne Truffles
- White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake (Instant Pot or Oven)
- Triple Chocolate Cookies
Gifting these beautiful cranberry squares? You might want to print out our beautiful Christmas food gift tags!
Like this recipe?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and leave a comment below the recipe!
Equipment
Ingredients
Cranberry Layer (may also use leftover cranberry sauce or canned whole cranberry sauce, about 1 cup)
- 8 ounces cranberries fresh or frozen, do not thaw
- ½ cup water
- 6 tablespoons sugar white or cane sugar
Lemon Shortbread Crust
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest about 1 medium lemon, zest first then squeeze for lemon layer
- ½ cup granulated sugar I use all-natural cane sugar
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour I use unbleached
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup cold butter cubed, if using unsalted, add additional ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Lemon Curd Layer
- ⅔ cup fresh lemon juice from about 4 medium lemons
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar I use all natural cane sugar*
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- ½-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs lightly beaten, room temperature is best
Instructions
Cranberry Layer (or use about 1 cup of leftover or whole canned cranberry sauce)
- Place water, cranberries, and 6 tablespoons of sugar in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, simmering, stirring occasionally, until cranberries start to burst. About 15 minutes.8 ounces cranberries, ½ cup water, 6 tablespoons sugar
- Continue to simmer, stirring and breaking up any whole cranberries – a wooden spoon works great for this. Cook until cranberries are completely broken down, with no whole pieces remaining, about another 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cooling for 30 minutes.
Shortbread Crust
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray a 9-inch square baking dish with spray oil. Line the pan with two sheets of parchment paper—one going across the pan and the other in the opposite direction—so the paper hangs over all four sides. Lightly spray between the sheets to help keep them in place.
- In a medium-large mixing bowl, stir together 1 ⅓ cups flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, powdered sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, and lemon zest until combined. Mix in butter cubes, using a pastry cutter or your fingers (you may also do this step in a food processor). Once the mixture looks like sandy crumbs that stick together when pinched, press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.¼ cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup cold butter
- Using a fork, poke holes into the warm shortbread crust this will help the layers stick. Allow to cool slightly, about 20 minutes (do not turn off oven).
- Once cooled slightly, spread the cooled cranberry mixture over the crust, chill for 30 minutes, meanwhile make the lemon layer.
Lemon Layer
- In a medium-large mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, ⅓ cup flour and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add lightly beaten eggs to the mixture, whisking until combined, frothy and lighter in color. Set aside until ready to use.⅔ cup fresh lemon juice, 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, ⅓ cup all purpose flour, ½-1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt, 5 large eggs
- Once the cranberry layer has chilled on the crust, remove from the fridge and give the lemon layer one last good whisk. Pour evenly over the top of the cranberry mixture. Bake in a 350°F (175° C) oven 40-45 minutes until the center is set, it may jiggle slightly.Remove to wire rack, cool for 1 hour, then refrigereateuntil lemon layer is set, at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Using the parchment paper to lift the bars from the pan, place on a cutting board and cut into 9, 12 or 16 squares.
- For clean slicing, run a sharp knife under hot water, wipe dry and slice, repeating between slices. Sprinkle if desired with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Elise
this was delicious and easy 🙂
Thanks so much, Elise!
Joy Minicozzi
My lemon layer went underneath the crust. What did I do wrong, still tasted pretty good
Hi Joy, sorry for my delay — I’ve had that happen to a couple of people and from the troubleshooting I have researched sounds like the shortbread layer cooled too long. Here is a tip from Bon Appetit: “Set a timer for 5 minutes after pulling the crust from the oven to ensure it doesn’t cool too much—if the shortbread is allowed to reach room temperature, the uncooked lemon curd will slip off the top and pool in the bottom of the dish, turning your lemon bars upside down (sounds bananas until it happens to you!). After pouring in the lemon mixture, tap the baking dish on the counter to pop any lingering bubbles before transferring the lemon bars to the oven.”
Susy Lowe
I followed the recipe to the letter including the cooling time between steps. I used the exact pan and parchment paper and spayed both the pan & paper with baking spray. When cooking with the final lemon layer I noticed that there was no yellow color on top but thought I was just not seeing it correctly. After cooling as outlined I used the parchement paper to help lift the bars out of the pan. All the lemon curd went under the paper and cooked on the bottom. The bars totally fell apart. I tried to press the lemon layer back on top but they are a messy sight. Anyway, I did taste them and they taste good but unfortunately I won’t be able to serve them. Just thought you should know that this is something that could happen. Maybe if I put the paper going both ways the lemon would have stayed put.
I’m so sorry you had that experience. Not sure what went wrong either, maybe your lemon layer hadn’t cooked long enough? Could be your oven is off temperature that is pretty common since most ovens don’t heat to the temperature we think. Anyway, I am sorry that they are ruined especially when it is a labor of love.
T Brown
This happened to me as well! I was wondering if the curd was just too runny and it oozed under the crust to bake.
Hi there I am wondering if when you lined your pan, did you overlap it or did you just put a little piece on the bottom? Also maybe the cranberry sauce wasn’t pulled all the way to the edges and chilled for a full 30 minutes before adding the lemon layer?
If your parchment was not up and over the sides it could slip out, I suppose. Regardless I’m sorry this happened. I never like hearing a recipe didn’t work out.
Hi Susy and Trish — so I’ve been doing a little more research on how this might have happened. A few things that could be in play. Your crust was not pulled all the way to the sides of the pan, allowing space for the lemon curd to go underneath, and/or the crust cooled too much (more than 30 minutes) before you added the topping. You might also either not line the pan all-together and grease it well, or line it completely with overhang on all 4 sides with aluminum foil or a large sheet of parchment. But be sure to make sure your shortbread crust goes all the way to the edges of the pan, as well as your cranberry layer.
Marky
Thanks for the inspiration. I baked a gingersnap cookie crust, and put the cranberries on. Topped this with lemon (I cheated, and used canned lemon filling).
Thanks Again!
Sounds wonderful!!! And I think that’s awesome, make it yours! Let me know how they taste with the gingersnap!
Dawn
Gingersnap crust sounds like a wonderful variation! Of course I’ve always done a shortbread crust for lemon bars. It’s what’s expected. Ginger works well with lemon as well as cranberry, so I will give it a go.
Let me know how it turns out!
Kim
They Look Delicious !!!!
Thank you Kim!
Nikki Lee
These are gorgeous! And I know they’ve got to taste as good as they look.
Thank you Nikki!
MSL
So good!! That cranberry and lemon combination is out of this world delicious! We all loved it!
It truly is!! Thank you for your kind words!
MSL
Sheila Thigpen
The perfect balance of sweet and tart, this lemony cranberry dessert is not only delicious, it’s so pretty on the plate! Buttery shortbread, creamy lemon filling, and tangy cranberries — every element is spot on!
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
These sure are pretty! I find it so hard to resist a layered cookie bar and the lemon with cranberry has to be amazing!
And YOU are the queen of the layered cookie bar!