Blissfully Cran-Bars
These are my version of the Starbucks bars with the same name, but the orange has been toned down considerably in this recipe. Don’t get me wrong, I love orange, but I find it really overpowers some recipes rather quickly and I think the star of the show here is the cranberry.
Make sure you don't use store bought dried cranberries, most often that not, these are laced with sugar! Not keto approved atall.
You can add a hint of orange in the cream cheese icing, but we really like the creamy vanilla against the orange bars. For you purists who love the orange notes in the Starbucks bars, add 1/2 tsp orange essential oil or 2 tsp of orange essence k to the bar batter.
These bars can also be cut into thin slices and re-baked for a delightful biscotti type finger.
- Prep Time25 min
- Cook Time30 min
- Total Time55 min
Ingredients
For the Cranberries
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, quartered
- 1/2 cup powdered keto Sweetener, or to taste
- 1/4 cup olive oil, or keto equivalent
For the Bars
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup powdered sweetener
- 2 Tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- Pinch salt
- 1 Tbsp. Butter
- 4 oz Cream Cheese
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 15 drop liquid stevia
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp Orange Extract or 2 drops orange essential oil
- 3 Eggs
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries, diced
For the Frosting
- 6 oz Cream Cheese
- 1/4 cup Confectioner's Sweetener
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup Dried Cranberries, chopped for garnish
Directions
For the Cranberries
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment and preheat oven to 170 or the lowest setting on your oven or of using a dehydrator, set aside until your berries are ready. We use the leather (solid) tray for our dehydrator for the first two hours.
Combine all ingredients and toss to combine.
Place the coated berries on your prepared pan and use kitchen tongs or your fingers to spread/separate them as much as possible
Dry in the oven/dehydrator for one house and flip all the cranberries to ensure all sides are covered in oil. Repeat at hour two.
At 2 1/2 hours remove the tray from the oven and use paper towel to blot any excess oil. Return to the oven for at least another 1/2 an hour.
Remove, when totally dehydrated and let cool. Store in an airtight container.
For the Bars
Line a 8×11 baking pan with parchment paper
In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients including sweetener
Cream the butter into the dry mix then continue with the cream cheese
Add in the eggs, liquid stevia and vanilla
Finally, fold in the chopped dried cranberries.
Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes, until lightly browned on top.
Set aside to cool
For the Frosting
Cream together all ingredients and spread over the cooled bars, and sprinkle with the additional chopped cranberries.
Refrigerate for at least 1/2 an hour then cut into squares or rectangles
Recipe variation:
Cranberry Orange Biscotti
Went trim the edges off our blissfully Cran-Bars and rename them for biscotti. If you really like them. you can do a full batch of this recipe just for biscotti.
Cut your slices and place them on a parchment covered baking sheet.
Place them in a preheated oven for 12-16 minutes. Keep an eye, these crisp up fast.
Nutrition & Macro Information
- Amount per serving
- Calories0
- % Daily Value*
