The easiest-ever cranberry crumble bars! Make the most of your leftover cranberry sauce with this recipe starring a buttery oat shortbread crust, a jammy filling and a golden crumb topping. No leftovers? Grab your favorite canned cranberries for the perfect holiday dessert any time of year!
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Your New Favorite Way to Use Cranberry Sauce
We may still be just over a week away from the biggest food holiday of the year (a.k.a. Thanksgiving!), but I’m already planning what to do with all the leftovers. And high atop that list? Cranberry Crumble Bars… made with, you guessed it, leftover cranberry sauce.
Whether you call them crumble bars, crumb bars or shortbread jam bars, one thing’s for sure: these cranberry bars are about to steal the dessert spotlight. They’ve got a buttery shortbread base, a jammy cranberry filling, and a golden crumble topping with a hint of cinnamon. They’re a little sweet, a little tart, and a whole lot delicious.
But here’s the best part: you don’t need leftover cranberry sauce to make these bars. Grab a can o’ cranberry sauce from the grocery store or go the DIY route with my 15-minute cranberry orange sauce the moment those tart little berries hit the produce section.
Serve them chilled, room temp, or warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (my personal fave) or a dollop of homemade whipped cream. One bite, and you’ll want to make them all holiday season long—leftovers or not.
Cranberry Sauce (My Secret Ingredient!)
Most cranberry crumble bar recipes start with fresh cranberries tossed in sugar and cornstarch. And while that’s delicious, I wanted a truly jammy filling, plus a way to use up that container of leftover cranberry sauce staring at you from the fridge the day after Thanksgiving.
No leftovers? No problem. You can make these bars with:
- Canned cranberry sauce (but I’d skip the jellied kind)
- Fresh cranberries transformed into sauce in 15 minutes with my homemade cranberry orange sauce recipe
- Cranberry jam
Why cranberry sauce works better than whole cranberries:
- Creates a perfectly jammy layer
- Needs zero cornstarch
- Prevents soggy or watery centers
- Works year-round (thank you, canned cranberry sauce)
- All-purpose flour: Helps the base stay sturdy. A gluten-free flour such as Cup4Cup should work well for this recipe, too.
- Rolled oats: Also known as old fashioned oats, will give the best chewy texture. Don’t use quick oats as they’ll turn into mush.
- Light brown sugar: I like to use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar because it adds moisture and a rich, caramel-like flavor that pairs so well with the cranberries. It also gives the crumb topping a softer texture.
- Ground cinnamon and vanilla extract: For flavor.
- Baking powder: Keeps the crust and topping light and tender.
- Butter: I use melted butter here because it makes the mixture more cohesive and cookie-like, rather than a classic chunky crumb. Plus, it makes these bars unbelievably easy. No creaming, no pastry cutter, just stir and go.
- Cranberry sauce: See above!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Optional but Highly Recommended: Orange Zest
If you use my orange cranberry sauce, you’re already getting this flavor boost. But even with canned sauce, a little zest folded into the cranberry layer (or sprinkled on top after baking) gives brightness, balance and that classic cranberry-orange combo (think cranberry orange muffins).
Start with the crust and crumb topping. The shortbread crust and the crumble topping come from the same simple mixture, which means fewer dishes, less measuring and more time to polish off the edges with your “quality control” fork.
Melt your butter and let it cool slightly while you whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the melted butter and vanilla, stirring until everything is evenly moistened and the mixture begins to clump together. It won’t look like cookie dough. You’re going for moist, sandy crumbles that hold together when squeezed in your hand (you can see this texture in the third photo below).
Transfer about two-thirds of the crumble mixture into the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan lined with parchment paper. Press it firmly into an even layer—start with your fingers, then use the bottom of a measuring cup or a spatula to smooth it out.
Par-bake the oatmeal crust for 10 minutes, then remove it from the oven. This gives it a head start so it stays crisp under the cranberry layer instead of going soggy.
Carefully spread the cranberry sauce over the warm base. It’s okay if it sinks into the crust a bit—that’s what gives you that jammy middle once the bars cool and set.
