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    Home » Recipes » Cookies and Bars

    Easy Gluten Free Cranberry Shortbread Bars

    Published: Nov 26, 2017 · Modified: Oct 25, 2021 by Sandi Gaertner · 42 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    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!

    cranberry bars story cover
    Jump to:
    • Ingredient notes:
    • Recipe step by step directions:
    • Fun variations and substitutions:
    • Tips and Recipe FAQ:
    • More gluten free cookie bars to try:
    • Recipe
    • Community

    Cranberries are one of those fruits that symbolize the holidays! 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. Yup, 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!! They just scream fall flavors and holiday traditions!!

    A gluten free cranberry shortbread bar on a plate.

    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?

    Ingredient notes:

    • Gluten free flour blend - I tested this recipe using Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. 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.

    You can also check out my gluten free cranberry bars web story!

    Recipe step by step directions:

    Cranberry sauce ingredients in a pan cooking
    1. The first step is to make fresh cranberry sauce. Add the cranberries and other cranberry sauce ingredients to a pan and bring to a boil. You will hear some popping as the cranberries pop under the heat.

    While the cranberries are cooking, let's make the gluten free shortbread crust.

    Shorbread bar dry ingredients with butter chunks and a pastry blender

    2. If you like shortbread, you are going to 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.)

    Shortbread crust in a baking dish

    4. Add ¾ of the crust dough to a greased 8x8 baking dish. (Save the other ¼ to be used in the topping.) Press the dough down into the baking dish. Bake the crust at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.

    Adding the cranberry sauce layer on top of the shortbread layer

    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.

    Adding the crumble layer on top of the cranberries

    6. I bake my gluten free shortbread bars at 350 degrees F. Add the sugar to the remaining shortbread crust and then drop on top of the cranberry layer.

    7. Bake. Allow cooling 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 :-).

    Two gluten free cranberry shortbread cookie bars stacked on a plate

    Fun variations and substitutions:

    Feel free to customize this recipe. Fresh cranberries are hard to find year-round so feel free to also substitute your favorite fruit like blueberries, blackberries, and 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!

    Tips and Recipe FAQ:

    Can you use leftover cranberry sauce instead?

    Yes, this recipe is a great way to use up leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving!

    How can you tell if the shortbread is done?

    I usually use the fruit layer as a barometer to determine if they are done. If the fruit layer is bubbling up around the top layer, they should be done.

    How long will these cranberry bars keep fresh?

    These cranberry bars will keep for up to 4 days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator or up to 4 months in the freezer.

    Reader Crystal M's photo of her finished cranberry bars
    Crystal M's finished cranberry bars photo

    More gluten free cookie bars to try:

    • Gluten Free Matcha Green Tea Coconut Bars
    • Gluten Free Almond Joy Cookie Bars
    • Gluten Free Banana Bars
    • Gluten Free Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

    Recipe

    Gluten Free Cranberry Shortbread Bars

    Sandi Gaertner
    A delicious holiday gluten free cranberry shortbread bar recipe
    4.71 from 37 votes
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    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Course Gluten Free Dessert Recipes
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12
    Calories 186 kcal

    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

    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 ¾ of the crust into a greased 8x8 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 ¼ 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

    1. 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.
    2. If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
    3. To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
    4. These bars will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 186kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 117mgPotassium: 4mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 236IUCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @FearlessDining or tag #FearlessDining!

    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.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kathy

      November 17, 2021 at 6:19 am

      This looks delicious. If you double the recipe, would it work with a 9x13 pan?

      Reply
      • Sandi Gaertner

        November 17, 2021 at 11:42 am

        Hi Kathy, yes, that should fill an 8x8 pan. You may need to bake it longer given the larger amount.

        Reply
        • Kathy

          November 18, 2021 at 5:49 am

          Will it fill a 9x13 pan to double it?

        • Sandi Gaertner

          November 18, 2021 at 2:16 pm

          Hi Kathy, it should fit in a 9x13 pan if you double the recipe. Thank you.

    2. Elizabeth

      December 12, 2020 at 5:00 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Sandi Gaertner

        December 13, 2020 at 9:38 am

        I am so glad you liked these. I would love if you would star rate the recipe so others can see. Thank you!

        Reply
    3. Laurie

      November 21, 2020 at 10:34 am

      Did I miss something? When do you add the water?

      Reply
      • Sandi Gaertner

        November 21, 2020 at 2:18 pm

        Hi Laurie, mix it in after cutting the butter into the flour. Thank you.

        Reply
    4. Randi Huntman

      October 22, 2020 at 9:20 am

      5 stars
      This was fabulous and I will definitely make it again. Changes I made were:
      1. I lined the 8x8 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.

      Reply
      • Sandi Gaertner

        October 22, 2020 at 9:34 am

        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 :-).

        Reply
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