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Cranberry Crumble Bars

Cranberry crumble bars with a buttery oat crumble base and top, topped with a ruby cranberry filling that thickens on the stove. Baked until golden, then cooled so the bars slice clean with visible jammy fruit layers.
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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: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For 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 cold unsalted butter, cubed
For 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
Topping
  • 1 powdered sugar for dusting

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the pan and make the oat crumble
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F, then line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper for easy lifting.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, then cut in cold unsalted butter until the mixture looks like even crumbs.
Bake the base
  1. Press 2/3 of the oat crumble mixture firmly into the prepared pan, then bake for 10 minutes until lightly set.
Cook and thicken the cranberry filling
  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook cranberries, granulated sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cornstarch, and cinnamon for 8-10 minutes until thickened and glossy, with slow bubbles.
Assemble and bake the bars
  1. Spread the hot cranberry filling over the hot baked base so it reaches the edges in an even layer.
  2. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the top, covering the filling with a thick, uneven crumb layer.
  3. Bake for 25-28 minutes at 375°F until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges.
Cool, dust, and slice
  1. Cool the bars completely, until firm enough to slice without the filling running.
  2. Dust with powdered sugar, then slice into 16 bars with clean edges.

Notes

For the cleanest slices, cool the bars completely (and chill 1 hour if your kitchen is warm). Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze bars in a single layer, then bag, for up to 2 months. For a slightly lighter option, swap part of the butter for an equal amount of cold plant-based butter sticks that bake and crumb normally.