Keto Cranberry Lemon Custard Bars (2024)

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Everything about these Keto Cranberry Lemon Custard Bars screams Christmas and New Year’s.

I had an extra bag of cranberries in the freezer, so I took them out and transformed them into this fantastic recipe.

The bars are thick and tasty, boasting creamy flavours from the lemon to the custard and berries.

Let me show you how I made this keto recipe.

Sink Your Teeth Into Custard-Filled Keto Bars

This holiday season, we created these gorgeous Keto Cranberry Lemon Custard Bars to share with family and friends.

Tart, red, juicy cranberries are a staple in most Canadian homes as they are perfect for many holiday recipes.

These easy keto bars came about as we wanted a custard-filled recipe for Christmas.

Many keto cookie recipes are popular during the holidays but not so many keto bar recipes.

Mixing Canadian cranberries and lemon seemed to be a pair made in heaven and trust me, it was.

These Cranberry Lemon Custard bars have an almond flour almond extract base followed by creamy lemon custard and tart Canadian cranberries.

This recipe takes no time to make, and you can switch up the flavours of cranberries and lemon if they don’t suit your taste.

All About Canadian Cranberries

We purchased our Canadian Cranberries at Zehrs fresh in the bag for $1.99, which is great.

Canadian cranberries are sold fresh, frozen and dried, or are processed into juice or sauce.

They can be refrigerated for several months without losing quality, and when frozen will retain their tart, clean taste for up to a year.

Wild Cranberries

To be honest, I had no idea that Canada was one of the biggest producers of cranberries in the world.

Cranberries are native to Canada’s Atlantic provinces, where they grow wild and are sometimes known as “marsh apples.”

They have become big business in several Canadian provinces—Canada, in fact, is the world’s second-largest producer of this tart red fruit.

How To Use Cranberries

You can create many cranberry recipes, especially a favourite, cranberry sauce.

Cranberries were a favourite food of Canadian Aboriginal bands living in the Atlantic region.

The berries could be eaten fresh, mixed with maple syrup to produce a sweet sauce or pounded with meat to prepare the dried staple called pemmican.

How To Grow Cranberry Plants

I’d probably leave cranberry growing to the pros in Canada as they are inexpensive.

Cranberry plants are evergreen vines that prefer wet soil, preferably made up of sand and peat, which is why the fields are traditionally called “cranberry bogs.”

Harvesting Cranberries

When are Canadian Cranberries Harvested?

Canadian cranberries are harvested in early to mid-autumn, when they have ripened to a glossy, deep red. Berries that are to be sold fresh are harvested dry, using a machine that combs the berries off the vines.

You can find more information about Canadian Cranberries, including their medicinal properties.

There is also a host of information on the Ocean Spray Canada website about cranberry harvesting.

Different Flavour Variations For Lemon Custard Bars

As mentioned, if you don’t want lemon and cranberries, you can add other fruit combinations.

• Rhubarb lemon custard bars
• Blueberry lemon custard bars
• Strawberry lemon custard bars
• Pear lemon custard bars
• Vanilla lemon custard bars

Related: Keto Lemon Cheesecake Squares

How To Make Keto Cranberry Lemon Custard Bars

Once the bars cooled, I chill them in the freezer for 30 minutes before cutting.

I wanted to cut the border with a sharp knife to ensure the bars were uniform.

I’m a bit OCD about making sure my desserts look the same size, and besides, I get the scrap bits to eat.

Ideally, you can use them a day or two ahead of schedule, as keto dessert recipes taste the best days later.

You can freeze these Keto Cranberry Lemon Custard Bars without issue for up to a month before you need them.

Ingredients To Make Keto Cranberry Lemon Custard Bars

I will link below all the products we used to make this recipe that you can purchase online from Amazon Canada.

How to make the almond flour crust

• 1 1/2 cups of ground Almond Flour
• 1/2 cup of salted butter
• 1/4 cup granulated sweetener of choice (we used Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener)
• 1 Tablespoon Almond Extract
• 1 tsp baking powder

How to make the custard filling

• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 large eggs
• Grated zest of one lemon
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons Almond Flour
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of Sukrin Gold Brown Sugar or sweetener of choice

Making the fruit filling

• 2 cups Fresh Cranberries
• 5 tablespoons lemon juice or two fresh lemons
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup powdered sweetener (use a coffee grinder to grind your granulated sweetener powdered.
• If you don’t have one, use granulated or purchase Swerve Powdered Sweetener, which is keto-friendly.

If you want to make these Keto Cranberry Lemon Custard Bars extra special add 1 cup of sugar-free Krisda or Lily’s chocolate chips before the second bake or 1/2 cup in the almond flour crust. Delicious!!

Always remember if you feel you want to add more or less sugar-free sweeteners, this is your choice to do so.

I sprinkled some sugar-free powdered sweetener over the top before serving.

I hope you enjoy these fantastic keto dessert bars.

Nutritional Facts

Nutrition: Each bar has 5 net carbs, 290 calories, 26 grams of fat, and 9g of protein

Please note: I am not a nutritionist; these numbers are based on my calculations.

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