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Cranberry Crumble Bars

Delicious Cranberry Crumble Bars for Sweet Holiday Bliss

These Cranberry Crumble Bars are an easy, versatile dessert that combines buttery crust, tart cranberry filling, and sweet glaze, perfect for holiday gatherings.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 9 squares
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Calories: 220
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Crust and Crumble
  • ½ cup Unsalted Butter for a non-dairy option, use margarine
  • ½ cup Granulated Sugar coconut sugar is a great substitute
  • ½ cup Light Brown Sugar dark brown sugar will enhance this even further
  • 1 large Egg replace with a flax egg for vegan bars
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract try almond extract for a unique twist
  • 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend will work as well
  • ½ teaspoon Cornstarch you can swap in arrowroot powder if needed
For the Cranberry Filling
  • 2 cups Cranberries fresh cranberries are ideal, but frozen or fresh raspberries can work too
  • ½ cup Sugar adjust sweetness to taste based on how tart your cranberries are
  • 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
  • 1 each Orange Zest
  • 1 tablespoon Orange Juice lime or lemon zest and juice are perfect substitutes
For the Glaze
  • 1 cup Powdered Sugar essential for that creamy finish
  • 2 tablespoons Milk dairy alternatives like almond or oat milk are just as delicious
  • ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract try almond extract for a different flavor

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer
  • 8x8 inch baking pan
  • Parchment Paper
  • Medium Bowl
  • whisk

Method
 

Step-by-Step Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare an 8x8 inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper.
  2. In a stand mixer, beat together ½ cup of unsalted butter, ½ cup of granulated sugar, and ½ cup of light brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and mix until well blended.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon of cornstarch. Gradually add to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Set aside 2 cups of this dough for the crumble topping.
  5. Press the remaining dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges.
  6. In a medium bowl, mix 2 cups of fresh cranberries, ½ cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, and the zest and juice of 1 orange.
  7. Spread the cranberry filling evenly over the warm crust.
  8. Crumble the reserved dough over the cranberry filling without packing it too tightly.
  9. Bake the bars for 45 minutes, covering loosely with foil for the last 10-15 minutes to prevent over-browning.
  10. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan, then whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract for the glaze.
  11. Slice into squares and drizzle the sweet glaze over the top to serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1squareCalories: 220kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 2gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 90mgPotassium: 100mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 300IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg

Notes

Don’t over-mix the dough, watch for browning, cool completely before slicing, and feel free to experiment with fruit substitutions.

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