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A clean and tangy cranberry filling sandwiched between buttery cookie layers. These creamy cranberry bars are so scrumptious and the proper dessert for the vacations!
I like cranberry. I’m so completely satisfied when the vacations roll round as a result of I get to interrupt out a few of my favourite desserts! (Though for my part, they need to be loved year-round, they’re that good!) Add these different nice cranberry recipes to the dessert lineup: cranberry Christmas cake, cranberry orange cheesecake, or cranberry cheesecake fluff if you’d like one thing simple.
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The Greatest Cranberry Crumb Bars
Cranberry bars are the proper vacation dessert! They’re the proper mixture of tangy and candy, with a jammy filling on prime of a crumbly, buttery crust. The filling is made with cranberry sauce, orange zest, and a little bit of lemon zest and orange juice. Good and tart, and the proper distinction to the candy crust.
Whenever you’re questioning what dessert to make for the vacations, cranberry bars are the only option! They’re really easy to make and since they’re in bar kind, making sufficient for a big crowd and serving them is a breeze. Belief me, you’re going to like them. Even in case you’re not a giant cranberry fan, they’ll make you a believer!
Ingredient Checklist
These cranberry crumb bars use a number of easy baking components to make your life slightly simpler. The proper manner to make use of up additional cans of cranberry sauce! See the recipe card beneath for precise measurements.
- Gentle Brown Sugar: Consider mild brown sugar because the candy, sugary base for our bars, including that caramel-like sweetness to the crust.
- All-Objective Flour: Provides the cranberry bars construction.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: You’ll want each to assist the crust rise so it’s not too dense.
- Salt: Only a tiny little bit of salt to make all the things style even higher.
- Unsalted Butter: Melted butter is the magic that makes the crust so buttery and wealthy!
- Cranberry Sauce: The bottom of the proper tangy filling. You should utilize do-it-yourself cranberry sauce or canned for simple prep.
- Orange Zest, Orange Juice, and Lemon Zest: Make the filling much more scrumptious and vibrant.
The best way to Make Cranberry Bars
Combine up your crust and filling combination, layer each, after which it’s off to the oven! Ready for them to come back out of the oven is the toughest half right here. Particularly with how wonderful they make your kitchen scent!
- Preheat Oven, Put together Pan: Preheat the oven to 375 levels Fahrenheit. Put together an 8×8 pan by lining it with parchment leaving a 1-inch overhang on two sides after which spraying the parchment with pan spray. Then put aside.
- Crust Combination: In a big bowl, whisk collectively the brown sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir within the butter and blend till mixed. Chances are you’ll want to make use of a hand mixer or clear fingers to totally mixed the components.
- Press in Pan: Press about ⅔-½ of the dough evenly into the underside of the pan for the crust.
- Filling Combination: Create the filling by mashing the cranberry sauce, each zests, and orange juice collectively. Add the filling to the pan on prime of the crust. You should utilize the entire filling or about ½-⅔ of it. The extra filling you utilize the extra jammy the middle of the bars shall be.
- Bake and Serve: Crumble the remaining dough evenly excessive of the filling and bake for 22-25 minutes, till the highest crust is simply starting to show a light-weight golden brown. Let cool for 45-60 minutes earlier than lifting out from the pan and chopping into bars. Minimize 3×3 for 9 bars or 4×4 for 12 smaller bars.
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Ideas and Methods
Get your cranberry crumb bars excellent with these additional suggestions:
- Crust to Filling Ratio: The ratio of crumb to cranberry filling may be very adjustable in accordance with your preferences. I used about 1/2 the quantity of cranberry filling, however for a extra jammy, fruit-filled bar you should utilize the entire thing!
- Use Your Favourite Cranberry Sauce: Choose your favourite form of cranberry sauce! In case you favor the jelly sort with no chunks, go for it. In case you prefer it filled with entire berries, use the entire berry sort, and don’t mash them as you stir within the orange juice and zest.
- Favor Home made Cranberry Sauce? Substitute the canned cranberry sauce for 1 ½ cups of your favourite cranberry sauce recipe.
- Don’t Overmix the Crumb Dough! Combine it till all of the butter has been absorbed into the dry components. There must be a combination of huge and small items of dough and it could appear fairly dry, however it is going to all come collectively if you press it into the pan or crumble excessive of the filling.
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Storing Leftovers
Retailer leftover cranberry bars in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 4 days. If saved within the fridge, they are going to maintain for as much as 7 days.
Can Cranberry Bars Be Frozen?
Sure! These are an important make-ahead dessert! To freeze them, allow them to cool fully earlier than lifting them out of the pan and chopping them into particular person bars. Place the bars onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about an inch between them. Place the baking sheet within the freezer till the bars are frozen stable, about 3-4 hours. As soon as frozen, switch the bars to a freezer bag or an hermetic container and freeze for as much as 3 months. To defrost allow them to sit out in a single day, or place the frozen bars on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 levels Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes. Let cool barely earlier than serving.

Extra Scrumptious Cranberry Recipes
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Preheat the oven to 375 levels Fahrenheit. Put together an 8×8 pan by lining it with parchment leaving a 1-inch overhang on two sides after which spraying the parchment with pan spray. Put aside.
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In a big bowl, whisk collectively the brown sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir within the butter and blend till mixed. Chances are you’ll want to make use of a hand mixer or clear fingers to totally mixed the components.
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Press about ⅔-½ of the dough evenly into the underside of the pan for the crust.
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Create the filling by mashing the cranberry sauce, each zests, and orange juice collectively. Add the filling to the pan on prime of the crust. You should utilize the entire filling or about ½-⅔ of it. The extra filling you utilize the extra jammy the middle of the bars shall be.
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Crumble the remaining dough evenly excessive of the filling and bake for 22-25 minutes, till the highest crust is simply starting to show a light-weight golden brown. Let cool for 45-60 minutes earlier than lifting out from the pan and chopping into bars. Minimize 3×3 for 9 bars or 4×4 for 12 smaller bars.
Up to date on November 7, 2023
Energy: 314kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 4gFats: 19gSaturated Fats: 9gLdl cholesterol: 120mgSodium: 130mgPotassium: 71mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 486IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg
Vitamin info is robotically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.