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sliced cranberry crumb bars
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5 from 4 votes

Cranberry Crumble Bars

These cranberry crumble bars are perfect for the holidays. They are easy to make. The filling is balanced, perfectly sweet and tart. The crust is crumbly, buttery, and tender.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Cooling2 hours
Total Time3 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 18 squares
Calories: 257kcal
Author: Tania

Ingredients

Cranberry filling

  • 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • Juice of ½ an orange
  • ¾ cups granulated sugar plus more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Crust and topping

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 cup VERY cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes 2 standard sticks butter
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides. Tip: Lightly grease the bottom of the pan first to help the parchment paper stay in place.
  • Make the cranberry filling: In a saucepan, add combine the cranberries, orange zest, freshly squeezed granulated sugar, and cornstarch. Mix to combine. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the cranberries start breaking down. Remove from heat and transfer to a shallow bowl. Let it cool while you make the dough.
  • Make dough: In large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Using a pastry blender or with your fingers, cut in the COLD butter into the dry ingredients until you get pea-sized crumbles. Then, stir in the beaten egg and mix until a very crumbly dough forms. It will seem dry. Note: you can also use your food processor for this step - simply pulse all the dough ingredients until you get pea-sized crumbles and incorporated.
  • Assemble: Place half of the dough on the prepared baking pan. Press down to form a compact layer. Spread the cranberry filling evenly over. Top with the remaining crumbly dough evenly.
  • Bake for 40-50 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 2 hours, and then cut into squares. Enjoy!

Notes

  • For the crust, ensure your butter is very cold. This makes for a perfectly crumbly crust. I usually freeze the butter sticks the day before.
  • Parchment paper is highly recommended to prevent sticking, and to make it easier to remove the bars from the pan.
  • Pre-bake? There’s no need to pre-bake this crust, but you can. 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
  • Make ahead: Bake as directed the day before, and let it cool down at room temperature until ready to serve.
  • You can also make just the cranberry orange filling 5 days in advance. Keep refrigerated.
  • Storage: Store at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
  • Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the countertop.
 
Substitutions and variations:
  • Cranberries: Fresh or frozen cranberries will work to make the filling.
  • Canned cranberry: This is fine too. Use whole berry cranberry sauce. Heat it up in a saucepan with orange zest and spices. Omit the sugar since it’s already sweetened, as well as the orange juice and cornstarch.
 
Disclaimer: Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 342IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg