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11.22.16

Paleo Cookie Crumb Cranberry Bars

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These Vanilla Cookie Crumb Cranberry Bars come together quickly with a grain free and dairy free “buttery” vanilla cookie dough plus homemade cranberry sauce!  You can also use whatever jam or preserves you have on hand.  Great holiday or anytime dessert that you won’t believe is Paleo!cranberry-crumb-bars-6

Thanksgiving is nearly here, and, as usual I’m starting to feel like I’m a wee bit in over my head with everything I’m planning to cook/bake/roast/prepare.  The kids have already created and printed out “menus” though (they are legit menus, not sure why the quotes) so I’m feeling pretty committed.  Last minute changes are my middle name though, so I’m predicting one or two “specials” on the menu in addition to what’s already on there.

Actually, having a menu is helpful to reign me in and get me organized.  The concept of organization is tough for me in general, let alone on Thanksgiving.    What I’m really good at doing on Thanksgiving is being so indecisive that I wind up making 2 types of a lot of things.  Two stuffing recipes, two types of mashed potatoes, two types of bread, etc.  People like a lot of everything on Thanksgiving, so, the more the merrier, right?!

cranberry-crumb-bars-8

 

Cranberry sauce!   I love cranberry sauce so much because it requires no effort or brainpower – it cooks itself.  Plus, you can make it way ahead of time if you want to and then forget about it until the moment you need it.  How many side dishes/sauces can you say that about?  Definitely not gravy.

Gravy is literally the opposite of everything I love about cranberry sauce, and, probably why it seems to stress me out every Thanksgiving.  I can make gravy any other day of the year, but, on Thanksgiving gravy does not come easy – I have limits when it comes to working under pressure!

 

But I’ve gone way off now – apologies, Dear Readers who just want to make cookie crumb cranberry bars!  The thing I love the most about these bars.  Let’s see.  Too many things!

cranberry-crumb-bars-5

For one, there are really only two parts to this recipe – not 3 as is may appear – the crust and crumble are the same dough – which is a wonderful thing if you ask me.  You simply chill the remaining dough a bit longer while you bake the bottom crust, cover with cranberry sauce, then crumble the rest of the dough over the top, and bake.

cranberry-crumb-bars-10The other fabulous thing about this recipe is that you don’t have to make it with cranberry sauce!  I know!  I’ve been talking up my cranberry sauce non-stop, but let’s face it – cranberry sauce typically only comes out around the holidays.

But!  For this recipe, you can use whatever fruit preserves you feel like, and make it seasonal.  I also tried it with strawberry (I’m a tad addicted to the crust/crumble) but I’ll definitely try it with cherry and blueberry too.   My favorite way to eat these lately is topped with coconut vanilla ice cream – I finished the last one last night and already want to make more.   If I make them for Thanksgiving, that means I’ll have to agree to share them.  Tough call!  You’ll see what I mean after you make them…

A few notes on the recipe before you dive in.  The crust behaves much better when the baking dish is lined with parchment paper.  This is true for nearly everything I bake, but, worth noting that it’s a very important part of the recipe!  I messed up once, so I’m lecturing myself as well 🙂

cranberry-crumb-bars-4

My favorite parchment paper, the one that I use every time I bake is the If You Care Parchment Baking Sheets.   I could not write this blog without them, seriously!  Nothing sticks to them after baking, and they’re also fabulous to use when you need to press sticky dough down into a baking dish, as you do with this recipe.

The other note I have is to make sure you wait until the bars are fully cooled before cutting into.  Duh, right?!  Again, I am super impatient and lecturing myself.  Don’t fret if you’re like me – you can chill these bars in the fridge, even the freezer, to speed up cooling time and it works perfectly fine.  Let’s bake!

