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Glazed Cranberry Almond Squares

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Tart and delicious, these glazed cranberry almond squares are a nice fall, after-dinner sweet treat. Serve them with coffee after your Thanksgiving meal or add them to a dessert table throughout the season.

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Overhead photo of glazed cranberry almond bars.

It’s just been in the last number of years that I’ve come to enjoy cranberries and recipes with cranberries.

Ingredients for Glazed Cranberry Almond Squares

Cranberry Almond Bars cooling on a counter.

Once the pan came out of the oven I decided they needed to look prettier. So a glaze was a natural choice.

The sweetness of the glaze cuts the tartness of the cranberries. These are sure to become a holiday staple in the years to come.

Side view of a cut glazed cranberry almond square.

Tips and Substitutions

These glazed cranberry almond bars are full of whole tart cranberries and are bursting with flavor.

If you prefer a more almond flavor, increase the almond extract to 1, or even 2, teaspoons. I used vanilla in the glaze but you could use almond here too. Almond can be overpowering so don’t overdo it.

I used frozen cranberries. I did not thaw them first. You can use fresh cranberries if you have them. This is not a recipe you want to used dried cranberries in because the result will be very different.

This is a VERY thick batter. You may want to use your hands to pat the batter into the pan. Just make sure it’s even so it bakes evenly.

What Can I Serve with Glazed Cranberry Almond Bars?

While you can always just put on a pot of coffee and call it a day, it’s nice to up your dessert game with a flavored or specialty coffee. 

Glazed Cranberry Almond Squares Twitter Image

Cranberry Fun Fact: Cranberries are native to North America and it is widely believed they were a part of the first Thanksgiving feast.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • It’s the perfect balance of tart and sweet.
  • You can use fresh or frozen cranberries.
  • Cut the squares smaller to serve a crowd.
  • Perfect for a dessert buffet table.

More Cranberry Recipes on the blog:

Glazed Cranberry Almond Squares Pinterest Image

 

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Overhead photo of a cranberry bar on a blue plate.

Glazed Cranberry Almond Squares

Yield: 12 - 15 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Glazed cranberry almond squares will disappear quickly. Perfect for a holiday dessert buffet.

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks butter, melted
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure almond extract
  • 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Glaze

  • ¼ cup confectioners' sugar
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with non-stick spray with flour. Set aside.
  2. In a stand mixer beat butter, flour and sugar until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, and almond flavoring in mixing bowl.  Stir by hand and add 3 cups of cranberries. Fold batter until most cranberries are covered in batter.  Spread prepared batter evenly in pan and bake for 1 hour. 
  3. Cool bars completely before glazing.

To make glaze:

  1. Combine all glaze ingredients in a small bowl and drizzle over cooled bars.

Notes

If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw first. 

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Did you make this recipe?

I'd love to hear about it! Please leave a comment below or share it on Pinterest!

Karen

Wednesday 15th of February 2023

Great recipe! Everyone loved it! I did substitute orange flavoring + orange zest in the bars, simply because we love the cranberry and orange combo of flavors. Will definitely make again and again!

Ellen Folkman

Thursday 16th of February 2023

Hi Karen, What a great idea to add orange! Cranberry and orange is a great flavor combination. So glad you enjoyed them and thanks for stopping by!

Suzanne

Thursday 2nd of April 2020

These sound so yummy! Thanks for the great idea!

Kelley

Monday 2nd of December 2019

I love that the ingredient list is small but these are big on flavor!

Shari Lynne Dominick

Wednesday 27th of November 2019

These look absolutely amazing and so festive! Not to mention how easy they are...this is definitely my kind of recipe! YUM!

Eileen Kelly

Wednesday 27th of November 2019

What a delicious dessert for any time! Cranberries have always been a favorite for me and this is a great treat. The glaze is a fantastic addition!

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