Cranberry Streusel Bars ~
Cranberry crumble bars are an easy sweet treat for the holiday season and a great way to use leftover cranberry sauce!
Cranberry Crumb Bars Recipe
Tart cranberries combined with the sweetness of brown sugar shortbread results in a perfect balance of flavors, while the oatmeal-based crumb topping adds a satisfying texture.
I like this recipe because it’s made with simple and seasonal ingredients, ready in under an hour, and the cranberry bars can be served chilled or at room temperature. They also make a great addition to a plate of Christmas cookies – perfect for taking to holiday gatherings.
After Thanksgiving, I had just enough leftover homemade cranberry sauce to make these shortbread bars with tart cranberry filling – one cup is all it takes! Sidenote: If you’ve never made cranberry sauce from scratch, try my Fresh Cranberry Sauce. It’s so easy; all you need for this simple sauce are fresh cranberries, sugar, and orange juice.
Ingredients for Cranberry Streusel Bars
You will need the following:
For the Cookie Layer:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 1/4 cup + 1/2 cup rolled oats, divided
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cranberry sauce
For the Crumble Topping:
- 2 tablespoons cold butter
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
How to Make Cranberry Streusel Bars
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven temperature to 375°F. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
For the Cookie Layer:
STEP TWO: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the butter and brown sugar for 1 minute, until light and fluffy.
STEP THREE: In a medium bowl, combine the the rolled oats and all-purpose flour. Add to the butter mixture and continue mixing until combined. The mixture will be very crumbly.
STEP FOUR: Press the crumbled dough into the prepared pan.
STEP FIVE: Spread with cranberry sauce in an even layer.
For the Streusel Topping:
STEP SIX: In one of the bowls, use a pastry blender to combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar, 1/2 cup rolled oats, and finely chopped pecans until crumbly.
STEP SEVEN: Sprinkle over the cranberry layer.
STEP EIGHT: Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
STEP NINE: Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, cut into bars, and serve at room temperature.
Quick Tip for Success
- Lining the baking pan with parchment paper makes removing the cooled bars from the pan a breeze. Lift them out by the edges of the paper, then set them on a cutting board for easy slicing, and serve.
Storage
- These Cranberry Streusel Bars should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
More Cranberry Recipes You’ll Love!
- Cranberry Pie
- Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Cranberry Walnut Chickpea Sandwiches
- Cranberry Banana Bread
- Cranberry Coffee Cake
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Cranberry Streusel Bars
Ingredients
For the Cookie Layer:
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 1/4 cup + 1/2 cup rolled oats divided
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cranberry sauce
For the Crumble Topping:
- 2 tablespoons cold butter
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup pecans finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven temperature to 375°F. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
For the Cookie Layer:
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the butter and brown sugar for 1 minute, until light and fluffy.
- In a medium bowl, combine the the rolled oats and all-purpose flour. Add to the butter mixture and continue mixing until combined. The mixture will be very crumbly.
- Press the crumbled dough into the prepared pan.
- Spread with cranberry sauce in an even layer.
For the Streusel Topping:
- In one of the bowls, use a pastry blender to combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar, 1/2 cup rolled oats, and finely chopped pecans until crumbly.
- Sprinkle over the cranberry layer.
To Bake:
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, cut into bars, and serve at room temperature.
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