Cranberry Cheesecake Streusel Bars
User Reviews
4.9
Cranberry Cheesecake Streusel Bars
Description
Cranberry Cheesecake Streusel Bars feature a double-layer streusel made from oats, gluten-free or all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cold butter, and chopped walnuts, forming a crunchy base and topping. The cheesecake layer, softened cream cheese combined with sugar, egg, vanilla, and orange zest, provides a creamy texture beneath the bright cranberry sauce. Baking at 350°F allows the streusel to brown lightly while the cheesecake sets and the cranberry topping stays vibrant.
The interplay of the buttery streusel with crunchy walnuts and tangy-sweet cranberry sauce makes these bars suitable for dessert or a sweet treat alongside tea or coffee. The orange zest adds a subtle citrus note, enhancing the cranberry flavor.
For gluten-free preparation, ensure oats are certified gluten-free, and the gluten-free flour blend works fine as a substitute for regular flour. If the cranberry sauce is too tart, it can be sweetened with honey, agave, or sugar according to preference. The bars keep their texture well and can be cut after fully cooling for neat serving.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats old-fashioned
- 1 cup gluten-free flour blend or all-purpose flour
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 oz butter cold unsalted
- ⅔ cup walnuts finely chopped/crushed; unsalted
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/4-1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg large
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract pure
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- 1-1.5 cups cranberry sauce leftover
VANILLA GLAZE
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 TBSP milk
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract pure
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a square 8x8-inch square baking pan. For easy removal, make a parchment paper sling by cutting a sheet to drape over edges of the pan.
- Set out your cream cheese to soften.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour [gluten-free or regular], oats, brown sugar, and salt.
- Next grab a cold stick of butter from the fridge and cut it into the streusel by either chopping into small pieces, grating with a box grater, or using a good old fashioned pastry cutter! This will create the streusel for the base and the topping of the bars.
- The trick to a good streusel is getting your hands dirty and using your fingers to rub the butter into the flour/oat mixture. I keep squeezing and finger-mashing the mixture until it's nice and crumbly and no leftover bits of dry flour remain. It will resemble crumbly slightly wet sand.
- Next stir in your chopped walnuts and grab a measuring cup.
- Measure out 2 cups of streusel and press it firmly into your greased/lined baking pan to make a crust.
- In a separate bowl, beat together cream cheese and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until smooth. You can use a stand mixer or a hand-held electric mixer for this.
- Once incorporated, add egg, vanilla, and orange zest and mix to combine.
- Pour over crust and top with cranberry sauce. Some sauces are pourable but if yours is not, add little spoonfuls all over the top of the cheesecake mixture and lightly spread with a baking spatula. Take the remaining streusel and crumble over the top.
- Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes.
- Allow to fully cool. Then transfer to the fridge to set before cutting into 9-12 squares. I like to leave mine in the fridge for a few hours so they're extra chilled!
- For vanilla glaze (optional but delish!) whisk ingredients well and drizzle over bars before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten-free oats and flour blend can be substituted with all-purpose flour if gluten is not a concern.
- Adjust sweetness of cranberry sauce by adding honey or sugar if preferred less tart.
- Bars are best served after fully cooled and chilled for clean slicing.
- Walnuts add crunch; ensure they are finely chopped to distribute evenly.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 313 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 313kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 42g | 14% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Cholesterol | 55mg | 18% |
| Sodium | 126mg | 5% |
| Potassium | 74mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 30g | 60% |
| Vitamin A | 520IU | 10% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 43mg | 4% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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