Paleo Cookie Crumb Cranberry Bars

cranberry-crumb-bars-11

Paleo Cookie Crumb Cranberry Bars

These Vanilla Cookie Crumb Cranberry Bars come together quickly with a grain free and dairy free "buttery" vanilla cookie dough plus homemade cranberry sauce! You can also use whatever jam or preserves you have on hand. Great holiday or anytime dessert that you won't believe is Paleo!
Author: Michele Rosen
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 27 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Paleo
Servings: 16 bars
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5 from 1 vote

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs room temp
  • 1/2 cup organic coconut sugar
  • 1/2 cup organic coconut oil melted and cooled to almost room temp (not hot)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup organic coconut flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup homemade cranberry sauce or organic whole berry cranberry sauce*
  • Extra sprinkle of coconut sugar to top

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line an 8 x 8" square baking dish with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and coconut sugar until smooth, then the coconut oil and vanilla until combined.
  3. Combine the coconut flour and salt, then add to the wet ingredients to form a dough. Coconut flour is very dense and expands once added, so the dough will become thicker as it sits. To firm it up enough to press it into the baking dish, you might need to chill it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
  4. Once chilled, press about 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of the parchment lined baking dish using another piece of parchment paper to press down since it will be sticky. You want the bottom layer to be about 1/4-1/2 inch thick, take more dough from the remaining mixture as needed.
  5. Bake the bottom crust in the preheated oven for about 7 minutes until almost set. During this time, chill the remaining dough in the freezer.
  6. Remove the bottom crust and immediately top with the cranberry sauce, then crumbled the remaining chilled dough all over the top. Sprinkle with a bit more coconut sugar as desired, then return to the oven to bake for another 18-20 minutes, or until crust and topped are golden brown and filling is bubbly.
  7. After removing from oven, allow the bars to cool completely before cutting into squares and serving. You can chill to speed up cooling time. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*You can sub whatever fruit preserves, homemade or purchased that you like.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @PaleoRunningMomma on Instagram and hashtag it #PaleoRunningMomma

What I Used to Make My Paleo Cookie Crumb Cranberry Bars:


Paleo Cookie Crumb Cranberry Bars that are quick and easy to make and a great healthy dessert for the holidays! Use leftover cranberry sauce!

Sweet and buttery tasting #grainfree and #paleo cookie crumb #cranberry bars #Thanksgiving

Click To Tweet

Want more Paleo dessert recipes for the holidays?  Try one of these!

Maple Pecan Apple Crisp

Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars

Pumpkin Caramel Pecan Fudge Bars

Paleo Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake

Cranberry Crumb bars on the web:

Paleo Cranberry Crumb Bars

Gluten free & vegan Cranberry Crumb Bars

Tell Me!

Do you prepare official menus for big meals?  

What dish are you most looking forward to for Thanksgiving/Christmas/Hanukkah?

Michele

Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Paleo Running Momma!

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About Michele

More than a little into running and paleo recipes (yoga now too!) but I'm not here to rain on your grains (or anything else) so come along for the ride! I do a little too much of everything (except cleaning), and I enjoy laughing at myself. As long as I'm the one making the jokes, that is. Just kidding. So bring me your angst, your appetite and your frying pan and climb aboard!

Reader Interactions

Reader Reviews & Comments

  1. Susie @ Suzlyfe says

    November 22, 2016 at 7:21 am

    OH MY GOD.
    I would seriously eat the entire pan. Like, step off, everyone else. I have no clue what dish to look forward to this Thanksgiving because I have no clue what we’ll be having. I won’t like, that makes me kind of sad…

    Reply
  2. Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets says

    November 22, 2016 at 1:41 pm

    I’m a sadist and would love to host Thanksgiving one year, although it definitely won’t be this year. I’m lucky just to get dinner on the table.

    These look all kinds of amazing.

    Reply
  3. Ellen @ My Uncommon Everyday says

    November 22, 2016 at 2:16 pm

    For Christmas, I do TONS of baking. These will 100% be on the to-make list. They’re so pretty and I loveeee cranberry everything!
    Blogger fail: we actually go out for Thanksgiving. One day, I’d love to cook a big meal for everyone, but my grandparents prefer to go out and take all the stress off. (I actually enjoy it, too. But I’d cook if I had my way.) But Christmas brunch is the best in my family! And I love Christmas ham, too.

