Sweet and buttery, cranberry crumble bars are a gooey and delicious dessert that you will want to sink your teeth into. This recipe is great for beginner bakers, and perfect for when you need to bring dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, or just for potlucks or parties for the holiday season!
*This post may contain affiliate links to products we love. If you purchase something after clicking one of our links we make a small fee. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See our affiliate policy here.
Why We Love Cranberry Crumble Bars
- Butter Cranberry Flavor– These soft, slightly chewy delicious cranberry crumb bars have just the right amount of fruity flavor in this great dessert. Cranberries aren’t available all year round, and this easy dessert is a great way to take advantage of using these seasonal fruits.
- Easy Semi-Homemade Recipe– A package of sugar cookie dough mix forms both the base and the crumb topping for this recipe, and makes these bars a pretty full-proof easy recipe even for beginner bakers.
- Crowd-Pleasing Dessert– Juicy cranberries have such a delicious pop of flavor and make a great jammy filling. Your family and friends will love the buttery bars and the sweet and slightly tart cranberry filling in this cranberry bar recipe.
- Make Ahead Of Time– These bars are great to make about a day ahead of time, and perfect for a holiday dessert table this time of year.
Ingredients For Cranberry Crumble Bars
- ½ cup butter melted, salted. If using unsalted butter just add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the melted butter.
- 1 large egg – beaten
- 17.5 ounces sugar cookie mix prepackaged, I used Betty Crocker
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup quick oats
- ⅔ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch – 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon.
- 2 tablespoons cranberry juice sweetened, orange juice can also be used
- 4 cups cranberries about 12 ounces, fresh cranberries or frozen cranberries
These easy bars are similar to a dump cake, where you make them semi-homemade with a mix for a gooey warm dessert. Try this easy pumpkin pie dump cake or my caramel apple dump cake for more easy gooey dessert ideas.
How To Make Cranberry Crumble Bars
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper or spray with cooking oil evenly.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer add melted butter and beaten egg, then mix together until combined. Add sugar cookie dough mix, all-purpose flour and quick oats, then mix again until a crumbly dough forms.
- Press about 3/4 of the dough into the bottom of the pan. Leave the rest of the dough to the side for the topping.
- In a second large bowl, combine white sugar, cornstarch, and cranberry juice (or orange juice) together and stir well by hand with a spatula. Combine cranberries to the sugar mixture and stir until the berries are well coated.
- Spoon cranberry mixture evenly on top of the dough in the baking dish.
- Crumble the remaining mixture from the dough in your hands and sprinkle evenly across the top of the cranberry layer to form the crumble topping.
- Bake the mixture in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the topping browns and the filling is bubbling. I let the bars cool completely and then slice into small squares. Then enjoy!
How Long Do Cranberry Crumble Bars Last?
HOW LONG DO CRANBERRY CRUMBLE BARS LAST?
Store cranberry crumble bars an airtight container on the counter once they are completely cool. These bars will taste their freshest if eaten within two to three days.
Leftover bars can also be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days, but again will taste best if eaten within 2-3 days.
Putting layers of parchment paper, wax paper or even aluminum foil between the bars can help keep them from sticking together if you need to stack the bars and can’t put them all in an even layer to store.
Can I Swap Old Fashioned Oats For Quick Oats?
Quick oats are smaller than old-fashioned oats, and therefore cook much quicker.
To swap old-fashioned oats you can simpy blend the oats in a food processor before adding them to this recipe. See more information about swapping old-fashioned oats for quick oats here.
Can I Swap Steel Cut Oats For Quick Oats?
No, unfortunately, steel-cut oats are a lot thicker and require a lot more moisture then quick oats. Swapping steel-cut oats into this recipe will cause the bars to be too dry and crumbly.
Other Recipes You Will Love
Cranberry Orange Glazed Cookies– Sweet buttery cookies bursting with cranberries and a sweet orange glaze on top, delicious!
Apple Crisp Cookie Cups– This semi-homemade recipe starts with a sugar cookie dough and makes the most delicious gooey apple crisp into adorable apple crisp bites, perfect for a party.
Cranberry Crumble Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter melted, salted
- 1 large egg beaten
- 17.5 ounces sugar cookie mix prepackaged, I used Betty Crocker
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup quick oats
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cranberry juice sweetened, orange juice can also be used
- 4 cups cranberries about 12 ounces, fresh or frozen. See notes for frozen
Love Family Recipes?Follow @OnMyKidsPlate On Pinterest For MoreInstructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper or spray with cooking oil evenly.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer add melted butter and beaten egg, then mix together until combined. Add sugar cookie dough mix, all-purpose flour and quick oats, then mix again until a crumbly dough forms.
- Press about 3/4 of the dough into the bottom of the pan. Leave the rest of the dough to the side for the topping.
- In a second large bowl, combine white sugar, cornstarch, and cranberry juice (or orange juice) together and stir well by hand with a spatula. Combine cranberries to the sugar mixture and stir until the berries are well coated.
- Spoon cranberry mixture evenly on top of the dough in the baking dish. Crumble the remaining mixture from the dough in your hands and sprinkle evenly across the top of the cranberry layer to form the crumble topping.
- Bake the mixture in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the topping browns and the filling is bubbling. I let the bars cool completely and then slice into small squares. Then enjoy!
Leave a Reply