You are going to love how easy these Gluten Free Cranberry Shortbread Bars are to make! Sweet and tart at the same time, these bars are just bursting with holiday flavors!
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Cranberries are one of those treasured holiday ingredients we love. Their sweet-tart flavor works in recipes from sweet to savory! I couldn’t wait to share this new recipe with you.
The thing I love most about these gluten free cranberry squares is that they FREEZE well. I am on sweets overload here, and I had to freeze several to hide them from myself. I have been recipe testing, tasting, and eating a lot lately, and I needed to make some of the sweets disappear.
If you love cranberries as much as I do, wait until you try these gluten free cranberry bread!!
Allergen Information:
These homemade cranberry bars are gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, egg-free, and oat-free. You can easily make them dairy-free using a plant-based butter.
These cranberry shortbread cookies would taste amazing with vanilla ice cream served on top! If you love cranberry sauce, you will also want to try my Gluten Free Cranberry Hand Pies.
Are you ready to see how easy these cranberry shortbread bars are to make?
Flour Blends Tested:
- King Arthur Measure for Measure—This blend works really well in my recipes. I don’t have to let the flour blend rest in the batter.
- Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Blend—This blend also works well, but this flour blend does benefit from resting the batter for 15 minutes before baking. The rest allows the rice flour in this blend to soften, so you don’t have gritty baked goods.
Ingredient Notes:
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe using the two blends listed above. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours, and I can not guarantee the recipe will work if you use other mixes.
- Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Butter – For dairy-free, use vegan butter.
- Fresh Cranberries – Be sure to look over the cranberries and pick out any that are mushy.
- Vanilla – Please use pure vanilla extract; imitation doesn’t give the same flavor.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
1. The first step is to make fresh cranberry sauce. Add the cranberries and other cranberry sauce ingredients to a pan and boil. You will hear some popping as the cranberries pop under the heat.
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2. If you like shortbread, you will love how easy this gluten free shortbread crust recipe is to make. First, add your dry ingredients to a bowl. Add the cold butter in chunks to the bowl.
3. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter until your crust is crumbly. (You can also use a food processor to do this.)
4. Add 3/4 of the crust dough to a greased 8×8 baking dish. (Save the other 1/4 to be used in the topping.) Press the dough down into the baking dish. Bake the crust at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.
5. Add the cranberry sauce you just made or leftover cranberry sauce to the partially baked shortbread. Spread it out to cover the shortbread crust.
6. I bake my gluten free shortbread bars at 350 degrees F. Add the sugar to the remaining shortbread crust and then drop on the cranberry layer.
7. Bake. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
My daughter pulled these cranberry bars out of the freezer the other day for some friends, and they DEVOURED these bars in record time. She heated them up for 30 seconds in the microwave. This easy gluten free banana bread with cranberries also freezes well if you want to make two recipes :-).
Flavor Variations:
Feel free to customize this recipe. Fresh cranberries are hard to find year-round, so feel free to substitute your favorite fruit, such as blue, black, or strawberries!
- Try using blueberry jam (or your favorite jam) instead of cranberry sauce. You will love shortbread bars with jam!
- Add slivered almonds on top!
- Add chopped pecans to the bottom shortbread layer
- Top with fresh whipped cream
- Add white chocolate chips!
Frequently Asked Questions:
This recipe is a great way to use leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving!
I usually use the fruit layer as a barometer to determine whether they are done. They should be done if the fruit layer bubbles up around the top layer.
These cranberry bars can be kept for up to 4 days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator or up to 4 months in the freezer.
More Gluten Free Cookie Recipes:
- Gluten Free Matcha Green Tea Coconut Bars
- Gluten Free Almond Joy Cookie Bars
- Gluten Free Banana Bars
- Gluten Free Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten Free Cranberry Shortbread Bars
Ingredients
- Crust
- 1 ¼ cups gluten free flour blend
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons water crust (Add one then if you need more add accordingly)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar topping
- Berry layer
- 1 package fresh cranberries
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Make the crust first. Add all of the dry crust ingredients to a bowl.
