These cranberry crumble bars have a layer of tangy homemade cranberry sauce sandwiched between a crumbly shortbread almond crust, for an easy winter treat!
This post is sponsored by ALDI, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Barley & Sage possible! As you know, we only partner with brands that we believe in and wholeheartedly recommend! Be sure to check out your local ALDI for everyday great prices on everything you need for your holiday baking!
You might also like these cranberry muffins or these pecan pie bars!
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Ingredient Notes
You just need a few simple ingredients to make these cranberry crumble bars!
Best of all, you can find everything you need at your local ALDI for their everyday great prices!
Almond flour - Substituting a portion of the flour for almond flour is one of my favorite tricks! It yields tender baked goods with a slightly nutty flavor. But if you prefer, just substitute all purpose flour.
Almonds - I love adding toasted almonds to the top of these cranberry bars but just leave them out if you want.
Leftover Cranberry Sauce - I like to use my leftover homemade cranberry sauce to fill the crumble bars but you can also make a small batch using fresh or frozen cranberries!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
I've included my recipe for homemade cranberry sauce in the recipe card below. But this is a great recipe for using up leftover cranberry sauce from the holidays!
You just need anywhere from 1 to 2 cups of your favorite cranberry sauce!
To make the filling, combine all the ingredients in a large pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Gently cook for about 15 minutes or until the cranberries have burst and the sauce has thickened.
Remove from the heat and let cool slightly while you make the crust.
How to Make Crumble Bars
Preheat oven to 350°F and line a square baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and powdered sugar until fully combined and smooth. Then add in the egg and vanilla extract and continue to mix until light and fluffy.
Then fold in the flour, almond flour, cinnamon, and salt and mix until the dough comes together in a cohesive ball. The dough will be very soft.
Press about ¾ of the dough into the bottom of the lined baking pan and smooth into an even layer. Poke a few holes in the dough with a fork to let air escape while baking.
Bake the crust at 350°F for 15 minutes or until the top is fully set. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Optional step: Add the sliced almonds to the remaining dough and mix to combine.
Pour the cranberry sauce over the par-baked crust and smooth into an even layer.
Then use your hands to crumble the remaining dough and sprinkle over the cranberry layer. Sprinkle on a few extra almonds if desired.
Return to the oven and bake for another 20-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling is set.
Remove from the oven and let the bars cool completely in the pan.
Then dust the cranberry crumble bars with powdered sugar if desired!
Tips for the Best Baked Goods
Use room temperature ingredients! Always make sure ingredients like butter, eggs, milk, yogurt, etc. are at room temperature before baking (unless the recipe indicates otherwise)! This ensures they'll incorporate into the batter more easily and leads to overall better texture. Remove all ingredients from the fridge 30 minutes to an hour before baking for best results.
Measure your flour correctly! It's most accurate to use a kitchen scale, but if you're measuring by volume you want to spoon and level! Fluff up the flour a bit with a spoon, and then spoon flour into the measuring cup. Once it's overflowing, use the back of a knife to level it off. Don't ever pack flour into the measuring cup or you'll end up with way too much! Improperly measured flour can lead to dry, dense baked goods. [Measure cocoa powder the same way!]
Use an oven thermometer! Just because your oven says it's 350, doesn't mean it is! If you oven hasn't been calibrated recently, it can be as much as 30 degrees off, which will negatively affect all baked goods from cakes to macarons! An oven thermometer is the easiest/cheapest way to ensure your oven is always at the proper temperature.
Make sure you baking powder is fresh! Baking powder is important for helping baked goods rise properly, but it has a relatively short shelf life once opened, so it's one of the few items I never buy in bulk! To test if your baking powder is still fresh, add a small amount to boiling water. If it bubbles it's still good to use, but if not it's time to toss it!
Recipe FAQ's
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
Yes! You can use your favorite leftover cranberry sauce, or any fruit jam/spread you want.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
More Cranberry Recipes!
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Recipe Card
Cranberry Crumble Bars
Ingredients
Cranberry Sauce
- 12 ounces cranberries, fresh or frozen
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup orange juice, about 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
Crust
- 1 cup unsalted butter , room temperature
- ¾ cup powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup almond flour, substitute all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ cup sliced almonds, optional for topping
Instructions
Cranberry Sauce
- To make the filling, combine all the ingredients in a large pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Gently cook for about 15 minutes or until the cranberries have burst and the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly while you make the crust.
Crumble Bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a square baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and powdered sugar until fully combined and smooth. Then add in the egg and vanilla extract and continue to mix until light and fluffy.
- Then fold in the flour, almond flour, cinnamon, and salt and mix until the dough comes together in a cohesive ball. The dough will be very soft.
- Press about ¾ of the dough into the bottom of the lined baking pan and smooth into an even layer. Poke a few holes in the dough with a fork to let air escape while baking.
- Bake the crust at 350°F for 15 minutes or until the top is fully set. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Optional step: Add the sliced almonds to the remaining dough and mix to combine.
- Pour the cranberry sauce over the par-baked crust and smooth into an even layer.
- Then use your hands to crumble the remaining dough and sprinkle over the cranberry layer. Sprinkle on a few extra almonds if desired.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 20-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling is set.
- Remove from the oven and let the bars cool completely in the pan.
- Then remove and dust with powdered sugar if desired!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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