    Reply
  4. Amanda @ .running with spoons. says

    November 22, 2016 at 2:17 pm

    I’ve never had to host an entire dinner, which is something I’m super thankful for since I’m notorious for getting overwhelmed and then getting nothing done. As it stands, I usually just contribute a dish or two and help out in the kitchen or at least try not to get in the way 😛

    Reply
  5. Karly says

    November 22, 2016 at 9:35 pm

    YUM! This is the first leftover-turned-dessert recipe I’ve seen, and I think I’m in love! These look so stinking good. Need to try them!

    Reply
    • Michele says

      November 22, 2016 at 10:15 pm

      Thanks! Always so much leftover cranberry sauce and it’s too good to waste 🙂

      Reply
  6. Casey the College Celiac says

    November 23, 2016 at 1:33 am

    These look so crumbly and delicious! And parchment paper is legitimately my saving grace in the kitchen…couldn’t bake without them!

    Reply
    • Michele says

      November 24, 2016 at 7:07 am

      I know, I go through so much parchment, not quite as much as paper towels but along those lines!

      Reply
  7. Talis says

    November 23, 2016 at 10:52 am

    Would these still work if I substituted the coconut sugar for honey?

    Reply
    • Michele says

      November 23, 2016 at 11:54 am

      I think so – my concern is that honey would make the texture more sticky to work with so would probably need more time to chill before spreading it out in the pan. Flavor wise I think it would be fine.

      Reply
  8. Julie says

    April 18, 2017 at 2:12 pm

    Hi,
    I hate to be one of those people…but…is there a way to make this w/o coconut flour? These bars looks so delicious, but we cannot eat coconut : (

    Reply
    • Michele says

      April 18, 2017 at 4:21 pm

      You could use blanched almond flour instead, although it would change a couple of things. Use only 1 egg and I would say 1 and 3/4 cups – 2 cups of blanched almond flour. Start with 1 and 3/4 cups and if it’s very sticky you can add 2 more Tbsp, you can also chill to make it easier to press the dough into the pan. Hope this helps!

      Reply
      • Julie says

        April 18, 2017 at 5:55 pm

        Wonderful! Thanks, I really appreciate it!

        Reply
    • Victoria says

      September 9, 2017 at 5:46 pm

      Could flax replacement eggs be used?

      Reply
  9. Morgan says

    November 6, 2018 at 10:33 am

    Noooo!! You had me until coconut sugar ? wish I could use this as an alternative but it messes up my stomach. Can I replace it with equal amounts white sugar? Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Michele says

      November 12, 2018 at 6:08 pm

      Yes you definitely can, and maple sugar will work as well for another paleo option.

      Reply
  10. Debbie says

    November 21, 2018 at 6:14 pm

    Do you add the baking soda with the salt or did I miss something 🙂

    Reply
  11. Sara F says

    December 2, 2019 at 12:38 am

    5 stars
    I was looking for a recipe to use up the left over fresh cranberries I had and then I stumbled upon this! This came together extremely quick and taste delicious. Thank you again for sharing your recipes!

    Reply
  12. Angel says

    November 3, 2020 at 12:04 pm

    Could you replace the eggs with flax seed eggs?

    Reply
  13. Pam Alders says

    November 24, 2020 at 2:18 pm

    Could you bake this in a pie dish and serve as a pie?

    Reply

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Hi! I’m so happy you stopped by! My name is Michele and I’m a Paleo eater and recipe creator, runner, mom of 3, and the gal behind Paleo Running Momma! Over here you’ll find real-food, clean eating family favorites that you’ll be excited to share with your loved ones. I hope you stay awhile, eat, savor, and enjoy!

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