Cranberry Crumb Bars

Close up of a bitten-into cranberry bar with a crumb topping on a white plate

If you love cranberry desserts, you're going to adore these sweet-tart Cranberry Bars with a Crumble Topping! Made with fresh cranberries and a handful of other ingredients, these cranberry crumb bars are a great way to celebrate the sweetness of cranberry in cookie bar form during the holiday season. They come together quickly and are perfect for all kinds of holiday gatherings.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings bars

Calories 310kcal

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

1 ½ cup Graham cracker crumbs 180g
½ cup granulated sugar 100g
½ teaspoon kosher salt 2g
½ cup unsalted butter melted (1 stick / 113g)

Cranberry Filling

3 cups fresh cranberries 12 oz. / 343g
¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
½ cup orange juice freshly squeezed
Zest of one orange

Crumble Topping

½ cup all-purpose flour 60g
½ cup rolled oats 80g
5 tablespoons granulated sugar 62g
¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1g
6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Instructions

Make the Graham Cracker Crust

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 9" square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, and line with a parchment paper sling. Set aside.
Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt in a bowl until combined. Pour in the melted butter, mixing until the consistency is of wet sand.
Pour the ingredients into the prepared baking dish, pressing the crumbs onto the bottom into a crust layer.
Place in the oven, and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool.

Prepare the Cranberry Filling

While the crust is baking, prepare the cranberry filling.
In a saucepan over medium heat, measure in the cranberries, sugar, orange juice and orange zest.
Bring the ingredients to a boil, then let them simmer until the cranberries have popped and released their juice. The sauce will thicken and become gooey. This will take about 10 minutes, depending on the strength of your stovetop.
When the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat, and set aside.

Make the Crumble Topping

Whisk together the flour, oats, sugar and salt in a bowl until combined.
Pour in the melted butter, mixing with your hand, a spoon or a fork gently to create a crumbly topping.

Prepare the Crumble Bars

Pour the prepared cranberry filling on top of the baked graham cracker crust. Do this gently so it does not dislodge the crust.
Sprinkle the crumble topping on top of the cranberry filling in an even layer.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the crumble topping turns golden brown and the cranberry mixture becomes bubbly.
Remove from the oven, and let cool completely before cutting into squares and enjoying!

Notes

This recipe can easily be made gluten free by swapping the regular Graham crackers for a gluten free variety and the regular AP flour with a gluten free blend.

Nutrition