Keto Cranberry Curd Bars

I'm a tad obsessed with these keto cranberry curd bars. Cranberry curd is rich, tart and sweet, and incredibly delicious on its own. I've always loved a tangy cranberry curd tart for the holidays, and the classic recipe is really easy to make keto friendly.

Instead of a tart, I spread the curd over a gluten-free and keto-friendly pecan shortbread crust to make individual-sized bars. So, merry Christmas and happy everything, 'tis my favorite season and these keto cranberry curd bars make it that much more delightful. 🙂

(Note: This post was updated in Dec. 2021 with new images and a few changes to the original recipe to provide you with the best content.)

why you will love them

These keto and gluten-free cranberry curd bars are a Christmas tradition of ours. They show up every year and are one of my favorite holiday treats (along with this low-carb cranberry orange Bundt cake!).

Not only are they indulgent, they're also gorgeous with a deep cranberry color that really shines.

The original recipe I used was the same keto almond flour crust that I make for this keto pecan pie, but I've since changed it a bit to include pecan meal. Pecans add a sweet, nutty flavor to the crust and it pairs really well with the rich and tangy cranberry curd.

These cranberry curd bars are:

• keto, low-carb and gluten-free
• easy to make dairy-free!
• made with zero refined sugar
• an indulgent holiday treat

the ingredients

I've made these keto and gluten-free cranberry curd bars with a few different types of sweeteners over the years and my favorite to use is allulose.

While I often turn to granulated monk fruit sweetener for a lot of my keto baking, and I do use it here in the pecan crust, any sweetener that includes erythritol is more prone to crystallize, especially when it is chilled.

Because of this, allulose is a better option for the curd (it's my sweetener of choice for keto lemon curd, too).

Here's what you'll need:

• pecan meal (processed pecans)
• blanched almond flour
• Golden monk fruit sweetener
• salt
• ground cinnamon
• butter (or vegan butter of choice)
• vanilla
• fresh cranberries
• orange and orange zest
• granulated allulose
• eggs and egg yolks
• sliced fresh cranberries (optional garnish)

how to make cranberry curd bars

The cranberry curd recipe is adapted from NYT Cooking and Savor the Best. I didn't change much, other than swapping in a keto-friendly sweetener for the sugar.

The pecan crust is pressed into the bottom of a 8x8 baking dish but if you'd prefer to serve a keto cranberry curd tart instead of bars, you can certainly use a tart pan instead.

Here's how to make cranberry curd bars:

1. Cook the cranberries. Combine the fresh cranberries, sweetener, and orange zest and juice in a saucepan over medium heat for about 10 minutes. The cranberries will softly pop and the mixture will thicken.
2. Par-bake the crust. Combine all of the crust ingredients in a bowl and mix. Press the mixture into a parchment paper-lined baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.
3. Strain the cranberry. Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour half the cranberry sauce into the strainer. Use a large spoon to press it into the strainer, separating the smooth gel-like cranberry purée from the pulp. Occasionally scrape the cranberry gel off the bottom of the strainer and catch it all in the bowl. Repeat with the second batch and discard the cranberry pulp.
4. Make the curd. Return the strained cranberry purée to the saucepan over low heat and whisk in the butter. In a separate bowl, whisk in a couple of spoonfuls of warm cranberry purée into the eggs to temper them (this prevents scrambling the eggs). Pour the tempered eggs into the saucepan and stir well to combine. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat.
5. Bake. Pour the cranberry curd over the crust and bake for 10 minutes to set the curd. Remove from the oven and let it cool for an hour, then chill for at least 3 hours.

pro tips for keto cranberry curd bars

• As tempted as you may be to cut into these after they've cooled at room temperature for at least an hour, I recommend chilling them in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.

• Make sure to line your baking dish with parchment paper to easily lift these keto cranberry curd bars out before cutting.

• For easy cutting and clean slices, cut them cold and wipe your knife blade clean with a paper towel after each cut.

