Cranberry Bars

Every year, at Christmas, my sister makes cranberry bars, which my daughter loves. Unfortunately, my sister's recipe isn't vegan, and my daughter is. So, I set out this Christmas to make a vegan version of my sister's cranberry bar recipe. 

Although these vegan cranberry bars are far from fat-free or sugar-free, they are delicious. Sometimes, during the holidays, we all splurge a little and indulge. 

I did, however, find ways to avoid extra sugar and calories. And, when they finished baking, the taste testers approved my vegan cranberry bars.

Not only did the recipe taste fabulous, but the bars looked just like my sister's recipe. 

What ingredients are in vegan cranberry bars?

To 'veganize' my sister's cranberry bar recipe, I first switched out the non-vegan ingredients with vegan ones. 

• Apple sauce
• Coconut Sugar
• Vegan butter (I used Earth Balance  sticks)
• Flour (all-purpose or gluten-free)
• Almond Extract
• Fresh Cranberries

Another great part of this recipe is the mixing all happens in one bowl. 

Steps to making delicious cranberry bars:

First, I creamed the apple sauce and the sugar. For this recipe, I chose coconut sugar. Although a sugar substitute, coconut sugar is similar to table sugar but not as processed and contains some nutrients. 

Even though I attempted to replace the sugar with maple syrup, it was an epic fail. 

Once the apple sauce (used to replace the eggs in the original recipe) is creamed, I added the melted vegan butter, flour, and almond extract. 

Then, following my sister's instructions, I stirred, not mixed the ingredients.  Next, I added the fresh cranberries and folded them into the batter. 

Choosing the pan and cooking:

Since I don't own any cooking spray, I opted for my 8 X 8 Silicone Baking Pan. I love silicone baking pans, but feel free to line a pan with parchment paper to avoid sticking as well. 

The batter is somewhat thick and sticky, like a brownie batter, and must be spread in the pan. 

As a result, the batter does expand while cooking in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes. 

Another tip is to allow the bars to cool completely and then transfer the pan to the refrigerator for about an hour before cutting. 

Because I chose the silicone baking pan, the entire 8 X 8 pan of vegan bars came out in one piece. 

Storing the cranberry bars and serving

Once cut, I placed the vegan cranberry bars in a sealed container in the refrigerator before taking them to my daughter's house. 

My sister's recipe also called for an icing made of a large amount of powdered sugar, but I skipped this step. The bars, once baked, were sweet enough and didn't need additional sugar. 

My husband, who has a sweet tooth, snagged a couple of cranberry bars from the container on my way out the door. And, my daughter, who loves my sister's cranberry bars, was grateful to have a vegan version of her Aunt's recipe during the holidays. 

OTHER VEGAN DESSERTS YOU MAY ENJOY...

• Chocolate Vegan Pudding
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
• Simple Vegan Chocolate Covered Strawberries
• Vegan Apple Crisp

Yield: 12 servings

Cranberry Bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Celebrate the season with some vegan cranberry bars. This cranberry bar recipe is 'veganized' from my sister's kitchen. Full of fresh cranberries and transformed into a plant-based dessert, these bars melt in your mouth.

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
• 2/3 cup apple sauce (unsweetened) or 2 flax eggs may be substituted
• 1 1/5 stick of plant butter, melted (I used Earth Balance sticks) (8 Tablespoons)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or flour of choice)
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups fresh cranberries

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Place coconut sugar and apple sauce in a large bowl
3. Using an electric mixer, cream the sugar and apple sauce
4. Now add the flour, melted butter, and almond extract
5. Using a spoon, stir the ingredients until combined
6. Add the cranberries and fold into the batter
7. Use silicone 8 X 8 Pan or line an 8 X 8 pan with parchment paper
8. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly with a spoon
9. Bake for 45 minutes
10. Remove from the oven and all two cool completely, then transfer to the refrigerator for an hour
11. Remove the cranberry bars by cutting them in the pan, or by removing the contents of the pan and cutting them on a hard surface.
12. Once cut, place cranberry bars in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  MADHAVA Organic Coconut Sugar 3 Lb. Bag (Pack of 1), Natural Sweetener, Sugar Alternative, Unrefined, Sugar for Coffee, Tea & Recipes, Vegan, Organic, Non GMO
• 
  Watkins Pure Almond Extract, 2 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
• 
  SHARDOR Hand Mixer with Snap-On Storage Case 6-Speed Plus Turbo Hand Mixer Electric With 5 Stainless Steel Attachments(2 Beaters, 2 Dough Hooks and 1 Whisk), White
• 
  Internet's Best Silicone Square Cake Mold - Non-Stick Baking Pan - Cake Bakeware - BPA Free

Nutrition Information

Yield

12 servings

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 238Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 40mgSodium 80mgCarbohydrates 40gFiber 2gSugar 26gProtein 3g

Nutrition facts may not be 100% accurate.

Did you make this recipe?

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Kathy Carmichael

Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂

www.kathysvegankitchen.com/about-me