Description
Deliciously festive cranberry crumble bars with a buttery shortbread crust, a tangy cranberry filling, and a sweet vanilla glaze. Perfect for holiday gatherings and easy to make in one pan!
Ingredients
- Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 1/4 cups (405 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Cranberry Filling
- 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2/3 cup (133 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Vanilla Glaze
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 4 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare the shortbread crust: In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, blending well and scraping down the sides as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until the dough begins to pull away from the bowl.
- Set aside about 2 cups of the dough (loosely packed) for the topping.
- Press the remaining dough evenly into the lined baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. Let it cool slightly.
- Prepare the cranberry filling: In a large bowl, mix cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract.
- Spread the cranberry filling over the baked crust.
- Break the reserved dough into small, flat pieces and scatter them over the cranberry filling, leaving some spaces for cranberries to show through.
- Bake for 45 minutes, covering with aluminum foil for the last 10-15 minutes to prevent over-browning.
- Let the bars cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare the vanilla glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk (or cream), and vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust consistency as needed.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bars, slice into squares, and serve.
Notes
- You can use either fresh or frozen cranberries for this recipe.
- Adjust the sweetness of the glaze by varying the amount of powdered sugar.
- Use heavy cream for a richer glaze.
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper to make it easier to remove the bars once cooled.
- The bars should cool completely before slicing for clean cuts.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 273
- Sugar: 19g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 36mg
