Cranberry Orange Shortbread Streusel Bars

I had a request for these earlier this year, but since it was March and I was heading into spring recipes, I had to make a note of it for later. Luckily it’s finally cranberry season so I can make this idea a reality. Cranberry orange is such a great combination, and turning it into streusel bars is the best kind of request you can get!

You start with a shortbread crust, which is lightly baked before being topped with a homemade cranberry orange filling. Then it’s topped with a streusel and baked into crunchy perfection. And since I feel like no bar is complete with frosting, they’re topped with a coconut orange glaze.

The shortbread crust and streusel topping are the exact same mixture. Which means you can mix it all together in one bowl, making this even easier.

Keep back 1/3 of the mixture back for the streusel topping. Then pat the other 2/3 into the baking pan.

I par bake/or lightly bake the crust to keep it from getting soggy. Then it’s topped it with the cranberry filling and streusel, and baked again.

Once the bars have cooled a bit, you can glaze them.

I just love the way the glaze looks on these streusel bars, it really adds to their ‘coffee shop’ appeal. You know the bars I’m talking about right, they’re the ones that seem to be in any coffee shop you walk into.

They’re all drizzle-y gooey and beckoning from the display case on your way to place your order. And since it’s always the glaze that catches my eye, I always glaze my homemade versions!

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Streusel Bars

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5 from 6 reviews

• Author: Get Inspired Everyday!
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Yield: 18-20 bars 1x

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Ingredients

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Shortbread and Streusel:

• 2 1/2 cups fine almond flour
• 3 Tablespoons tapioca starch
• 1/2 Teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons orange zest
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds
• 3/4 cup big flake coconut
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Cranberry Orange Filling:

• 3 cups frozen or fresh cranberries, 1-10oz pkg
• 1 Tablespoon orange zest
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 Teaspoons tapioca starch
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Coconut Orange Glaze:

• 1/4 cup coconut butter
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Mix together all the ingredients for the shortbread and streusel until a thick crumbly dough forms.
2. Pat 2/3 of the mixture into a 12″x9″ baking pan, keeping back 1/3 of the mixture for the streusel topping. Par bake the shortbread crust until lightly set and golden, about 10 minutes.
3. While the crust is baking, place the cranberries, orange zest, and orange juice into a saucepan. Mix together the tapioca starch and maple syrup until the tapioca starch is completely dissolved, then add it to the saucepan. Bring the cranberry orange filling to a boil, stirring occasionally, and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. When the filling is done, remove it from the heat, and mix in the vanilla extract.
4. Spread the filling evenly over the par baked crust, then crumble the reserved streusel mixture over the top. Bake again until the streusel is golden, another 20-25 minutes.
5. When the bars are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool on a cooling rack for 1 hour before glazing.
6. For the glaze, melt the coconut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. When it’s fully melted, remove it from the heat, and whisk in the orange juice and maple syrup. If the glaze is too thick, whisk in a small amounts of orange juice until the desired consistency is reached.
7. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cranberry orange bars, or place the glaze in a squeeze bottle and squeeze the glaze into lines over the surface.
8. Slice and serve.

• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins