Best Orange Bars Recipes

ORANGE BARS

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with butter.
• Stir together the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the butter to the bowl and use a pastry cutter to cut it all together until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Press into the prepared pan and bake until golden around the edges, about 20 minutes.
• For the filling: Stir together the granulated sugar and flour in a bowl. Crack in the eggs and whisk to combine. Add the orange zest and juice and mix until combined. Pour over the crust and bake until the filling is set, about 20 minutes.
• Allow to cool in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, then sift powdered sugar over the top before cutting into 16 pieces.

APRICOT-ORANGE SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan; line bottom and sides of pan with parchment paper, extending over sides. Butter parchment. Mix preserves and orange liqueur in small bowl; set aside.
• Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in almond extract. Add flour and salt; beat just until blended. Transfer 1 cup of dough to another small bowl; add crumbled almond paste and mix with fingertips until small clumps form. Mix in 1/4 cup sliced almonds; set aside for topping.
• Press remaining dough evenly onto bottom of prepared pan. Spread preserves mixture evenly over. Using fingertips, coarsely crumble topping over preserves, then sprinkle 1/4 cup almonds over. Press topping lightly into preserves.
• Bake shortbread until top and crust edges are golden brown, about 1 hour. Cool completely in pan on rack. Using parchment paper as aid, lift shortbread from pan. Cut shortbread into 4 equal strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 8 small bar cookies. (Can be prepared ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.)

ORANGE CRANBERRY BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans. Press into an 8x4-in. loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes., Meanwhile, in another bowl, combine the egg, milk, orange zest and vanilla. Combine sugar and flour; gradually add to egg mixture and mix well. Fold in the cranberries, coconut and pecans. Spread over crust. , Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

ORANGE CRANBERRY COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar, melted butter, eggs and vanilla until well blended. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into sugar mixture. Stir in baking chips, cranberries, pecans and orange zest., Spread into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18-22 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack., For frosting, in a large bowl, combine cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, butter, 1 tablespoon zest and vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread over bars. Combine dried cranberries and remaining 2 tablespoons zest; sprinkle over frosting. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Cut into triangles. Store in the refrigerator.

ORANGE-CRANBERRY OAT BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda and ginger; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the oats, coconut and orange zest., Place 3 cups of mixture in another bowl; stir in pecans. Set aside for topping. Press remaining oat mixture into a greased 15x10-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown., Combine cranberry sauce and orange marmalade; spread over crust. Top with reserved oat mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
• Beat butter, brown sugar, and white sugar for bars together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stir in eggs, orange extract, and vanilla extract until well blended. Add flour, baking powder, and ginger; mix until well incorporated and the batter looks like soft cookie dough. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips until well mixed. Spread the stiff batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until light brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Don't overbake, or your bars will be dry. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix cream cheese and butter for frosting together until light and fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and orange extract; beat mixture until fluffy and spreadable. Spread evenly over the cooled bars.
• Combine cranberries and orange zest for topping in a food processor and roughly chop. Sprinkle evenly over the frosted bars.
• Mix white chocolate chips and oil together in a glass, microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave until fluid enough to drizzle, 1 minute to 1 minute 15 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds until melted. Use a fork or whisk to drizzle the melted chocolate diagonally across the bars.
• Allow chocolate to set for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares or triangles.

ORANGE SLICE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Generously grease 15x10x1-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray.
• In large bowl, stir together melted butter and brown sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Add flour, chopped candies and pecans; stir until well blended. Pour batter into pan.
• Bake 25 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack. Remove bars from pan; cut each in half diagonally. Sprinkle bars with powdered sugar.

FROSTED ORANGE DATE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, 1/2 cup butter, water and dates. Cook, stirring frequently until dates have softened and the mixture is well blended. Remove from heat. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the date mixture, then mix in the 1/4 cup orange juice, milk, eggs and 1 tablespoon orange zest. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. To make the frosting, combine the confectioners' sugar, 1/3 cup butter, cream cheese and orange zest. Beat until smooth. Gradually mix in the remaining orange juice a tablespoon at a time until the icing is spreadable. Spread over the bars when cool. Cut into squares.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine butter and brown sugar in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Stir in flour and walnuts until crumbly. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
• Meanwhile, combine cream cheese and white sugar in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add cranberries, orange juice, eggs, orange zest, and vanilla extract, mix until well combined. Spread cream cheese filling onto cooled crust.
• Bake until surface of cheesecake is firm except for a small spot in the center that will jiggle when the pan is gently shaken, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack, and allow the cheesecake to cool at room temperature, about 1 hour. Refrigerate until completely chilled, 4 hours to overnight.
• Cut into 12 bars and serve.

ORANGE-DATE BARS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine dates, sugar, oil and juice. Cook for 5 minutes to soften dates. Cool. Add egg; mix well. Combine all remaining ingredients and stir into date mixture. , Spread into a greased 8-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. Cool before cutting.

ORANGE MARMALADE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening with the sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Stir in the egg and mix until well blended. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Add to the first mixture and mix well. Spread half of the dough into the pan. Cover with a layer of marmalade. Spread the remaining dough over the top
• Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool before cutting into bars.

HOLIDAY CRANBERRY-ORANGE PISTACHIO BARS

Steps:

• Bright red cranberries and toasted green pistachios stud these tart-and-tangy bar cookies and make them a colorful addition to any cookie platter. They hold well in both the refrigerator and the freezer so they're an excellent make-ahead option.
• To prepare crust: Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350degreesF. Coat an 8-inch-square baking pan with cooking spray.
• Beat butter, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and brown sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Stir in whole-wheat flour, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour and salt until well combined (the mixture will still be crumbly). Evenly press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until just barely golden around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes.
• To prepare topping: Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add egg, egg white, orange zest and juice; stir until blended and smooth.
• Sprinkle cranberries over the baked crust. Pour the orange mixture over the cranberries and sprinkle with pistachios.
• Bake until golden and set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack; if possible, chill before cutting into squares.
• Recipe Tips & Notes:
• 1. Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from soft wheat. It contains less gluten than regular whole-wheat flour and helps ensure a tender result in delicate baked goods while providing the nutritional benefits of whole grains.
• 2. Tips: To make quick work of chopping cranberries, place whole berries in a food processor and pulse a few times until the berries are coarsely chopped.
• 3. To toast chopped pistachios, cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes. .
• Recipe Nutrition:
• Per serving: 126 calories; 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat, 1 g mono unsaturated fat); 19 mg cholesterol; 22 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 44 mg sodium; 58 mg potassium
• 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
• Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 other carbohydrate, 1/2 fat
• To Make Ahead: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month

ORANGE-SPICE PUMPKIN BARS WITH BROWNED BUTTER FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of 15x10x1-inch pan with shortening; lightly flour (or spray with baking spray with flour).
• In large bowl, beat bar ingredients with electric mixer on low speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Spread batter evenly in pan.
• Bake 23 to 27 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In 2-quart saucepan, heat butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, until light golden brown. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk until smooth and spreadable. Immediately spread frosting over cooled bars. Refrigerate about 15 minutes or until set. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows. If desired, garnish each bar with orange peel strip.

ORANGE CREAMSICLE BARS RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oil and eggs until smooth. Remove half of the dough to another mixing bowl. In one of the bowls, add orange extract and food coloring , and mix together until you reach your desired shade of orange.
• Drop alternating spoonfuls of vanilla and orange dough into the prepared pan. Press dough evenly into the pan. Sprinkle white chocolate chips on top and press them into the dough.
• Bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Cool completely and cut into bars.

ORANGE SLICE BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine candy and water. Cover and refrigerate overnight; drain well and set aside. , In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Fold in walnuts and candy. , Spread into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Cut into bars.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY-ORANGE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13x9-in. pan with foil, letting ends extend up sides; grease foil. In a bowl, mix flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake until light golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack., For filling, whisk together egg, milk, orange zest and extract until blended; stir in baking chips and cranberries. Spread evenly over crust. Bake until top is golden brown, 20-25 minutes longer. Cool 15 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Lifting with foil, remove bars from pan. Cut into bars. Refrigerate leftovers. Freeze option: Freeze cooled bars in freezer containers, separating layers with waxed paper. To use, thaw before serving.

DATE AND ORANGE SLICE BARS

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine the dates, 1/2 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, and water. Bring to a boil, and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve the baking soda in hot water, then stir into the creamed mixture. Combine 1 3/4 cups of flour and salt; stir into the batter just until blended.
• Spread half of the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan. Cover with a layer of orange slice candy, then spread the date mixture over the orange candy. Cover with the remaining batter.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Cool, and cut into bars.

CRANBERRY ORANGE BARS

Steps:

• Grind cranberries and oranges, including peel; set aside.
• In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, ginger.add ground fruit -- bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, cook and stir for 15 minutes or until thick.
• Remove from the heat; stir in nuts, if using.
• Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile for crust:.
• Combine flour, sugar and lemon peel in large bowl.
• Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form.
• Add egg yolks, vanilla and just enough water so dough holds it shape.
• Pat two thirds of dough into 13x9 pan --
• Cover with cranberry orange mixture.
• Crumble remaining dough on top.
• Bake at 425°F for 20-25 minutes or until topping is golden brown.
• Cool and cut into bars.

ORANGE-GINGERBREAD CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with enough parchment paper to have overhang on all sides. Lightly grease parchment.
• Whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt for the gingerbread in a large bowl until combined.
• Cream brown sugar and butter in a separate bowl with an electric mixed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until thoroughly combined. Mix in molasses.
• Add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 separate additions, mixing only until just combined; dough will be fairly thick. Press 2/3 of the dough firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan, using floured hands to prevent sticking.
• Beat cream cheese, sugar, and salt for the filling in a large bowl until completely smooth and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and orange zest. Pour filling evenly over gingerbread crust and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle remaining gingerbread dough over the filling and gently press down.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are set and the center of the cheesecake only slightly jiggles, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Once cooled, remove from pan using parchment "handles" and slice into bars.

BANANA ORANGE BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the bananas, sugar, oil and eggs until well blended. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into banana mixture until blended., Pour into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. , For frosting, cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in orange juice and zest until smooth; spread evenly over cake.