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4.0 from 9 votes

Cranberry Crumble Bars

Buttery, fruity cranberry crumble bars have a crumbly crust and a jammy cranberry filling that melts in your mouth for a delicious semi-homemade dessert you will want to sink your teeth into.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 16 Bars
Calories: 239 kcal
Course: Dessert , Baked Goods
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 17.5 ounces sugar cookie mix prepackaged, I used Betty Crocker
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup quick oats
  • ½ cup butter melted, salted
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • ⅔ cup white sugar
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons cranberry juice sweetened, orange juice can also be used
  • 4 cups cranberries about 12 ounces, fresh or frozen. See notes for frozen

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment paper or spray with cooking oil evenly.
  2. In a large mixing bowl mix together sugar cookie dough mix, all-purpose flour and quick oats. Add the melted butter and mix with an electric hand mixer. Crack and beat the egg in a small bowl with a fork, then add it to the cookie dough and mix again thoroughly with an electric hand mixer until a crumbly dough forms.
  3. Press about 3/4 of the dough into the bottom of the pan. Leave the rest of the dough to the side for the topping.
  4. In a second large bowl, combine white sugar, cornstarch, and cranberry juice (or orange juice) together and stir well by hand with a spatula. Combine cranberries to the sugar mixture and stir until the berries are well coated.
  5. Spoon cranberry mixture evenly on top of the dough in the baking dish. Crumble the remaining mixture from the dough in your hands and sprinkle evenly across the top of the cranberry layer to form the crumble topping.
  6. Bake the mixture in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the topping browns. The filling will be bubbling and the cranberries won't look whole, they will look jammy. I let the bars cool completely and then slice into small squares. Then enjoy!

Notes

  • I used cranberry juice in this recipe because it gave it more cranberry flavor but orange juice gives the perfect sweetness also and tastes delicious with these bars. You can use juice from a fresh orange if you prefer, most oranges will contain at least two tablespoons of juice.
  • Frozen cranberries can be swapped for fresh cranberries but sometimes need to be cooked slightly longer, expect it will likely take 5-10 minutes more. One way to keep an eye on if the bars are done cooking is the cranberries should go from looking whole to looking more jammy.
  • Add frozen cranberries into the sugar mixture still frozen for the best results.
  • Don't defrost the cranberries before adding them to the bars. Defrosted cranberries can cause the bars to become too watery and liquidy.
  • You don't want to stir the cranberry mixture much once it is on top of the dough base in the pan as it could pull the sugar cookie base away from the bottom. This could cause holes in the dough, causing the filling to leak out more. Instead, mix the cranberry mixture well in a bowl and gently spoon the berries over the cookie dough crust. 
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Nutrition Information

Calories 239kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 40g (13%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 8g (12%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g Monounsaturated Fat 2g Trans Fat 0.2g Cholesterol 27mg (9%) Sodium 139mg (6%) Potassium 38mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 24g (48%) Vitamin A 210IU (4%) Vitamin C 4mg (4%) Calcium 7mg (1%) Iron 0.4mg (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16Bars

Amount Per Serving

Calories 239

% Daily Value*

Calories 239kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 40g 13%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g 2%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Trans Fat 0.2g 10%
Cholesterol 27mg 9%
Sodium 139mg 6%
Potassium 38mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 24g 48%
Vitamin A 210IU 4%
Vitamin C 4mg 4%
Calcium 7mg 1%
Iron 0.4mg 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.