Servings 9 servings
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 1/2 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.)
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.
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