Cranberry Almond Crumble Bars

Cranberry Almond Crumble Bars… doesn’t sound very “keto” or “paleo”, does it?

I have loved all of the recipe makeovers I get to do. Including these Cranberry Almond Crumble Bars!

When I was a little girl my mom made cranberry bars every Christmas season. I looked forward to them because they were just so delicious! Just recently I pulled up that old recipe which I couldn’t help but laugh a little at. Not because there was anything wrong with it but because of how far along I have come since then! The recipe included 2 cups of refined wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar, and 1 cup of shortening… among others!

In my earlier days as a baker, I likely followed the recipe as is with one exception, swapping out the shortening for butter, of course.

Then when I transitioned to gluten-free I swapped out the refined wheat flour for refined gluten-free flour. Just because something says “gluten-free” doesn’t mean that it is the best option for you. Refined gluten-free flours are, in my eyes, just as bad as the regular stuff since they are just as processed and high glycemic! I would also swap out the brown sugar for coconut sugar but then I learned that coconut sugar is just as big of a hit on your blood glucose so I wasn’t making any improvements.

So how do I make my Cranberry Almond Crumble Bars now?

Grain-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free, and vegan!

Just a note here, I am not a vegan myself but I do have an egg allergy so that is why most of my recipes are egg free or have an egg-free option. This just also goes to show that no matter how limited your diet is, you can still have scrumptious food as long as you are willing to play around a little in the kitchen!

I use ingredients like:

• Almond flour

• Coconut flour

• Keto friendly sweeteners

• Coconut oil or Ghee

…And still with lots of love – because that is the ingredient that truly ties it all together!

Just a note, while I know it is tempting to eat these cranberry bars right out of the oven, it is important that you wait for them to cool completely in order to cut them evenly. The base will harden up perfectly once they have cooled!

For an easy homemade cranberry sauce

Add one bag of cranberries (about 2 ½ cups), 1 cup of water, and ½ cup of any Keto-friendly sweetener to a sauce pot. Let it all come to a boil over medium heat, then lower and allow to simmer until most of the cranberries have popped and the sauce has thickened!

Yield: 16

Author: Yvonne Tomlinson

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Cranberry Almond Crumble Bars

grain-free, Paleo, vegan, Keto-friendly, refined sugar-free, low-carb

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp flax seed ground
• 3 tbsp water warm
• 1 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 2 tbsp tapioca flour
• 1/3 cup Keto-friendly sweetener
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup coconut oil can also use butter or ghee*
• 1/4 tp almond extract
• 1 cup Keto cranberry sauce preferably homemade
• 1/2 cup almonds sliced, optional for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line the bottom of an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Rub the sides of the pan with coconut oil if the parchment paper does not come up the sides
2. In a small bowl, soak the ground flax seed with 3 tbsp warm water for 10-15 minutes
3. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, sweetener, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix gently to combine.
4. Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and add the almond extract and flax egg. Stir until well combined.
5. Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until it holds together. It may still be a little crumbly, but that's okay!
6. Press 1/2 of the dough (about 1 1/2 cups) evenly into the bottom of the pan, reserving the remaining dough for the topping, and bake until the edge are golden brown and the middle is lightly golden. Approx. 10-12 minutes.
7. Remove partially baked crust from the oven. Spread the cup of cranberry sauce over the crust, using a little more if necessary. Spread the remaining dough over the cranberry sauce layer and top with slivered almonds, if using.
8. Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
9. Let cool completely before cutting into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 days.

Notes

If your topping is a little too crumbly you can add 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil or ghee.

*Using butter or ghee will make this non-vegan

**Make your own cranberry sauce with Keto-friendly sweeteners to keep the bars refined sugar-free, Paleo, and low carb.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

193

Fat

15

Sat. Fat

7

Carbs

14

Fiber

3

Net carbs

10

Sugar

6

Protein

4

Sodium

121

Cholesterol

0