Cranberry Crumble Bars
These buttery Cranberry Crumble Bars feature a tender shortbread-like base topped with a tangy-sweet cranberry filling and crowned with a golden oat crumble—the perfect balance of textures and flavors in every bite.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 3 cups fresh cranberries or frozen, not thawed
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar for filling
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare your pan and oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easy removal later.
- Make the cranberry filling. In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and cornstarch. Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until cranberries begin to burst and mixture thickens. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract, and set aside to cool slightly.
- Prepare the crumble mixture. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, both sugars, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined.
- Cut in the butter. Add the cold butter cubes to the dry ingredients and use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips to work the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter throughout.
- Add the egg. Stir in the beaten egg just until the mixture starts to come together. It will still be crumbly, but should hold together when pressed.
- Create the base layer. Press about two-thirds of the crumble mixture firmly into the bottom of your prepared pan to form an even crust.
- Add the cranberry filling. Spread the cranberry mixture evenly over the crust, leaving a small border around the edges.
- Top with remaining crumble. Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture over the cranberry layer, gently pressing it down slightly.
- Bake until golden. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Cool completely before cutting. Allow the bars to cool in the pan for at least 1 hour, then use the parchment overhang to lift them out. Cut into 16 squares for serving.
Notes
- For extra texture and flavor, try adding ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts to the crumble topping.
- These bars freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Simply wrap individual portions in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe container.
- The bars will firm up as they cool, so resist the temptation to cut them while still warm (though a warm, crumbly serving with ice cream is delicious too!).
- For a more pronounced orange flavor, increase the zest to 2 tablespoons.
- Make sure your butter is very cold for the best crumble texture.