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Cranberry Crumble Bars

Cranberry crumble bars with a buttery oat crumb crust and golden topping, plus a jewel-bright ruby cranberry filling thickened until scoopable. Simple bake-and-layer technique creates a jammy center sandwiched between crisp crumble edges.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 16 bars
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 290
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

oat crumble base and top
  • 2 cup rolled oats
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, cubed Use cold butter for a crumbly texture.
cranberry filling
  • 3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 powdered sugar for dusting Dust on top after cooling.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and make oat crumble
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and line a 9x13 pan with parchment so the bars lift out easily after baking.
  2. Combine rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, then cut in cold unsalted butter until the mixture looks crumbly.
  3. Press 2/3 of the oat mixture firmly into the prepared 9x13 pan and bake for 10 minutes.
Cook cranberry filling and assemble
  1. Cook fresh or frozen cranberries, granulated sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cornstarch, and cinnamon over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until thickened.
  2. Spread the thick cranberry filling over the hot baked base, then crumble the remaining oat mixture over the top.
  3. Bake for 25-28 minutes at 375F until the crumble is golden.
Finish and slice
  1. Cool completely before slicing so the cranberry filling sets and the bars hold their shape.
  2. Dust with powdered sugar for dusting and slice into bars for serving.

Notes

For the cleanest slices, cool the bars fully (and chill 1-2 hours if your kitchen is warm). Store covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days; freeze bars in an airtight container up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use half the butter and replace with an equal amount of cold coconut oil (the crumb texture will be slightly more tender).