Why You’ll Love Them
These Cranberry Bars are:
Lightly sweet & tart Dairy-free, with a crisp, buttery texture Gluten-free Prepped in 1 bowl and super-easy to make!
If you don’t have leftover cranberry sauce on hand, you can also use any jelly or jam instead. Chia seed jam would be great here. I really like raspberry jam as a swap, to get a similar sweet & tart flavor.
How to Make the Crumble Bars
The crust and crumble topping are made at the same time, in the same bowl. No special equipment required!
You’ll reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture for the crumble topping, then press the rest of it into the bottom of an 8-inch square dish. I like to line the pan with parchment paper, so the bars will easily come out later. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then let it cool briefly and spread on the cranberry sauce.
Sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup of the crust mixture over the top of the cranberry sauce, and use your hands to lightly press it into the cranberry sauce. Bake until the topping is lightly golden, about 30 minutes.
How to Serve Them
These bars will be very soft and fragile when you remove them from the oven, so it’s important that you let them cool completely before slicing into them. I let them rest on the counter for at least 4 hours so they will firm up at room temperature.
To speed things up, you can place the pan in the fridge to cool until firm. Use the parchment paper to remove the bars from the pan, then slice into 16 small squares. I think these taste best at room temperature, but you can also serve them chilled from the fridge for a longer shelf life.
Substitution Notes
I always try to use less oil in my recipes, compared to traditional versions, and in this case I tried these bars two different ways.
The version with 6 tablespoons of oil definitely has the best texture, which is why I include it in the printable version below. There is a slight hint of coconut oil flavor, so if you don’t care for that, feel free to use a good quality butter, if you’re don’t need a dairy-free recipe. I also tested this recipe with only 4 tablespoons of oil, making up the difference with water. The result is a totally acceptable & delicious bar, it’s just not as crispy & buttery as the version with more oil. The more oil you use, the more it will taste like a dessert from a bakery. So, just keep that in mind! I hope you’ll enjoy these bars as much as I do.
Have Extra Cranberries?
If you have even more leftover cranberry sauce, try making my Cranberry Vinaigrette, which is delicious over any salad combination. Need to use up fresh cranberries? Try my Cranberry Orange Muffins. If you try these Cranberry Bars, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like them. And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too! We can all benefit from your experience. – Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite way to use cranberries?
