Cranberry Bars
These cranberry bars are luscious, buttery, sweet and tart, with a sweet crumble dough that doubles as a topping. A gorgeous and delicious dessert perfect for the holidays. If you are in need of some cranberry recipes then I have just the one for you. Save your leftover cranberry sauce for this recipe. You won’t be able to eat just one!
Why You’ll Love These Cranberry Bars
- Festive Flavor: The sweet and tangy cranberry filling is the epitome of holiday cheer.
- Effortless: A single dough works as both the base and crumble topping.
- Versatile: You can use leftover cranberry sauce or make your own. (If you want to make it from scratch, try my easy and flavorful homemade cranberry sauce recipe.)
Trust me—these cranberry crumble bars are so good, you won’t be able to stop at just one slice!
What You’ll Need
For the Dough
- All-purpose flour: Creates a sturdy yet tender crust.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness to the dough.
- Unsalted butter, cold: Gives the crumble its signature buttery flavor and texture.
- Egg: Helps bind the dough together.
For the Cranberry Filling
- Cranberries: Fresh or frozen both work beautifully.
- Granulated sugar: Balances the tartness of the cranberries.
- Water: For the sauce base.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and depth to the filling.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Prepare the Cranberry Sauce
If you don’t have leftover cranberry sauce on hand, making it from scratch is a breeze. Here’s how:
- In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, water, and vanilla extract.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
- Allow the sauce to cool completely before assembling the bars.
I have another cranberry sauce recipe…you can check it out here: homemade cranberry sauce recipe—it’s easy, quick, and absolutely delicious!
Shortcut Tip: Store-bought cranberry sauce works too! Just make sure it’s thick and not too watery for the best results.
2. Make the Dough
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and sugar.
- Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs.
- Add the egg and mix until the dough comes together.
Pro Tip: Keep the butter cold for a flakier crust. If your kitchen is warm, pop the dough in the fridge for 10 minutes before using.
3. Assemble the Cranberry Bars
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a baking pan.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions. Press one half evenly into the bottom of the pan to form the crust.
- Spread the cranberry sauce evenly over the crust.
- Crumble the remaining dough over the cranberry layer, pressing gently to adhere.
4. Bake
Bake the bars for 35-40 minutes, or until the crumble topping is lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely.
Pro Tip: For cleaner slices, chill the bars in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before cutting.
Helpful Tips for Perfect Cranberry Bars
- Don’t Overwork the Dough: Overmixing can make the crust tough. Stop mixing as soon as the dough holds together.
- Line Your Pan: Use parchment paper for easy removal and cleanup.
- Add a Zing: If you like extra tartness, mix a teaspoon of orange or lemon zest into the cranberry sauce.
Recipe Variations
Want to switch up the flavors? These cranberry bars are incredibly versatile:
- Blueberry Bars: Combine fresh blueberries with 1/3–1/2 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and 2.5 tablespoons of lemon juice for the filling.
- Mixed Berry Bars: Use a blend of your favorite berries and adjust the sugar based on their tartness.
- Add Nuts: Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts into the crumble topping for added crunch.
Storing & Serving Tips
- Storage: Store the cranberry crumble bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- Freezing: Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
- Serving Suggestion: Warm them slightly and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for an extra-special treat.
What to Do With Leftover Cranberry Sauce
If you’re like me and always have leftover cranberry sauce during the holidays, you’ll love these other recipes:
- Cranberry Cream Cheese Bread Pudding/French Toast: A decadent, crowd-pleasing breakfast or dessert
. - Maple Syrup Cranberry Sauce: Sweet, tangy, and perfect for pancakes, waffles, or roasted meats.
Save and Share This Recipe!
Don’t forget to pin this cranberry bar recipe to your favorite dessert board or share it on Facebook so you’ll always have it on hand. And if you make these cranberry bars, I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below or tag me on social media—your feedback makes my day.
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Cranberry Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp unsalted very cold butter cut into cubes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg lightly beaten
Cranberry filling
- 3/4 cups cranberry sauce
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang for easy lifting.
- In a medium bowl add all of the dough ingredients except for the egg. Whisk the ingredients well.
- With a pastry cutter or fork cut the butter into the flour until pea-sized crumbs form. Add the egg and combine it into the dough using your hands. Alternatively, you could use your food processor.
- Pour half the crumble dough into the pan. With your hands flatten it evenly all over. Set the remaining dough to the side.
Cranberry sauce
- In a small saucepan, combine all cranberry sauce ingredients except the vanilla extract, Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently, and cook for 6–7 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and darkens.ly.
- Remove the saucepan from heat, transfer the sauce to a bowl, and stir in the vanilla extract. Allow it to cool completely.
- Pour the cooled cranberry mixture or your leftover cranberry sauce evenly over the bottom crust and spread it evenly. Crumble remaining dough over the cranberry sauce.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until top is a golden pale color. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
Notes
Pro Tips: Storing, Freezing, and Prepping in Advance
- To easily remove the cranberry bars from the pan, line it with two pieces of parchment paper placed in a crisscross pattern. Make sure the parchment overhangs on all sides to create handy "handles" for lifting the bars out after baking.
- For clean, even slices, chill the bars before cutting. I recommend letting them cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then refrigerating them for 2-4 hours. If you’re short on time, allow the bars to cool completely for 30-60 minutes before slicing.
- Store the bars tightly covered at room temperature for up to 5 days, or refrigerate for extended freshness. For long-term storage, these bars freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Planning ahead? These cranberry bars can be made up to 4 days in advance. Simply cover tightly and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
- Want to customize the recipe? Check out the blog post for tips on how to make these bars with your favorite fresh berries!
Hi! I may be overlooking, but I don’t see the oven temp for this recipe. Can you please confirm what temp we should bake these gorgeous bars? Thank you!
Oh no…Thank you for catching that! I apologize for the oversight. The cranberry bars should be baked at 350°F. I’ll update the recipe to include the baking temperature.
I’m confused. Step 1 starts with placing ALL of the cranberry ingredients in a saucepan. Then once boiled, to add vanilla. So am I adding vanilla before and after boiling, since it is one of ALL of the cranberry ingredients? Splitting it in half?
Thanks for the catch.I’ve updated the recipe.
I made these to use up my leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving and damn! This recipe is a keeper. These are sooo tasty, I absolutely love the dough part. I was worried when they were cooking because it looked a bit wet from all the butter but they cooled and are perfect. Thanks for the winning recipe! This will be my go to for any fruit bars!
Jill thank you so much for the great feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed the cranberry bars!
My husband has a habit of looking at recipes in the middle of the night instead of sleeping. I often wake up to several different ones in my inbox. This particular one was marked asap. I made it, it was easy. I have arthritis in my hands so I popped all the crust ingredients in my food processor and ot came out very nice. The only thing I’ll change up next time is to use a bit bigger dish because the crust was a bit thick. Over all it was good. My mother in law tasted it and requested that I bring it to Thanksgiving dinner, which is a huge compliment.
These bars are easy and awesome !
Perfect for any season as you can switch up berry colors too … Fun for kids !!
I can see how I could get addicted to those cranberry jam bars, they look so soft and moist! I have blueberry jam at home and lingonberries jam so I think I would try it with both to see how it comes. Lingonberries after all resemble cranberries.
These look delightful, a good way to get my kids interested in cranberry. thanks for sharing!