Salted Nut Cranberry Chocolate Bars with Brown Sugar Crust
Rich layered bars featuring a tender brown sugar cookie crust topped with a chewy filling of salted nuts, tart cranberries, and chocolate chips. The sweet-salty combination makes these perfect for holiday gatherings or potluck desserts. This version yields extra crust dough for future batches and creates bars with crispy edges and a slightly gooey center for ideal texture contrast.
Ingredients
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ¾ cups salted mixed nutspecans or walnuts1:1nut-freeadds tree_nuts
Use same amount
- ½ cup fresh cranberries
- ½ cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup butter, cubed and chilled
- 1 egg
Instructions
- 1
Line 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper with overhang and coat with cooking spray
- 2
Pulse flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in food processor
- 3
Add cubed butter, egg and vanilla extract and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal
- 4
Turn dough onto floured surface and bring together with hands
- 5
Divide dough in half, wrap one piece and refrigerate or freeze
- 6
Press remaining dough into prepared pan and freeze for 10 minutes
- 7
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- 8
Whisk together eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract and salt
- 9
Fold in nuts, cranberries and chocolate chips
- 10
Pour filling over chilled crust and spread evenly
- 11
Bake for 27-29 minutes until edges are brown and set but center is slightly jiggly
- 12
Cool completely on wire rack before lifting out and slicing
Tips
Chill bars in freezer before slicing for cleaner cuts
Don't overbake - center should still be slightly jiggly when removed from oven
Save half the crust dough wrapped in freezer for quick future batches
Good to Know
airtight container in refrigerator for 2-3 days
crust dough can be made 3-4 days ahead and refrigerated
room temperature or chilled
Common Mistakes
chill crust before adding filling to prevent soggy bottom
don't overbake filling to avoid tough texture
use parchment overhang to avoid breaking bars when removing
Substitutions
Nut-Free Alternatives
Use same amount
General Alternatives
FAQ
Can I use different nuts in this recipe?
Yes, any salted nuts work well. Pecans, walnuts, or almonds are excellent choices. Keep the same quantity for best results.
What if I don't have a food processor for the crust?
Cut cold butter into flour mixture with pastry cutter or forks until it resembles coarse meal, then add egg and vanilla.
How long do these bars keep?
Store covered in refrigerator for 2-3 days. The crust may soften slightly but they remain delicious.