Cranberry Bars (Tart and Buttery!)

A smooth and tangy cranberry filling sandwiched between buttery cookie layers. These creamy cranberry bars are so delicious and the perfect dessert for the holidays!

I love cranberry. I’m so happy when the holidays roll around because I get to break out some of my favorite desserts! (Although in my opinion, they should be enjoyed year-round, they’re that good!) Add these other great cranberry recipes to the dessert lineup: cranberry Christmas cake, cranberry orange cheesecake, or cranberry cheesecake fluff if you want something easy.

The Best Cranberry Crumb Bars

Cranberry bars are the perfect holiday dessert! They’re the perfect combination of tangy and sweet, with a jammy filling on top of a crumbly, buttery crust. The filling is made with cranberry sauce, orange zest, and a bit of lemon zest and orange juice. Nice and tart, and the perfect contrast to the sweet crust.

When you’re wondering what dessert to make for the holidays, cranberry bars are the best choice! They’re so easy to make and since they’re in bar form, making enough for a large crowd and serving them is a breeze. Trust me, you’re going to love them. Even if you’re not a big cranberry fan, they’ll make you a believer!

Ingredient List

These cranberry crumb bars use a lot of simple baking ingredients to make your life a little easier. The perfect way to use up extra cans of cranberry sauce! See the recipe card below for exact measurements.

• Light Brown Sugar: Think of light brown sugar as the sweet, sugary base for our bars, adding that caramel-like sweetness to the crust.
• All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cranberry bars structure.
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder: You’ll need both to help the crust rise so it’s not too dense.
• Salt: Just a tiny bit of salt to make everything taste even better.
• Unsalted Butter: Melted butter is the magic that makes the crust so buttery and rich!
• Cranberry Sauce: The base of the perfect tangy filling. You can use homemade cranberry sauce or canned for easy prep.
• Orange Zest, Orange Juice, and Lemon Zest: Make the filling even more delicious and vibrant.

How to Make Cranberry Bars

Mix up your crust and filling mixture, layer both, and then it’s off to the oven! Waiting for them to come out of the oven is the hardest part here. Especially with how amazing they make your kitchen smell!

1. Preheat Oven, Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare an 8×8 pan by lining it with parchment leaving a 1-inch overhang on two sides and then spraying the parchment with pan spray. Then set aside.
2. Crust Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir in the butter and mix until combined. You may need to use a hand mixer or clean hands to fully combined the ingredients.
3. Press in Pan: Press about ⅔-½ of the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan for the crust.
4. Filling Mixture: Create the filling by mashing the cranberry sauce, both zests, and orange juice together. Add the filling to the pan on top of the crust. You can use all of the filling or about ½-⅔ of it. The more filling you use the more jammy the center of the bars will be.
5. Bake and Serve: Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the top of the filling and bake for 22-25 minutes, until the top crust is just beginning to turn a light golden brown. Let cool for 45-60 minutes before lifting out from the pan and cutting into bars. Cut 3×3 for 9 bars or 4×4 for 12 smaller bars.