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Cranberry Crumble Bars

Cranberry crumble bars with a golden oat crumble base and topping, plus a thick ruby cranberry filling set by cornstarch. Bake until deeply golden, cool completely, then slice into tidy bar squares with a light powdered sugar dusting.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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 Keep butter cold so the crumble stays sandy.
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
To finish
  • Powdered sugar for dusting Dust lightly right before slicing.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Preheat and line the pan
  1. Preheat oven to 375F, then line a 9x13 pan with parchment for easy lifting.
Make the oat crumble
  1. Combine rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, then cut in cold unsalted butter until crumbly.
Bake the base
  1. Press 2/3 of the oat mixture firmly into the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes.
Thicken the cranberry filling
  1. Cook cranberries, granulated sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cornstarch, and cinnamon over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until thickened and glossy.
Assemble and bake
  1. Spread the hot cranberry filling over the baked base, then crumble the remaining oat mixture over the top.
Finish baking
  1. Bake for 25-28 minutes at 375F until the crumble is golden.
Cool, dust, and slice
  1. Cool completely before slicing bars, then dust with powdered sugar for a finishing touch.

Notes

Pro tip: keep butter very cold while cutting into the oat mixture for a crisp, sandy crumble. Store bars airtight in the refrigerator up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months. For a dairy-free swap, use a cold 1:1 plant-butter alternative cubed from the fridge for the crumble.