Paleo Cranberry Crumb Bars

Make the Cranberry Filling:

1. Note: If you are using 1.5 cups of leftover cranberry sauce, skip this step. If you don't have leftover cranberry sauce, heat 1 ½ cups of cranberries (fresh or frozen), 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, ¼ cup of water, a pinch of sea salt and cinnamon cinnamon a saucepan and bring it to a full boil.
2. Once boiling, mash the cranberries with a fork until the mixture resembles more of a sauce or jam. Continue cooking until the mixture is very thick, about 5 to 8 minutes. Set mixture aside until ready to use (note: the cranberry filling will thicken as it sits). If need be, you can add 2 teaspoons of tapioca flour to the sauce to make it very thick and gooey. You want it to be as thick or thicker than jam.

Make the Crust and Crumble Topping:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8” x 8” baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Stir all of the ingredients for the crust and topping together in a bowl until well-combined - it will form a thick, sticky dough. Measure out ½ cup of the almond flour mixture and set it aside to use later for the crumb topping.
3. Transfer the crust dough to the parchment-lined baking pan and press into an even layer using your hands. Poke many holes in the crust with a fork to ensure it bakes evenly and does not bow up while baking. Bake for 12 to 18 minutes on the center rack of the preheated oven, until the sides of the crust are golden-brown.
4. Remove crust from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes.

Make the Cranberry Crumb Bars:

1. Evenly spread the cranberry sauce / cranberry filling over the pie crust and sprinkle the reserved crumb topping mixture over the cranberry sauce.
2. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes (still at 350), until the cranberry mixture is bubbly and the topping is golden-brown.
3. Remove crumb bars from the oven and allow them to cool to cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.