All that’s left to do is add the cookie-like, oat crumble topping and bake. Every oven runs a little differently, so start checking around the 23–25 minute mark. If the top is browning too quickly but the filling isn’t bubbling yet, loosely tent the pan with foil and keep baking.
I love giving these cranberry crumb bars a light dusting of powdered sugar right before serving for festive, bakery-case sparkle. If you’re feeling a little extra or want even more citrus flair, drizzle the cooled bars with the orange glaze from my orange cranberry scones recipe. It pairs beautifully with the sweet-tart filling.
Or keep them exactly as they are! No garnish needed.
Kelly’s Recipe Tips
- Let them cool completely. The bars must cool completely in order for them to set and become sliceable. You can absolutely enjoy them warm, scooping it into a bowl as more of a fruit crumble than a bar.
- Press the crust firmly. A tightly packed base helps the crust bake up sturdy and crisp.
- Test for doneness with your eyes. The bars are ready when the crumb topping is golden and the cranberry layer is slightly bubbling around the edges.
- If using homemade cranberry sauce, drain excess liquid. Any sauce that’s very loose/runny should sit in a fine-mesh sieve for 5–10 minutes so the bars don’t get soggy.
Storage Instructions
Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze them! Freeze fully baked, fully cooled bars tightly wrapped in plastic wrap (to prevent freezer burn) before placing them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
These leftover cranberry sauce crumble bars check every box: easy, festive, portable and impossible to stop eating. They’re the perfect sidekick to all the Thanksgiving dessert classics—pumpkin pie, pecan pie bars, mini apple pies. Whether you’re working with leftovers or cracking open a can, I promise these bars will hold their own on any holiday dessert table.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups cranberry sauce (See Kelly's Note.)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon and baking powder with ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Add the melted butter and vanilla extract to the flour mixture and stir until the butter is incorporated and the dough begins to clump together.
- Press two-thirds of the crumble mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan, spreading it into an even layer.
- Bake the base layer for 10 minutes then remove it from the oven.
- Spoon the leftover cranberry sauce on top of the base then spread it into an even layer. (The cranberry sauce will sink slightly into the base since it is warm.)
- Spinkle pieces of the remaining crumble mixture on top. Bake the bars until the top crumble mixture is golden and set, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove the bars from the oven and let them cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving. (See Kelly’s Note.)
Kelly’s Notes
- You can make these bars with canned whole-berry sauce, cranberry jam, or fresh cranberries cooked into sauce using my 15-minute orange cranberry sauce recipe.
- If your cranberry sauce is very loose/runny, let it sit in a fine-mesh sieve for 5–10 minutes to drain excess liquid so the bars don’t turn soggy.
- The cranberry layer will only be as sweet or tart as the sauce you start with. Adjust your cranberry sauce (or pick your favorite brand) based on how tangy you like your bars.
- With canned sauce, adding a little orange zest to the filling (or sprinkling on top after baking) brightens the flavor and gives that classic cranberry–orange combo.
- The bars must cool completely in order for them to set and become sliceable. You can absolutely enjoy them warm, scooping it into a bowl as more of a fruit crumble than a bar.
- Storage: Store cooled bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Freezing instructions: Freeze fully baked and cooled bars by wrapping tightly in plastic wrap, then placing in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
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These Cranberry Bars are delicious and very easy to make. I have just started making my own Cranberry sauce (a lot) so wanted something to use the leftovers for. These bars were a big hit with everyone I gave some to. They all wanted the recipe which I was happy to send them to your site.
I won’t wait for Thanksgiving or Christmas, I’ll make these all year round. I make my sauce and then freeze it in individual ice cube trays. Once they are frozen I put them in freezer bags and take out only the amount needed. Its awesome.
Thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Jan!
These were a hit! So yummy and so easy! Will be a new tradition for Thanksgiving leftovers.
So glad you enjoyed it, Rachel!
Not sure how you come up with these recipes but WOW is all I can say!! These were so yummy. Can’t wait to make again after Thanksgiving.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Susan! I love leftovers :)