Spelt Pistachio Cranberry Biscuit Bars are a one-pan bake with a crumbly spelt shortbread base, toasted pistachios, and dried cranberries pressed on top before baking. The bars turn out crisp at the edges and soft in the middle.
Spelt flour absorbs less liquid than regular wheat flour, so the dough comes together softer than a standard shortbread. Press it into the pan with damp fingers instead of a rolling pin, or it will crack at the edges.
I bake these at 180 C / 350 F for about 25 minutes, until the edges turn light gold and the center looks set. Cutting them while they’re still warm makes the bars crumble, so I let the pan cool fully on a rack before slicing.
You can swap the pistachios for chopped almonds or the cranberries for chopped dried apricots without changing the bake time. The bars keep well for a week, which makes them a good make-ahead snack for lunchboxes or afternoon tea.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Comes together in one bowl with no mixer needed
- Spelt flour gives the base a nutty, wholesome bite
- Keeps fresh in a tin for a full week
- Easy to swap the nuts or dried fruit you have on hand
Ingredient Notes
- White spelt flour: Gives a lighter crumb than whole spelt. Whole spelt works too but makes the bars denser and needs an extra tablespoon of butter.
- Unsalted butter: Use it softened, not melted, so it creams properly with the sugar and traps air for a lighter texture.
- Light brown sugar: Adds moisture and a slight caramel note. Swap in all granulated sugar if that’s what you have, the bars will just be a touch drier.
- Egg: Binds the dough and helps it hold together once cut. One large egg is enough for this batch size.
- Pistachios: Use shelled, unsalted pistachios and chop them roughly. Toast them for 5 minutes first if you want more flavor.
- Dried cranberries: Sweetened dried cranberries work best here, they balance the buttery base. Chop any large ones in half for even distribution.
- Orange zest: Optional, but it lifts the pistachio and cranberry flavors. Use the zest of half an orange if you skip it in the main batch.
Spelt Pistachio Cranberry Biscuit Bars: Crisp and Chewy
Description
These bars press a soft spelt shortbread dough into one pan, load it with chopped pistachios and dried cranberries, then bake until the edges turn gold and the center sets firm.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180 C / 350 F. Line a 20x20 cm baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
- Cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with a hand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes until light.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla, and orange zest until smooth.
- Fold in the flour mixture until just combined, no dry streaks left.
- Fold in most of the pistachios and cranberries, keeping a small handful aside.
- Press the dough into the pan with damp fingers in an even layer, then scatter the reserved pistachios and cranberries on top and press gently.
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the edges turn light gold and the center looks set.
- Cool the pan completely on a wire rack, about 20 minutes, before lifting out and cutting into 16 bars.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 16
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 180kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 9g14%
- Saturated Fat 4g20%
- Cholesterol 25mg9%
- Sodium 85mg4%
- Potassium 100mg3%
- Total Carbohydrate 22g8%
- Dietary Fiber 1.5g6%
- Sugars 12g
- Protein 3g6%
- Vitamin A 150 IU
- Vitamin C 1 mg
- Calcium 20 mg
- Iron 1 mg
- Vitamin E 1 mg
- Vitamin K 2 mcg
- Thiamin 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin 0.05 mg
- Niacin 0.8 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.05 mg
- Folate 15 mcg
- Vitamin B12 0.05 mcg
- Phosphorus 60 mg
- Magnesium 20 mg
- Zinc 0.5 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Additional Notes
- Cool bars fully in the pan before lifting them out with the parchment.
- Use room-temperature butter for even creaming, cold butter won't blend smoothly.
- Check for doneness at 22 minutes since ovens vary and edges brown fast.
- Chill nuts and dried fruit beforehand if your kitchen runs warm, so the butter doesn't soften too fast.