• If you don't have pure granulated allulose, you can swap in granulated or powdered monk fruit sweetener (use 1 cup instead of 1-¼ cups) or another allulose sweetener blend. Just keep in mind that any blend that contains erythritol will affect the appearance of the cranberry bars. The top may wrinkle and have a sort of powdery look to them, but you can always dust them with powdered sweetener.

can you eat cranberry on keto?

Cranberries are low-carb and have a good amount of fiber which makes it a keto-friendly fruit. They're also full of antioxidants and are in the same family as blueberries, another low-carb fruit that's perfect for a keto diet.

• How many carbs are in cranberries? One, 12-ounce package of raw cranberries has 29 grams of net carbs (net carbs = total grams of carbohydrates minus grams of fiber) and 15 grams of sugar. That means one square of these keto cranberry curd bars has less than 2 grams net carbs and 1 gram of natural sugar from the cranberry alone. I'll just be over here dreaming up all the other keto cranberry recipe possibilities!

you might also love...

• This easy keto brownies recipe, which results in soft, fudgy and chocolate-y, sugar-free brownies!
• Citrus salmon with crème fraîche, a pretty holiday salmon recipe.
• Keto peanut butter blossoms are a fun and festive spin on a classic Christmas cookie!
• These low-carb and keto gingerbread cookies are quick to make and are packed with warm gingerbread spices.

Continue to Content

Keto Cranberry Curd Bars

Yield: 12 bars

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes

Tangy and sweet with a beautiful pop of color, these keto cranberry curd bars make a rich and tasty treat. They're also gluten-free and dairy optional.

Print

Ingredients

cranberry curd

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries
• 1 orange, zested and juiced
• 1-¼ cups granulated allulose 
• ½ cup butter (or sub dairy-free butter)
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• sliced cranberries (optional garnish)

pecan shortbread crust

• 1 cup pecan meal (processed pecans)
• 1 cup blanched almond flour
• ¼ cup Golden monk fruit sweetener (or ⅓ cup granulated allulose)
• pinch of salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅓ cup butter (or dairy-free butter), melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the fresh cranberries, allulose, orange zest and juice. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cranberries will softly pop and the mixture will thicken.
3. While the cranberries cook, make the crust. Combine all of the crust ingredients in a bowl and mix. The mixture should be somewhat sandy but still hold together when you press it in your hands.
4. Pour the crust into the prepared baking dish. Press it out evenly along the bottom (use a flat measuring cup to press it down tight). Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden. Remove and set aside to cool.
5. Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour half the cranberry sauce into the strainer. Use a large spoon to press it into the strainer, separating the smooth gel-like cranberry purée from the pulp. Occasionally scrape the cranberry gel off the bottom of the strainer and catch it all in the bowl. Repeat with the second batch and discard the cranberry pulp.
6. Return the strained cranberry purée to the saucepan over low heat and whisk in the butter.
7. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks. While whisking, pour in a couple of spoonfuls of the warm cranberry purée into the eggs to temper them (this prevents the eggs from scrambling).
8. Pour the tempered eggs into the cranberry mixture and stir well to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat.
9. Pour the cranberry curd over the par-baked crust. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 10 minutes to set the curd. Remove from the oven and let it cool for an hour, then chill for at least 3 hours.
10. To cut, carefully pull up on the edges of the parchment paper to gently lift it out of the pan. Cut into 12 cranberry curd bars, wiping your knife clean after each cut. Top with sliced cranberries or powdered monk fruit sweetener to garnish (optional)

Notes

1. Since erythritol-based sweeteners tend to crystallize and can give desserts a powdery appearance when cold, I've found that granulated allulose works best for the curd. However, either sweetener is fine for the crust.
2. If you do choose to use granulated monk fruit sweetener for the curd, reduce to 1 cup since it is sweetener than plain allulose. If the top of the bars look powdery or wrinkled after they are chilled, simply dust them with powdered monk fruit sweetener.
3. Strained cranberry purée/gel tends to pile up on the bottom side of the strainer. Use a spatula to scrape it into the bowl of strained purée and continue the straining process.
4. To make these dairy-free, use vegan butter of choice.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 268Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 126mgCarbohydrates: 9gNet Carbohydrates: 6gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g

This nutritional information is approximate and is provided for convenience as a courtesy.