Description
Cranberry Butterscotch Bars deliver a perfect balance of sweet and tangy that’ll make your taste buds dance with delight. These bars combine rich butterscotch with tart cranberries for a treat that’ll disappear from your plate in seconds.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
Flavor Ingredients:
- 1 (11 ounce) package butterscotch chips
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Seasoning Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Warm your oven to exactly 350F. Generously coat a 9×13 inch baking pan with butter and flour, ensuring complete coverage.
- Use an electric mixer to blend 2 sticks softened butter with 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar. Whip for 3-4 minutes until the mixture looks pale and fluffy.
- Crack 2 eggs into the butter mixture, incorporating one at a time. Stir 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into the batter until smooth.
- Separately combine 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt in a clean bowl. Whisk thoroughly to distribute ingredients evenly.
- Slowly incorporate dry ingredients into wet mixture, blending at low speed. Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears to prevent tough bars.
- Gently fold 11 ounces butterscotch chips and 1 cup dried cranberries into the dough, distributing them evenly throughout.
- Transfer batter into prepared pan, using a spatula to spread it uniformly across the surface. Press firmly to create an even layer.
- Slide pan into preheated oven and bake for precisely 25-30 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick – it should emerge with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove pan and let bars cool completely inside the baking dish before slicing into squares with a sharp knife.
Notes
- Softened butter makes creaming smoother, so let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before starting.
- Be careful not to overmix the dough, as this can make the bars tough and dense instead of tender and soft.
- For a gluten-free version, swap the regular flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend to keep the same texture and flavor.
- If your dried cranberries seem extra dry, soak them in warm water for 10 minutes before adding to the batter to plump them up and enhance their moisture.
- Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Dessert Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 308 kcal
- Sugar: 27 g
- Sodium: 157 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 2.7 g
- Cholesterol: 37 mg