Cranberry Streusel Bars Recipe

This Cranberry Streusel Bars recipe is a tart and buttery treat, which is made with fresh cranberries and old fashioned oats. It’s a great choice for holiday parties, ready in about an hour.

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Cranberry Streusel Bars Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST:

• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, melted
• 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour

FOR THE FILLING:

• 2 cups Fresh Cranberries
• 2 Tbsp. All-purpose Flour
• 2 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
• 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. Ground Nutmeg

FOR THE TOPPING:

• 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats
• 1/3 cup Packed Light Or Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, Cold And Cubed

How To Make Cranberry Streusel Bars

1. Prepare and bake the crust: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides. In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the flour and stir until combined. Press this mixture evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.
2. Make the cranberry filling: While the crust bakes, combine the fresh cranberries, flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Toss until all the cranberries are evenly coated.
3. Create the streusel topping: In a separate medium bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Use a pastry blender or your fingers to cut in the cold, cubed butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Assemble and finish baking: Remove the crust from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Pour the cranberry mixture evenly over the warm crust. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the cranberry layer. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the streusel is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Let it cool completely before slicing into bars.

Recipe Tips

• How to get a non-soggy crust? Pre-baking the shortbread crust for 15 minutes before adding the filling is the most important step. This creates a firm, sealed base that won’t get soggy from the fruit juices.
• Can I use frozen cranberries? Yes, frozen cranberries work perfectly in this recipe. There is no need to thaw them first; just toss them with the other filling ingredients while they are still frozen.
• Can I add nuts to the streusel? Absolutely. A ½ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts would be a delicious and crunchy addition to the streusel topping.
• How do I know when the bars are done? The bars are ready when the streusel topping is a deep golden brown and you can see the cranberry filling bubbling thickly around the edges of the pan.

What To Serve With Cranberry Streusel Bars

These sweet and tart bars are a perfect holiday treat on their own.

• A cup of hot coffee or a spiced latte
• A dollop of fresh whipped cream or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream
• A dusting of powdered sugar

How To Store Cranberry Streusel Bars

• Room Temperature: Store the completely cooled bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
• Freeze: You can also freeze the baked and cooled bars. Wrap them well in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Cranberry Streusel Bars Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size: 1 bar
• Calories: 250 kcal
• Fat: 12g
• Carbohydrates: 35g
• Protein: 3g

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Cabbage Salad Recipe
• Thanksgiving Salad Recipe
• Apple Cinnamon Bread Recipe