Three layers of a soft oatmeal crust, tangy orange cranberry filling, and lots of buttery streusel make up these cranberry crumb bars that are perfect for any holiday occasion!
We’re layering up all the good stuff in these cranberry bars today! I’m talking layers upon layers of buttery crust, juicy cranberry filling, crunchy streusel, and heavy drizzles of orange glaze all wrapped up into one bar.
Yep, it’s about to get real festive up in here and it’s not my fault if you end up going back for more.
Just please make sure you grab an extra one for me.
These cranberry bars may look complex at first glance, but I’m pleased to reveal they’re really not! The crust and streusel topping are the same recipe and the cranberry filling + glaze only takes a few moments to throw together.
Trust me, they’re scary easy and that’s about to become a problem.
These Cranberry Bars feature…
- A soft and buttery oatmeal crust and crumb topping
- A tangy orange-scented cranberry filling
- Sweet and creamy powdered sugar orange glaze
Making the Cranberry Bars
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Old-fashioned rolled oats
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Kosher salt
- Unsalted butter
- Greek yogurt
- Vanilla extract
- Cranberries
- Orange juice and zest
- Orange marmalade
- Cornstarch
- Powdered sugar
- 2% or skim milk
Fresh vs Frozen Cranberries
This recipe works great with both fresh or frozen cranberries. No need to thaw the cranberries if using frozen, you just may need to add an additional 5 minutes or so to bake time.
Tips for Perfect Cranberry Bars
- Reserve 2 cups crumb mixture for topping – the oatmeal mixture acts as both the crust AND crumb topping to keep these bars extra easy.
- Use marmalade and orange juice in cranberry filling – this helps sweeten the cranberries and provides the perfect balance of orange flavor.
- Bake bars 45-50 minutes – you’ll know the bars are done when the cranberry filling is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
- Allow bars to cool before slicing – for clean cuts, I recommend allowing bars to cool completely in pan before using parchment paper to remove and slice into squares.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on these bars.
- Use a mix of fruit – try using half cranberries and half raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries.
- Add nuts – try adding 1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds to topping.
- Try a different citrus – try lemon or lime in place of the orange zest in glaze.
Storing and Freezing Bars
These bars may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days. You can also store the bars in refrigerator to extend their life by a few days.
To freeze bars, allow to cool completely, wrap well, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw bars completely on countertop then top with powdered sugar glaze for serving.
Every bite of these luscious bars is absolutely incredible. From the buttery crust to the tangy cranberry filling, all that crunchy streusel, and sweet orange glaze it’s all your holiday dreams wrapped up into one bar.
Seriously, good luck keeping these stocked on a dessert tray.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More delicious bars to bake up next!
Cranberry Crumb Bars
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Ingredients
Cranberry Crumb Bars
- 1-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Orange Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1-2 tablespoons 2% or skim milk
Instructions
Cranberry Crumb Bars
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Toss in melted butter, yogurt, and vanilla until mixture is crumbly.
- Reserve 2 cups of crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture in prepared baking pan in an even layer.
- In a medium bowl, combine cranberries, 1/2 cup remaining sugar, orange juice, marmalade, and cornstarch until evenly coated.
- Sprinkle cranberry mixture over crust and top with reserved crumb mixture. Bake bars at 350F 45-50 minutes until topping is golden-brown and filling is bubbly.
- Allow bars to cool completely on a wire cooling rack. Once cooled, lift bars from pan with parchment paper and cut into 9 even squares. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 10/10/24.
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