These delicious cranberry bars strike the perfect balance between tart and sweet. With a press-in crust, a crumb topping and lightly sweetened cranberry filling, these squares allow the tartness of the cranberries to shine. These bars can be made with fresh or frozen cranberries.

Cranberry crumb bars cut in baking pan.

These cranberry bars are full of flavour and so pretty! They would make a great addition to your holiday baking as they cut neatly, keep well, freeze well and would travel well, too.

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Ingredients and substitutions

A few notes about the key ingredients …

Cranberries – Either fresh cranberries or frozen cranberries will work here. I prefer fresh if they are easily available.

Ground almonds – Ground almonds are not the same as almond flour. Ground almonds have the texture of cornmeal, while almond flour is milled into a powder. Ground almonds will give these squares the best texture and flavour. Look for ground almonds with the other nuts at the grocery store. In a pinch, you can make your own by running whole blanched almonds through the food processor until processed down to about the texture of cornmeal.

How to make cranberry crumb bars

This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Always refer to the complete instructions in the Recipe Card below when making the recipe.

Butter added to the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter.
1
Cutting the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter.
2
Egg added to the crumb mixture.
3
  1. Start by whisking the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, then add the cold butter pieces to the bowl.
  2. Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter pieces are pea-sized.
  3. Add the egg to the crumb mixture and stir it in well.
Pressing the base mixture into the baking pan.
4
Adding cinnamon to the remaining crumb mixture.
5
Cranberry filling in a mixing bowl.
6
  1. Add part of the crumb mixture to the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan and press in lightly.
  2. Add a bit of cinnamon to the remaining crumb mixture in the bowl and set aside.
  3. Mix all the cranberry filling ingredients in a medium bowl.
Cranberry filling scattered over the base.
7
Remaining crumb poured on top of the cranberries in the baking pan.
8
Topping crumb spread evenly over the top of the cranberries.
9
  1. Spread the cranberry mixture evenly into the baking pan.
  2. Pour the remaining crumb mixture overtop of the cranberries.
  3. Spread the crumb out evenly over the cranberries and bake.
Cranberry crumb bars cut in baking pan.

Recipe tips!

  • These cranberry bars are delightfully tart, and I think they strike the perfect balance between tart and sweet. That said, if you find them too tart for your taste, you can certainly add a few extra Tablespoons of white sugar into the filling.
  • I didn’t use parchment paper here to line the pan. My bad :) While the squares will come out of the pan without parchment, it was really more effort than necessary to cut and remove the squares from the pan. Parchment solves all these problems.
  • I find it easiest to line just the bottom and long sides with parchment, allowing the parchment to overhang the sides of the pan by a couple of inches. The overhanging parchment is then used as handles to lift the squares out of the pan for cutting. Be sure to run a knife along the unlined short ends before lifting.

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Cranberry crumb bars cut in baking pan.

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Crumb Bars

A cranberry lover's dream, these cranberry squares are delightfully tart/sweet. They freeze beautifully, so you can bake them ahead, too!
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 24 bars

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
  • 1 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup ground almonds, *see Note 1 below
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, cold and cut into pieces
  • 1 large egg

Added to remaining crumb mixture:

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cranberry filling:

  • 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 cup white granulated sugar, *see Note 2 below
  • Juice of 1/2 orange, about 4 teaspoons
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teasoon vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 9×13-inch baking pan

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375F (non-convection/not fan-assisted). Reduce the oven temperature to 350F if using a glass pan. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan well with butter or cooking spray or preferably, line the pan with parchment paper for easy removal after baking. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, ground almonds, baking powder and salt. Add the cold butter pieces to the bowl and use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour mixture until you have an evenly coarse crumb mixture with butter pieces no larger than pea-sized. Add the egg to the bowl and stir in well.
  • Lightly press 2 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Add the cinnamon to the remaining crumb mixture in the bowl and stir well. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together all the cranberry filling ingredients. Spoon evenly over the pressed crust in the baking pan. Pour the remaining crumb mixture over the cranberries and spread out into an even layer.
  • Place into the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is light golden brown. Cool completely, then refrigerate until chilled before cutting into squares. I like to cut into 6 rows of 4.
  • Store squares in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where they will keep for at least a week or wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

Note 1: Ground almonds are not the same as almond flour. Ground almonds have the consistency of cornmeal and can be found with the other nuts in the baking aisle. You could also process blanched almonds in a food processor if you like. 
Note 2: I find these bars hit the perfect mark of bringing the tartness that you’d expect from cranberries, without being too tart. If you find them too tart for your taste, you can certainly add a few more Tablespoons of white sugar to the cranberry filling if you like.
Tips!
I highly recommend lining the baking pan with parchment paper, if possible. While these bars will come out of the pan, it is just a pain to cut squares in the pan. I find it easiest to line just the bottom and long sides with parchment, allowing the parchment to overhang the sides of the pan by a couple of inches. The overhanging parchment is then used as handles to lift the squares out of the pan for cutting. Be sure to run a knife along the unlined short ends before lifting.
Be sure to read the notes above this recipe card for more tips on making this recipe. You’ll find substitution suggestions and step-by-step photos that you might find helpful.
Cuisine: American, Cxanadian
Course: Dessert, Snack
Author: Jennifer Maloney
Serving: 1bar, Calories: 205kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 89mg, Potassium: 50mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 258IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 19mg, Iron: 1mg
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