Vegan Paleo Cranberry Bliss Bars (With Keto Option)

Paleo Cranberry Bliss Bars are a fun and festive dessert!

Bake a batch to share with friends and family during the holiday season, or give as gifts.

This easy-to-prepare shortbread recipe is egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, and can easily be made keto.

Are you a fan of Cranberry Bliss Bars?

Truthfully, before making this recipe, I didn’t ooh and ahh over the iconic Starbuck’s Cranberry Bliss Bars.

This homemade vegan cranberry bliss bar recipe tastes delightfully buttery, is perfectly sweet without being overwhelming, and leaves you feeling spry! 

Plus, the bars are so easy to share, and make fabulous gifts for those of you who give the gift of cookies during the holidays.

What more could you want out of a holiday dessert?!

Recipe Highlights:

• Gluten-free and grain-free
• Tastes perfectly sweet, tangy, and buttery
• Quick and easy to prepare
• Paleo
• Easy to make Keto or Vegan

Let’s bake some bars!

How to Make Paleo Cranberry Bliss Bars:

Begin by making the cashew frosting. To do so, place the cashews in a bowl or measuring cup and cover with a couple inches of boiling water.

Soak 1 hour (or up to overnight). Drain the water and place soaked cashews in a blender along with the rest of the ingredients for the frosting. Blend until completely smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line a 13” x 9” baking dish with parchment paper.

Add all of the ingredients for the cranberry shortbread to a mixing bowl and stir well until combined. Press mixture into the parchment-lined baking dish, creating an even layer.

Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until edges are golden-brown. 

Remove from the oven and cool completely. Once cool, transfer the shortbread to a cutting board by pulling up on the parchment paper.

Spread most of the cashew frosting over the shortbread crust, reserving some of the frosting for drizzling (if desired). Sprinkle with dried cranberries, and use a spoon to drizzle remaining frosting over the bars.

Cut into triangles and serve!

Make Vegan Cranberry Bliss Bars:

Simply make sure to use coconut oil or melted vegan “butter” spread in the crust. If you do dairy, you can use melted butter or ghee to make the crust.

How to Make Keto Cranberry Bliss Bars

Are you looking for a sugar-free dessert? Make this recipe low-carb or keto friendly by swapping out the pure maple syrup for your favorite sugar-free sweetener.

My top recommendation is to replace the pure maple syrup with a liquid sugar-free sweetener, as that is the only change you would need to make and it will be a 1:1 swap.

As an alternative, use your favorite granulated sugar-free sweetener. For the shortbread, start with ½ cup of granulated sweetener and increase from there, and add ½ cup full-fat coconut milk to offset the liquid.

For the topping, use ⅓ cup of sugar-free sweetener, and add another ⅓ cup of full-fat coconut milk.

If using liquid stevia drops, add drops to taste. Replace the pure maple syrup with full-fat canned coconut milk.

Recipe Adaptations:

• Use hazelnut flour or paleo baking flour instead of almond flour
• Swap lemon zest for the orange zest
• Make pistachio bliss bars by using pistachios instead of dried cranberries

You May Also Love:

• Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars
• Paleo Blueberry Crumb Bars
• Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• No-Bake Paleo Lemon Bars
• Paleo Pumpkin Bars

Because all humans deserve a little bliss in their lives…

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!

If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!

Paleo Cranberry Bliss Bars

A grain-free, vegan take on classic cranberry bliss bars, these delicious treats are bursting with tangy cranberry flavor!

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Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

12 bars

Ingredients

Shortbread Cookie Crust:

• ▢ 3 cups superfine almond flour
• ▢ 1/2 cup coconut oil, or grass-fed butter or ghee, melted
• ▢ 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• ▢ 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 tsp orange zest
• ▢ 1/2 tsp baking soda
• ▢ 1/4 tsp sea salt
• ▢ 1 cup dried cranberries, + 1/2 cup for topping

Cashew Frosting

• ▢ 1 1/3 cup raw cashews
• ▢ 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• ▢ 1/3 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
• ▢ 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• ▢ 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/2 tsp orange zest
• ▢ 1 pinch sea salt

Instructions

Make Cashew Frosting:

• Place the cashews in a bowl or measuring cup and cover with a couple inches of boiling water. Soak 1 hour (or up to overnight). Drain the water and place soaked cashews in a blender along with the rest of the ingredients for the frosting. Blend until completely smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make Shortbread Cookie Crust:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line a 13” x 9” baking dish with parchment paper.
• Add all of the ingredients for the cranberry shortbread to a mixing bowl and stir well until combined. The dough should be thick and fairly sticky like a regular cookie dough. If it seems overly greasy, add more almond flour or if it seems crumbly, add more melted coconut oil 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough presses together easily. Press mixture into the parchment-lined baking dish, creating an even layer. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until edges are golden-brown. 
• Remove from the oven and cool completely. Once cool, transfer the shortbread to a cutting board by pulling up on the parchment paper.
• Spread most of the cashew frosting over the shortbread crust, reserving some of the frosting for drizzling (if desired). Sprinkle with dried cranberries, and use a spoon to drizzle remaining frosting over the bars. Cut into triangles and serve!

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 12 – Calories: 376kcal – Carbohydrates: 30g – Protein: 7g – Fat: 25g – Fiber: 4g – Sugar: 23g

Course: Desserts & Treats

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry bliss bars, gluten free, grain free, healthy dessert, paleo, vegan

Servings: 12 bars

Calories: 376kcal

Author: Julia