- Add the cold butter. Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender.
- Add the water to make a dough. Pour 3/4 of the crust into a greased 8×8 pan.
- Press the dough down into the pan so that it is flat.
- Bake only the crust for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.
- In a small pot, add the cranberries, sugar, and vanilla.
- Cook for 15 minutes on low heat until the cranberries all pop open. You can press a spoon against the berries to pop them.
- Let the cranberry mixture cool 5 minutes.
- Pour the cranberry mixture on top of the crust.
- Take the remaining 1/4 crust mixture and add the brown sugar. Toss to mix.
- Sprinkle the remaining crust mixture on top of the cranberry layer.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cranberry is bubbling.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF, Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend. That doesn’t mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- These bars will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
I’ve made these before and everybody loved them, but this time I tried Vio Life plant based butter, which is coconut based, and it didn’t work at all. The dough actually turned into liquid. They were still good, but with a dense candy-like base. I also used Mykono’s and had the same result with the lemon short bread. I suspect any butter that is coconut based will have the same problem because it has such a low melt point.
Hi Janet, I haven’t tried this recipe with VioLife. I have used Smart Balance in this recipe with good results.
I’d love to try these and wondering how to make them refined sugar free?
Hi Sara, I know people use swerve in my recipes, but I haven’t tried it personally.
How much is a package of cranberries. I would like a better measurement
Hi Claire, the bags can vary quite a bit. The one I used was 16 ounces.
We absolutely love this recipe at the holidays! This weekend I tried it with a strawberry & rhubarb filling. Family loved it! Doubled the crust to fit a 9×13 pan. Cooked shortbread for 20 min ( larger pan). Filling was 4.5 cups chopped rhubarb, 1 lb fresh strawberries, 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp vanilla. Simmered for 10 minutes.
Final bake was 40-45 min (again due to larger pan).
Make sure not to simmer the filling too long or it all becomes a yummy soup in the final bake.
I’m excited to see what other flavors may work as the shortbread and crumb are delicious!
Wow, what a delicious filling idea. Thank you so much for sharing your strawberry rhubarb version. I can’t wait to try it.
I will hopefully be making these today. I would like to add a layer of creamcheese on the shortbread then add the cranberry sauce. Have you tried doing this? Would I have to add anything to the creamcheese?
Thanks
Darleen
That sounds delicious! I do this with my strawberry cream cheese bars (recipe is also on my blog), but I drop dollops of cream cheese on.
Sandi these bars were delightful. I made them for the Bazaar at the church and as it passed through the baking room I had a complement on them right away. my husband liked the look of them so much he bought some. I also think they are delicious.
I am so glad everyone at your church loved them!! Yay to your hubby, he knew that would be the only way to get some 🙂
This is an outstanding treat!
moist, not gritty and cranberries add a great tart taste! Excellent!
I am so glad you loved it. Thank you so much for coming back to let others know, Len.
This looks delicious. If you double the recipe, would it work with a 9×13 pan?
Hi Kathy, yes, that should fill an 8×8 pan. You may need to bake it longer given the larger amount.
Will it fill a 9×13 pan to double it?
Hi Kathy, it should fit in a 9×13 pan if you double the recipe. Thank you.
These were delicious! I used wild organic blueberry preserves that we always buy from Costco. I’m newly diagnosed with celiac disease and it is nice to find a yummy dessert recipe that everyone enjoyed. Brought it to a Christmas gather and everyone loved it. Thank you for the recipe!
I am so glad you liked these. I would love if you would star rate the recipe so others can see. Thank you!
Did I miss something? When do you add the water?
Hi Laurie, mix it in after cutting the butter into the flour. Thank you.
This was fabulous and I will definitely make it again. Changes I made were:
1. I lined the 8×8 pan with parchment paper that overhangs the edges. When the dessert was cool, I could just lift it out. In hindsight, I don’t know if this was necessary, but it sure made cutting easy.
