With a buttery whole-grain shortbread crust and a crunchy, sweet-salty fruit-and-nut topping, these little gems are a perfect treat to share during the holidays. Dried cranberries are a good source of fiber (4g per 1/2 cup) but because they are naturally tart, many brands are loaded with added sugar. Fortunately, there are brands of dried cranberries that contain less added sugar or are sweetened with apple juice. Read labels carefully and you can cut the added sugar by half or more.
Cranberry-Walnut Bars
Active time: 15 minutes | Total time: 1 hour, plus cooling time
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 cup (142g) white whole-wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon water
For the filling
- 1/2 cup (118ml) maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (113g) chopped walnuts
- 1 cup (115g) chopped dried cranberries
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8-inch (20cm) square baking pan with enough parchment paper to overhang by a couple of inches (5 cm) over two sides of the pan.
In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is in tiny pieces (smaller than a lentil), 20 pulses. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of water and pulse 5 times to incorporate. The mixture should clump easily when pressed between your fingers. If not, add a tiny bit of water until the mixture is moist enough to clump when pressed together. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, melted butter, egg, vanilla and salt. Stir in the walnuts and cranberries. Pour mixture over the crust in the pan and bake until the filling is bubbly and the nuts are lightly browned, 20–25 minutes. Let cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Serves: 16 | Serving Size: 1 bar
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 191; Total Fat: 13g; Saturated Fat: 6g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3g; Cholesterol: 34mg; Sodium: 123mg; Carbohydrate: 16g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugar: 10g; Protein: 3g
Originally published December 2020
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