2. Added 1/4 tsp of vanilla to the shortbread crust ingredients.
3. Used frozen cranberries without defrosting them. I used scissors to cut the berries near the end of the cooking time–they didn’t pop on their own and a spoon was useless. I also used medium heat until the end when filling began to thicken.
4. Added 1/4 tsp Watkins orange extract to berry mixture while it cooked.
5. Drizzled a vanilla & powdered sugar glaze over cooling bars.
Thank you so much for coming back to talk about how you made these. I am sure it will give readers more ideas. I am glad you liked them :-).
The recipe is accurate and easy to make . The bars are delicious.
I am so glad you liked them!! You can also make with blueberries or strawberries 🙂
Tried this recipe out and unfortunately the crust never fully baked 🙁 most gluten free flours don’t include the Xthanam in them and if that is what is needed for the crust to set up please note at the beginning of the recipe I was so sad I spent so much time following every step. Just a friendly suggestion.
Hi Jessica, I am so sorry this didn’t turn out for you. There was a note about the Xanthan Gum, but I moved it to the Notes section of the recipe card so it will be more clear. I also link the two gluten free flour blends I recommended, but there are so many other brands that I have not tested. I hope you will give this recipe another try. Thank you.
Hi,
The recipe calls for one package of fresh cranberries. Can you tell me how big that is or how many cups of cranberries that might be?
Thanks,
Anne
Hi Anne it is the larger package (usually there is one size of Ocean Spray fresh cranberries in stores.) I am at the airport flying home so I can check the exact measurement when I get in.
I buy my cranberries in bulk. How many ounces, or cups, are in your bag, please?
Hi Penny, the bag has just a little over 2 cups of fresh cranberries. I hope that helps :-).
If we want to substitute in a jam instead of the cranberry sauce as suggested how much jam should we use?
Hi Megan, I am not sure because I haven’t used jam…you want to use enough to coat the bottom crust layer. Let me know how it turns out :-).
Would this crust recipe work for the bottom of a cheese cake?
Hi Brenda, it probably would but the crust isn’t that sweet. If you are looking for a good cheesecake crust, I have several that may taste better if you would like.
Hi, I made these yesterday and honestly are one of the most delicious things I have ever made!! Thank you so much. I used a rice gluten free flour and coconut sugar so it came out darker but amazing! I am probably going to finish the whole thing in a day! Delicious!! ?
I am so glad you loved this recipe Ashley, thank you for coming back to let me know. You can make these with any fruit 🙂
Would this recipe work with coconut oil instead of the butter? Have you and/or any readers tried it with coconut oil?
Thank you!
Hi Tiffany. In theory it should work with coconut oil, but I haven’t tried it. Please come back and let us know how it turns out if you give it a try.
Over the next while I have some of your wonderful recipes to try, I love love love the simple ingredients and having tried enough g/f baking at this point, well you get an idea and I cannot wait for these cranberry shortbreads for the season. Thank you so much for your time and wonderful recipes. Can’t wait to get some cranberries now.
Wow Karen, thank you so much. You made my day 🙂
Where is the actual recipe??!!
I would love to have this recipe. But, where it says, “(add recipe)” at the bottom of the blog entry, it is blank. No recipe transferred to my e-mail. It looks yummy and my mouth is watering. I hope you could rectify that for me. Thanks.
Hi Lora, You are so right and I am so sorry. I added the recipe card in. I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving.
Dear Sandi!
I just showed my husband your delicious Easy Gluten Free Cranberry Shortbread Bars and he said ‘oooh – those look delicious! We have to try those! Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the recipe for them. I even scrolled through your gorgeous pictures several times because I was sure I had missed it, but it doesn’t seem to be there. Can you please add the recipe to your post? Many thanks in advance and by the way: Happy National Cake Day! 😉
Esther
I sent an email as well. I am so sorry this was left off. We had a family emergency over the holiday and I didn’t realize I didn’t add that in when I scheduled it to post. The recipe is there now Esther, thank you so much.